New Poem and no updates

The man to the side of this picture was recently on Question Time. Some people said it was a cheap grab for ratings (they peaked at eight million people) the BBC claimed that it was in interest of fairness and imparitality. To be fair, it was an hour of people picking on Nick Griffin and making people feel sorry for him. Interesting historical footnote, Hitler got to power because the ruling classes underestimated him. Mmmm.

Anyway, on the back of this and the Stephen Gately post is another VAGUELY TOPICAL POST.

Dressed is shirts not brown but blue,
Hate only ever changes its hue,
Collar undone, tie hanging awkwardly loose,
Fixed grin shining off new shoes.

Students shouting slogans outside again,
Arm links, human chains with a friend;
Reflective jackets blocking black gates
They are equal only in their hate.

Suave, sophistication
Masking solipsism,
Panel pointing fingers
To garner audience opinion.

The disaffected, the bored,
The forgotten, the ignored,
All line up to sign a Protest vote,
As He promises what other suits wont.

This is the danger of grubbing for ratings
To allow prejudice its space for ranting,
To give it a platform and to call it equal
By legitimising the backward and evil.

But, in the end, when he is in power alone
We can all stand, conform, and admit
The massacre on the streets
Started with ignorance in the home.

-Also in the interest of fairness and all that crap. Jan Moir apologised for any offence caused and said that there was no homophobic intent. There was, but meh.

I don't normally complain...

The "newspaper" The Daily Mail (who supported the British facist Oswald Mosely back in the 1930's) has published an article about the tragic death of Stephen Gately. It is here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1220756/A-strange-lonely-troubling-death--.html

Now, first and foremost. THE only thing that should be said when someone aged 33 years of age dies, is that it is a tragedy. No matter if you was a fan of his music, or if you agreed with his lifestyle choices. It is a tragic, tragic event. That is all that should be said. If some homophobic, misguided, desperate woman wants to make money on the back of his death it is pathetic.

A better response than anything I could do is by Charlie Brooker: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/16/stephen-gately-jan-moir

It is interesting to note that this article did not appear in the IRISH EDITION OF THIS NEWSPAPER. Draw whatever conclusions from that as you want.

I know that I wrote, Super Nova, which criticised elements of the deaths of other celebrity's. And people are free to get offended by that. I have no problem with that, my argument is that I disliked the way they prostituted themselves in their final days. It was not a homophobic attack, it was not bigoted and hateful.

Stephen Gately came out as Gay when he was in a successful boy band - he was one of the first to do so. So what if he was pressured into doing it by someone threatening to "out" him. That took considerable bravery. And it should be admired. Who knows how many confused, scared or worried young men his announcement helped. How many countless men took solace in the fact that they were not alone and that they could be accepted. Would Will Young have come out if he didn't? Would any of the other popstars?

The Daily Mail article just helps to reinforce the idea that homophobia isn't a bad thing. The idea that because someone is of a different sexual orientation then they are a bad person, that they are "sleazy". Why? Because he was homosexual? Because he new Elton John? Because he was married to a man?

If I died tonight of the same thing would that be all right because I live with a woman? As Charlie Brooker said, linking this passing with the death of Matt Lucas' partner - who took his own life, who posted on Facebook: "death is better than living", so that it can show how unnatural and futile civil partnerships are is wrong. Simple as that. It is wrong. Could I get away with writing that "a white woman and a Black man/ Asian man/ Indian man is a myth". No I would rightly be called a racist and because I have selected decent friends I would be ostracised, and rightly so.

The whole article is abhorent, it is dangerous and it is moronic.

As I said earlier, things like this lead people to tell homophobic jokes, heard one already, and to hold opinions that are backward. He did not die because of "The wages of Sin" nor because Civil Partnerships are fundementally flawed. The divorce rate amongst hetrosexuals in America is roughly 40% + so is that not FUNDEMENTALLY FLAWED!

The British Press Compliants Commission (PCC) will not do anything becasue the thousands of complaints lodged are third party and not from Gately's direct family. And by only publishing it in the UK this means that his mother does not have to read it. She should, if not only to get this hateful woman fired and blacklisted.

This paper has always been a shit-rag and now it has sunk to a new low. Never read The Sun and Fuck The Daily Mail.

The Beat My Heart Skipped

This is an awesome song

Supermarkets

Cow people patrol supermarkets,

Slowly shuffling

Filthy fat feet with

Glass blank stares.

Hungrily they eye

Each item down the aisles.

Pushing processed packages

Into packed baskets.

They chew minty fresh gum, like cud,

Mouths opening slowly,

Drooling absent minded

Down dirty T-shirts.

Greasy lank hair

Tide taught lying on

Clothing not covering the

Stretching tattoos on their back.

The sweat on their skin

Shines under halogen lights,

An image of the consumer consuming

In a mass market setting.

Because Various is clevererer than I

Here is my guest on Niamh's show:


http://www.mediafire.com/?ttijwhlmwjx


Yay her