Ben Elton's worst nightmare.

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Here's a quote from Ben Elton written in the Daily Mail.

[SNIP]Perhaps we must accept that not particularly good-looking people who can't dance have been banished from the charts for ever. If they have, then the next Elton John and Billy Joel, the next Janis Joplin and Pete Townsend, will never fulfil their dreams nor will they have the chance to enrich our lives.[/SNIP]

Agree? Disagree? Concur? Rebut?

― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Sunday, 20 October 2002 23:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Sort of agree with Elton John and Billy Joel. It's hard to be mainstream and not look like a model. Joplin and Townsend would be okay nowadays still, they'd be seen as pretty much indie. Come to think of, there's little difference between Billy Joel and someone like David Gray (unless he can dance), is there?

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Monday, 21 October 2002 01:14 (twenty-three years ago)

They can always lurk in the background and get some pretty boy to be the centre of attention -- which is what Pete Townsend did in the first place, isn't it?

― Yes/No Interlude, Monday, 21 October 2002 02:13 (twenty-three years ago)

The charts right now? Yes. But I would hope that it's not for EVER.

― Kim (Kim), Monday, 21 October 2002 02:16 (twenty-three years ago)

I disagree. The charts are full of average/ugly people. Always have been, always will be.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 21 October 2002 02:18 (twenty-three years ago)

The charts are how "average/ugly" people become desirable and sexy, that's why the indie/leftfield types don't want to appear on TOTP coz' they're gorgeous to begin with.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Monday, 21 October 2002 09:03 (twenty-three years ago)

always thought billy joel was a goodish lookin guy ...

three words

badly
drawn
boy

― piscesboy, Monday, 21 October 2002 11:38 (twenty-three years ago)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/35868000/jpg/_35868152_gray150.jpg

Phwoaaaaarrrr!

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 21 October 2002 11:46 (twenty-three years ago)

see now *i* was going to say him.

― piscesboy, Monday, 21 October 2002 13:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Uhhh... I'm pretty sure this guy sold 10 million records or something like that in the last couple years.

http://www.nickelback.com/gallery/full/NICK_DAY-VID_DM_06.JPG

― Aaron W., Monday, 21 October 2002 13:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Ben Elton praises Billy Joel = Elton is an irrelevant little smug fuckpig. Goddamn, how the mighty have fallen.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 21 October 2002 16:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Thank you Aaron, I was about to say "nickelback"

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Monday, 21 October 2002 21:27 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/top40/

6 - Manic Street Preachers - There By The Grace Of God
9 - Badly Drawn Boy - You Were Right
12 - Foo Fighers - All My Life
17 - Oasis - Little By Little

bring on the attractive dancing people. i can cope.

― thom west (thom w), Monday, 21 October 2002 21:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmmm. If Ernest Borgnine can get a record deal, theres hope for us all.

― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Monday, 21 October 2002 22:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Ben seems not to realise that
IT'S ABOUT SO MUCH MORE THAN THE MUSIC

― Ray M (rdmanston), Monday, 21 October 2002 22:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Or less, depending on your viewpoint.

― Ray M (rdmanston), Monday, 21 October 2002 22:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Knowing what I know about Ben Elton, I can't help but feel that all of the artists he mentioned were mentioned with not just a touch of sarcasm. I can't imagine him defending Billy Joel in ANY fashion. If he was sincere, I will have to do some serious re-evaluation.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 22 October 2002 02:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Sean - you may not be aware how much of a Daily Male Xenophobe character Elton has turned into (or exposed himself as, whatever) in recent years. His reputation in Britain is at ground zero, apart from among those (mostly Mail readers) who thought The Thin Blue Line was a) as good as Dad's Army, or b) any good at all.

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Tuesday, 22 October 2002 18:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Thank you Aaron, I was about to say "nickelback"

You bet. Sorry that pic is so big, but it's the only one I could find that really gets the asymmetry of his nose and the size of his forehead.

― Aaron W., Tuesday, 22 October 2002 18:39 (twenty-three years ago)

That's really sad to hear, robin. Ugh. Oh well, at least we still have the old stuff to go back to.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 22 October 2002 18:48 (twenty-three years ago)

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