There's always an elephant in the room.
Yesterday was National Mental Health Day. Alistair Campbell was on R4's PM show talking about his history of depression. Fair play to him - he discussed it openly and without stigma. He said that it would be unsurprising that leading members of the government were to suffer from mental health problems, given the amount of pressure they're under.
I wanted Eddie Mair to ask him the obvious question:
I wanted Eddie Mair to ask him the obvious question:
"How did you feel when a government advisor was put under so much pressure over remarks he was reported to have made about you that he walked into the woods one night, took a handful of pills and slashed his wrists?"
(The picture is a reference to the Peter Capaldi character in a satirical TV show that currently has as much chance of being repeated as Gary Glitter has of doing a comeback tour.)
Favourite Eddie Mair moments:
- His opening headline on the day the British government had been accused by Gerry Adams of covert surveillance in Stormont: "Sinn Fein say, 'The British government are buggers'."
- When he asked the Sudanese ambasador, "How do you sleep at night?"
- When Elton John won a libel case: "We've just got time to read out one more listener's e-mail. Mrs Jones of Basingstoke writes, 'That Elton John - he's a great big poof.' Goodnight."
More of his wit and wisdom here. He's better than that twat John Humphrys any day.
I've a new photo on my Flickr site. Enjoy!
And while I'm doing quotes from the good and the great...here's a bunch from John Peel.
3 comments:
I love the flower photo. Otherwise, aside from john Peel, I'm not at all familiar with the other people of whom you speak. I require further enlightenment!
Alistair Campbell: Tony Blair's quondam chief spin doctor and spawn of the devil. Chemical Weapons advisor David Kelly suggested to a BBC journalist that he had 'sexed up' the dossier of evidence that was used to persuade us to foght America's colonial war. Campbell did a lot of shouting and bullying. Kelly killed himself.
Eddie Mair - genius of a news journalist. He comes over all flippant and matey, but packs a killer punch.
Peter Capaldi - Scottish actor, played a Campbell-like character in the BBC's 'The Thick of It'. His wonks were termed 'The Flying Monkeys'. Leading catchphrases: "Come the fuck in or fuck the fuck off!" and "What's the story in Balafuckingmory.". (Balamory - a TV show for tiny tots)Also starred Chris Langham, recently charged with indecent assault on children (possibly in connection with the manufacture of pornography).
And I've really got to send you a recording of John Peel's speaking voice. The quotes are even better if you imagine them that ay.
Q: What do the following have in common: the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald and the Heysel Stadium disaster?
A: John Peel was there.
My favourite Eddie Mair (if only because it's the most recent time he had me laughing out loud): "The population of the United Kingdom has, for the first time, reached sixty million. If they stood on each other's shoulders they would reach perhaps twenty feet in the air before toppling over." [PM, 24 August 2006 17:28]
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