Lynne Truss, "the world-famous author" of Eats, Shoots and Leaves explains Rodney's limpet-like ability to stay in contention in the TV show that defies good taste as much as Rodney's dancing (reportedly) defies the definition of the term.In her new book Talk to the Hand Truss examines the utter bloody rudeness of everyday life. Fifth in her list of "six good reasons to stay home and bolt the door" is what she identifies as the rush from merit, or what she calls "booing the judges":
Authority [she says] is largely perceived as a kind of personal insult which must be challenged. On TV competitions, judges are booed and abused for saying, "Look, I'm sorry, he can't dance!" because it has become a modern tenet that success should have only a loose connection with merit, and that when 'the people' speak, they are incontestably right.Now, if that doesn't explain it, I'm not sure what would.
TAGS: Books
7 comments:
Rubbish. Rodney's success has got everything to do with merit - just not dancing merit.
What success are you referring to? ACT hasn't polled above 2.5% since Hide became leader? They've gone from 9 to 2 MPs.
There is another possibility for why Hide remains on the show. War-dialling. ACT supporters wanting to keep Hide on may have been ringing up constantly to keep him on the show to make him look good.
In order to make Hide look bad, Labour supporters may have been doing the same thing.
In 6 mouths time no one will care about who won or lost but plenty of people will remember Rodney had a good go and warmed to him as the underdog.Thats all that matters and it was a good move all things considered.
I think it is cunning publicity of the kind George Galloway tried, but used exactly the WRONG instrument to do it. However it is a sign of our vapid age that he will be more noticed for this than anything good he ever says.
Pursuit of playfulness belongs on the party circuit, not in the centre of power...one might like playfulness and spontaneity in a friend, lover or star, but one wants a different character in people with professional or political authority. The more regular, unimaginative & boring the daily llives of presidents, surgeons, airbus pilots, the better for us. (Camille Paglia.) (Does anyone remember when Bill Rowling's wife appeared on tv thinking she could sing? Not a word was said but they both went quietly down the plughole after that.)
Anonymous said...
"War-dialling"
Come clean and Stop bullshiting. You would want to cuddle up with Rodney Hide, because you like his rounded body for a night dancing with you.
I voted for Rodney, because I like his dancing partner and she has been consistently performing well. So, Rodney got the votes because of the charity that he represents and also his dance partner outperforms the other dance partners. If Rodney did partner with Christine Rankin, then they would have been the first couple to be voted out.
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