If someone could teach a foetus how to sing the theme tune from Titanic, it surely wouldn't be long before it would be auditioning for Pete Waterman.

I, on the other hand, condemn all of it!

I've been looking around the rest of this Mirror site. Is this newspaper supposed to be some kinda respectable "New York Times"-ish deal or is it just a gussied up "International Inquirer"-style gossip rag?

There were manufactured prefab popstars in the 60s, too, shock horror. It was just harder to see the puppet strings behind them. These days, the puppet strings are part of the art. I think I have more respect for that...

Yeah, the first thing I thought when I read this was what a horrible little hypocrite this old man is.

And it's a stupid and thoughtless comparison in the first place, isn't it? It's easy to condemn music today if you're just going to look at things like Will Young, if you're too afraid to listen to new music that wasn't created by white boys with guitars.

'Why should a woman never get drunk? Because being drunk makes you loud, obnoxious, sentimental, self-pitying and stupid. And of course most women are like that when they are completely sober.'

- Tony Parsons

Don't get me wrong, I too think he's a complete dick. I've thought that ever since I saw him on The Late Review on BBC2 where, reclining in his chair, he yawningly dismissed every scrap of art and artistic effort put in front of him. Behind his laughing face though, you could see it was just him saying whatever it took to make him look like a valid, cutting-edge critic.

I just think it's strange how he produced this very popular book (Man & Boy). Maybe it's just lowest-common-denominator stuff, but I read it and thought it was OK.

the most popular newspaper in the country is 'the sun'. what's strange.

the most popular newspaper in the country is 'the sun'. what's strange?

(continued for another 374 pages)

Oh how we laughed.

http://www.fistoffun.net/book/17.htm

There were manufactured prefab popstars in the 60s, too, shock horror. It was just harder to see the puppet strings behind them

I'd say it's more or less the same (certainly Phil Spector and the Motown crew had a decent share of fame?)

No, Parsons is worse, much worse. Littlejohn has always been a reactionary right-wing windbag, if anything he's mellowed with age, and on occasion he can be funny. Parsons on the other hand has turned a self-righteous humourless nasty little right-wing p**k, he's become a modern Woodrow Wyatt (he's even called to bring back hanging).

I read Heffer with a morbid fascination (unlike the above two, + me, he can write btw). He should be declared a National Trust monument, the personification of why the Tories are languishing in opposition and flat-lining in the polls. A man who would have felt society was going to the dogs in 1950s. More importantly, unlike Parsons, completely harmless.