April Gonzo

The UK’s Saturday papers pandering to the gullible was disappointing. The Guardian topped last years “Prince Charles has been appointed the Countryside Tsar” by claiming Coldplay’s Chris Martin has turned Tory and released a song in praise of David Cameron (cheers Mark for pointing it out) - link. This piece which so concerned the Labour party, according to the Guardian affiliated Observer, memos were passed out on how to deal with this crisis. The Independent explored Sylvia Plath’s secret love affair with Chuck Berry - much in line with its surreal 2004 piece on how Brian Eno had made an electro version of the Archers theme tune for Radio 4.

Quirkyness and originality were absent from the other papers. The Daily Mail limply claimed that Cherie Blair wants the door of Number 10 Downing Street painted red. The Times reported on the new Chip and Sing technology – enter pin and belt out My Way... oh…. ha ha. And the Sun, with an unusual lack of panache, reported that penguins have been spotted in the Thames - yaaaaaaaawn.

I guess a Media studies graduate, while flipping burgers, would tell me that I have to contextualise what I’m saying. For Daily Mail readers, repainting the door to Downing Street is probably nothing short of heretical sacrilege – something done by atheists, working-class tradesmen… and blacks. Whereas for the Sun, whose content is dubious at best, Penguins in the Thames could be the most plausible sounding article in the whole tit and sport soaked paper. More people will believe it than the Guardian article - making it much more effective. I remember my Sun-reading friend Jeff telling me how the Police were training Hawks fitted with speed cameras, and how stupid it was, after reading the 2004 hoax. Sorry mate – didn’t have the heart to tell you at the time.

The most kudos has to go to Canada’s Calgary Herald, which reviewed Brokeback Mountain: The Game… and gave it a perfect score. I wonder if its a joystick waggler like Daily Thomson's Olympics back in the days of Amstrads and 8-bit...