“If you say a modern celebrity is an adulterer, a pervert and a drug addict, all it means is that you’ve read his autobiography.”
P.J. O’Rourke
Watching C4’s Dispatches expose on so-called celebrities who endorse charities, so long as they get their pockets filled, was not a great surprise.
But the catch of the programme was someone called Caitlyn Jenner who I have to confess I had never heard of – honest. The programme makers set up a fake charity which various celebrities were asked to represent.
You would have thought that, if asked to endorse anything, then a few quick checks might be a good idea. Get your PA to put her nail file down and go a bit of Googling perhaps? Not so if you are blinded by greed.
Worse still, I was sure this was not a woman but who could I ask without appearing as thick as her/him/it? Before I could Google to check a few basic facts, there was pure pathos.
Advised by the journalist, whose cover was safe as houses as thick people don’t watch intelligent programmes like Dispatches, that they were endorsing a charity fighting plastics in the oceans, he/she/it commented “there’s so much plastic, what do we do with it?”
Which was what I was wondering when they come to dispose of her/him/it; same problem.
Most celebrities are money grabbing toadies so if you buy a product because some lame brain on Instagram endorses it, poor you.
Sport England Strike Again
Funded by the National Lottery, Sport England should be a force for good with enormous sums of money at its disposal to assist in the furtherance of grassroots sports, most of which are on their arse.
Established in 1997 – coinciding with Mr T Blair’s money tree – they claim to be building a nation where everyone, everywhere feels able to get active in a way that’s right for them. As arguably the fattest nation in Europe, what a great job they are doing!
Unfortunately, Sport England are prone to ham-fisted attempts at social engineering. Take this story concerning a local cricket club who have been offered a staggering £2m to “improve its facilities.”
It is an obscene sum of money for a recreational cricket club when one considers how so many are struggling to contend with factors such as climate issues, lack of volunteers and the occasional louts who see clubs as fair game.
We would all love to improve our facilities; that one club, playing at a relatively minor level, can attract such a sum deserves scrutiny for this is not an upgrade, more a new build.
I know how hard it is to raise funds and what it takes to run a club. But this is how Sport England operate. Find a headline project which ticks their boxes and throw the kitchen sink at it. Lets have gold stumps and finest bone china!
I have no beef with Mount CC – good luck to them – take them for every penny. However, the story takes a twist from here.
The article claims the club’s future hangs in the balance because it refuses to take Lottery funding as it is unacceptable for its mainly Muslim members.; albeit, as stated, they have already received similar funding.
The club claim to be an integral part of their community – tick – and that there is a “disparity between us and other clubs” – tick. It is utter garbage; we are all serving our communities.
Phil Smith, Director of Sport England, reportedly said: ‘If we can offer a grant, we will ensure that the grant does not come from National Lottery funding.’ So where will the money come from Phil?
There are over 600 cricket clubs in Yorkshire alone. The game is non-existent in state schools and yet Sport England think showering one club with millions is a good idea?
Finally, what financial and project management skills do clubs have to manage this level of budget. Think again?
Back To Thick People
In the summer months I do a bit of coaching in local primary schools. Topical of late has been the utter stupidity of parents where parking near schools is concerned. Leaving a school the other day I was staggered by some of the idiocy.
Regardless of junctions, road markings or simple road sense, the numpties sit there, usually head down attached to a device, with that utterly contemptible attitude of “you can’t touch us!”
If only we had enough police to put a few frighteners on these morons? And, judging by the state of most of them, a bit of exercise might do them and the kids some good.
Next time Greta starts bleating about how hard it is to be a kid these days, think of the simple stuff?
Picture Of The Week
Sent in by young Gary Kingett of Birstall who wins a roll of duct tape and a bottle of baby oil.
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