Thursday 22 October 2009

Dream: Buggles is playing ATP with his band The Producers. His son is there onstage with them handing out free CDs to anyone in the crowd interested. The whole thing feels out of place, not least for the lack of audience. Still, it is exciting.

Today is a good day. Spirits are high as I emerge from my slumber.

This is my Friday as I have no work tomorrow. Unfortunately with this reality comes the expected sense of relaxation and leisure applied to the end of the week. There was a faux deadline attached to proceedings for tomorrow but if I’m not here will it count?

Early into proceedings I have two cups of coffee, which result in me firing out Facebook/Twitter status updates with machine gun gusto.

Everyone asks me if I dropped off the package at North Acton safely last night and I respond along the lines “I sure did.” Surely this must score me points and set up an easy day.

Today I discover the desire to begin a Guided By Voices covers band.

Why is Katie Price dating Adrian Street?

Towards the end of the day news comes through of protests at the BBC Television Centre of well intentioned loons storming the gates and getting inside the building ahead of the appearance of Nick Griffin on Question Time tonight. Initial reports state they sing “there’s only one Ian Tomlinson” at the police before this is soon removed from the story. Is anyone going to come out of this shambles looking good?

Another thing I have noticed is a distinct trend on Facebook of people who vocally oppose the BNP are also very much into the Farmville application/game. Now that is food for thought.

Otherwise as expected the day rolls out comfortably and without drama and soon it is 5.30PM and time to head home.

Trafalgar Square this evening there is a big screen free showing of a movie as part of the London Film Festival but I feel beat and I just want to get home ASAP.

When I get home I flick through the usual shite on TV before the big one kicks off. Is it wrong that I find the roving motorbike gay couple on Watchdog more smug and offensive than Nick Griffin?

So tonight is the appearance of Nick Griffin on Question Time and with it you sense people are raring to hop on their high horse and go off, people that don’t usually express their opinions but tonight feel so confident in their opinions of tonight’s appearance that they are going to voice them. I don’t necessarily feel this is about opposing fascism or the right wing, it’s about self-promotion.

After the usual night of Thursday night TV the contentious ratings winner begins and unsurprisingly all focus is placed on Mr BNP. Before long it becomes apparent that every question this evening is going to be fired at him while every retort will be used/spent on undermining the guy.

In the run up to this show there was some worry that the guy might be given a level platform with which he might be able to twist his words into something that sounds reasonable and make sense and thus gain new support but within minutes (rightly and wrongly) it becomes apparent that this was never going to be the case.

In the end as a mere human being Griffin comes over poorly as he laughs at accusations far too much and fails to command authority and or any positive presence. In other words he comes over like a buffoon as the whole event begins to resemble a room of Rick from The Young Ones picking on a Spitting Image puppet. It is bullying a bully, which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing did the audience not appear as vehement and extreme as the object of their affection. Nobody is getting out of here alive.

Within ten minutes it has become some kind of horrible pantomime where quite frankly everyone involved disgusts me. For the majority it is mission accomplished in the most pathetic of manner. Which I guess is a good thing although I would like to think the decent people of this country that oppose far right extremism are not just egg headed lefties with personal agendas, rather more balanced normal people not so quick or keen to shove their opinions in people’s faces. The sad truth though is that people love an underdog and faced with this barrage I hate how the audience and panel make me almost feel sympathy towards a person that is essentially a complete and utter cunt.

Soon it all gets boring and soon I begin to nod off. This truly was an anticlimax.