Below are a few links to follow while I have photoshopper’s block over a new image on the Prince Harry story - It’s bloody difficult to come up with something that hits its target with no collateral damage.
I don’t want the image to be misconstrued or give some the opportunity to deliberately do so.
No way will I have a pop at the forces and, although I’ve had a pop or two at Harry before, those were about different events.
He’s done what most of us wouldn’t have had the bottle to do and would’ve had an easy out if he’d chosen.
So, again, I’m not going to have a go at him … over this, but I already have and probably will continue to use him in an Afghan setting/reference for more lighthearted gags.
Now, the media for remaining silent? - no. But the gushing over the past couple of days and for the forseeable future - oh yes.
And the politicians and those in Whitehall who (I believe) are turning this into a major PR spectacle and possibly a recruiting drive - oh yes.
It will be interesting to see if (despite cost penalties for booking late) the current army recruitment campaign is beefed up.
Anyone with access to TV or radio ratings data should keep an eye on things.
Some serious reporters at Sky News will be shitting themselves right now at the prospect of how Kay Burley might approach the Harry story after the way she handled the exclusive interview with the former partner of murderer Steve Wright. Will Burley get an exclusive with Prince Harry’s girlfriend Chelsy Davy and, referring to his tour of Afghanistan, ask her “Do you think if you’d had a better sex life, he wouldn’t have done this?”
The links I mentioned :
“While his bravery and commitment are beyond doubt, his 10-week stint in Helmand has revealed itself as a PR recruiting stunt, cooked up by the MoD and facilitated by the media’s collusion.” - Leo Docherty - Independent On Sunday.
“The army and government have had good service from their most famous soldier. Pity those left behind” - Catherine Bennett - The Observer with a storming paragraph towards the end “Indeed, there can hardly be medals and honours enough to reward the officials whose manipulation of the media …..”
Well, with their new advertising campaign, the Tories have come a long way from this kind of thing :
not for use on any commercial site or commercial blog without permission please.
Relatively fluffy (excuse the unintentional clouds pun) and very iPod. Aspirational the Mainly Dale calls it - and some of it is but still with a hint of menace in some executions.
There are some pretty big and relatively easy (creation-wise) opportunities to have some fun with it but I think I’ll leave it for now - I just don’t fancy turning out a stream of easy gags.
The immigration and public services is tempting - we’ll let in workers from abroad who we need for the NHS etc. but not their families because they would be a drain on the … NHS. You could level the same contradiction at Labour and I know that simplification for an advertising message can actually reduce clarity which makes it easy for parody merchants.
The Jimmy Cliff music angle could be very tempting for the video makers. As far as I understand things, musicians can’t stop political parties from using music (I may be wrong). I believe Jimmy Cliff had a pretty tough time when he first came over to Britain.
I’m sure someone will come up with a little more in-depth research, something the Republicans could have done with in the last US election when their rallies frequently used the music of Gary Glitter to introduce the speakers.
not for use on any commercial site or commercial blog without permission please.
Please note that I have added a link to my blogroll - Pierre Ballouhey, a French cartoonist. I think he started his blog just this year but he has a wealth of work on different parts of his site. Click on the Album Photos in the left hand column of his blog to see some great stuff.
He has a beautiful style - well worth a visit - and please respect his copyright notice.
Shadow home secretary David Davis tells the BBC’s Andrew Marr that curbing cut-price deals and looking again at 24-hour licensing is better than higher tax on booze to counteract binge drinking.
Good chap ! His colleagues will no doubt raise an extraordinarily good value glass or two to him in the one of their exclusive parliamentary bars.
not for use on any commercial site or commercial blog without permission please.
