A Cock of the First Order

As a general rule, I really hate those online petitions which disgruntled listeners/viewers set up to try and get radio or TV presenters they don't like removed from the airwaves. Such things smack of narrow minded middle class prejudice - their target is often someone deemed 'unsuitable' because they have a regional accent, or long hair, or wear striped shirts. At best these things are exercises in snobbery, at worst they are no better than campaigns of bullying. Moreover, the organisers are rarely representative of the general viewing/listening audience, and no matter how much support they garner for their campaign, such numbers are inevitably insignificant compared to the millions who watch/listen to the object of their bile without complaint. Recently, I became aware of such a campaign, aimed at getting someone called George Lamb removed from BBC Radio 6 Music's mid-morning slot. Judging by their public proclamations the organisers sounded like the usual middle class moaners, unhappy that someone had changed the schedules of 'their' radio station without consulting them, replacing some nice middle class presenter with someone less 'refined'. Now, I'd never heard this George Lamb, so I decided to give him a listen - after all, I thought, if he's pissing these tossers off, he surely can't be all bad. Having now listened to him, I can conclusively say that he is a cock of the first order and that the petitioners have got it right.

George Lamb is one of those irritating middle class tossers who thinks that by talking 'street' he can somehow gain some kind of credibility. In reality, it just makes him sound, at best, like a complete twat, at worst, a drooling idiot. It's like listening to Westwood with a lobotomy - and he already sounds like a stroke victim. Actually - and I never thought that I'd find myself saying this - that comparison is grossly unfair to Tim Westwood. At least he seems to have some inkling of how ludicrous he sounds. Lamb seems to take himself completely seriously. But then Lamb comes from a generation of 'youth' presenters (he also works for the T4 youth strand of Channel 4) who seem to believe that 'getting down with the kids' requires them to speak like idiots, act in a fashion they consider 'ironic', whilst all the time making sure that nobody is in any doubt how superior to their audience they really are. Indeed, all that these types are interested in is stroking their own egos - they don't talk to their audience, so much as relentlessly try and ram home to listeners and viewers how wonderful they are and how lucky we should all consider ourselves that they deign to 'entertain' us. Sadly, broadcasting chiefs seem mesmerised by these tossers - possibly because they're middle-aged, middle class tossers themselves, who haven't a clue about real youth culture.

Jesus, I'm getting old and curmudgeonly! Next thing you know I'll be writing to Feedback on Radio 4!