Critics And Cult Leaders

Saw that Hot Fuzz movies over the weekend. Having been lauded by most critics as the funniest film in the world, I thought it was too long and..er, not that funny. This resulted in a discussion over supper after the movie as to whether or not we should bother taking any notice of what critics recommend since they seem mostly to be looking for ways of being either 100% into or 100% not into whatever movie - or film or book or crafts fair - they are reviewing. I guess if they just said "Yeah, it was okay" they'd not last long.

I am also interested at the moment in the crossover in specialities that journalists seem to have, having read a review of Crufts by someone who usually writes the TV pages for The Guardian. Is it just a promotion thing? You do the obituaries, and then the travel, and then the TV pages, and then Crufts, and then international security? I think AA Gill - who I hate for lots of reasons, not least of all because he wears hats the whole time - writes approx two thirds of The Sunday Times nowadays, sharing his oily thoughts on subjects as varied as TV and restaurants. At least Jeremy Clarkson sticks to his own particular areas of interest, which is being rude about anyone who is not like him. (Maybe we can expect some articles on international security from him in the near future since that particular agenda seems to be discussed mostly in those terms.)

It would be kind of cool if you were part of a cult, because then there would just be someone telling you what do to and go and see the whole time. ("I was thinking of going to see Hot Fuzz this evening." "Oh, don't bother with that. You've only watched The Reason Our Leader Is Omnipotent thirty times. Why don't you give that another go?" "How about the new Gilbert and George exhibition?" "But you've not worshipped at our Leader's shrine for at least ninety minutes. His 23rd wife sculpted it you know." )

Actually, I think being in a cult would be rubbish, unless you were the cult leader. But I do quite like the idea of finite choices in your film-going or whatever. It would make things easier. (Although one of the many nice things about being married is that you can stop pretending to like non-English language films to try and impress women.)

Speaking of things foreign, there is this really ropey old bird who hangs around near where we live. On various occasions, she has felt the need to accost me in the street to ask my opinion - well mouth off her opinions more like. I was avoiding her on the bus yesterday, but she was asking this girl with a suitcase where she had been. The girl was all polite, and said "I've just been to Paris for the weekend actually." Ropey bird thought about this for a moment, and said "France. I've heard it's a fucking shit hole". Happy with this affirmation of her deep bigotry, she gathered up her daughter (who looked deeply interbred) and waddled off the bus.

My point? As usual, I don't really have one.