To Grit, Or Not To Grit

Today I woke up to a wintry snow scene which has come over a month too late for Christmas. It's quite a cold spell of weather for Britain at the moment but I was surprised by how much had actually settled in my part of London.

Anyway, it made my walk to the bus stop slightly more interesting because my local council obviously hadn't expected the snow and didn't bother to grit any pavements.

Charitable TV? Get Real!

Happened to catch a new TV show last night called 'Fortune - Million Pound Giveaway'. I'm sick of all the mindless reality shows out there but this got me in another way. It had a panel of five wealthy individuals (including the disgraced ex-MP Jeffrey Archer, probably for the controversy factor) and a stream of 'contestants' who came to plead their case in order to gain a part of the million pounds on offer (the panel's own money, but what are they getting out of being on the show?).

The ITV director who commissioned the show has been quoted as saying that it, 'captures the changing climate of our time, where greed is not good and philanthropy is a growing force'. What bullshit! Clearly the show is basic car crash TV, giving the viewer 'great characters, compelling moments and riveting drama', ie people who are making idiots of themselves on national TV, performing before the smug 'richer than thou' panel who then patronisingly ponder whether to toss the poor beggars a bone from the rich table. Viewers are only watching for the spectacle, not in wonderment of the apparent generosity.

The show had a combination of the heartstring tearjerker of a cancer victim asking for a donation to a charity; a women's football team requiring funds to support themselves; a woman who wanted to furnish her house; and two teenagers who wanted to further their hobby of train travel. Many charities are worthy causes for donation and it was blatantly obvious the benefactors would not deny the poor cancer victim boy who told a heartrending tale of losing his fellow cancer victim friend in hospital. The footballistas walked with nothing as did 'need new furniture woman', but the two teenage train freaks 'charmed' the panel enough to get a handout, as did a lady dressed as a red indian squaw (really).

Call me cynical, but that was as much as I could take, as the show is just an excuse for laughing at people making tits of themselves in the hope of a bit of money, interspersed with a few 'serious' claimants such as the cancer victim (obviously inserted to remind viewers of the more caring 'philanthropic' side of the show, as opposed to the 'greed' phenomenon of people doing anything for some free cash). Whatever people's views are, ITV are hoping to make their fortunes on this show so expect a load of people doing bizarre things for an easy payday, with one or two more serious claimants to lend the show some credibility. This is just the latest shallow example to join the ranks of reality TV, but I'm sure this moneygrabbing show dressed in Good Samaritan clothing will do exactly as the commissioner intended and score ITV a load of cash because this kind of show has been proven to work.

If our times really are changing and greed isn't good whilst philanthropy is growing, then ITV should take any profits from the show and give it all to charity. How about that then? Nope, didn't think so. I don't mind the show trying to be an original format in order to gain ratings but don't be hypocritical and dress it up as a really charitable act when it's just a moneyspinner based on the antics and pratfalls of contestants enticed by free cash, in most cases driven by greed. Each to their own but I don't tend to watch reality TV shows and this isn't the one to sway me.

Happy 2007!

Here it is, the new year. Full of festive cheer, beer and painkillers, steely resolutions have been formed by many a reveller. Mine are quite simple really - just to put a little bit 'extra' into certain things. Nothing drastic, just a slight gear change.

The past year holds quite a few memorable experiences for me and it's been good, but I'm looking forward to pushing on a bit more this year towards an even better one. I'm planning to upgrade my fitness training to get back to near my old marathon running level and to be more disciplined about my creative stuff. Socially, I've been too much of a butterfly but I'm gradually learning to manage my time (and self)better!

Well everybody, wishing you a bright and happy new year! World peace is probably too much to wish for, but let's hope 2007 brings greater global understanding environmentally and politically, because we are all ultimately bound by common humanity and a debt to our most valuable resource, this blue and green planet we manage to survive on when not too busy tearing it and each other up.