Saturday, 13 January 2007

Rod of Iron

For Christmas my brother gave me a book called Screen Burn by Charlie Brooker and it's excellent. Brooker is a TV critic for the Guardian and has a column every Saturday called Screen Burn. This book is a collection of the best of these.
The column seems to be a TV Guide for those people who don't like all the programmes that currently fill the schedules such as reality tv, soaps, antique programmes, chav chat shows etc. As such there are many rants and it is very funny. I particularly like the review of a programme on the life and time of Rod Hull, here is an excerpt:
"The show is rammed with fascinating Hull tidbits, chief among which is the revelation that he had an almighty johnson....And the ladies knew it: that puppeteer tore through more women than Jason Voorhees..... even plump green witch Grotbags asserts that "It was always on offer, and Rod was a man"

This seems wrong on so many levels that I just have to laugh. Does make you wonder if emu was ever involved......

Speaking of childrens tv, here are a few random facts:
  • The South African version of Sesame Street has a puppet which is HIV-positive.
  • In 1997 over 600 Japanese children suffered epileptic fits after watching an episode of Pokeman.
  • TV characters who have been accused of being gay by right wing groups include Spongebob Squarepants, Bert & Ernie and Tinkie Winkie

Who said children's TV is safe.......

3 comments:

Scott said...

Hey! Bert and Ernie were about as gay as Morcambe and Wise were. They were just platonic friends, that was all.

Don't get me started on Fred from Scooby Doo though...

Anonymous said...

Can I just say that your brother has great taste!

TC said...

I'm not saying that Bert & Ernie were gay but there is something unusual about 2 grown men/puppets sharing a bed. Maybe they were broke after spending all their money on drink and drugs (which would also explain their personalities) which meant they couldn't pay the heating bill and had to huddle together at nights to keep warm. Of course if anything was to happen and something was to go where it shouldn't then as long as it's not talked about in the morning it will be ok. I've seen Brokeback Mountain.....

Peter, I guess my brother does have good taste.....