Little children will grow up and some will be big and successful. I have to admit I tend to be attracted by people who are still doing their thing in a dark corner, or who at least don’t attract as much attention as other more ‘successful’ colleagues. Jason Mraz before he became big. Things got a bit crowded and weird when he was suddenly Mr. I’m Yours. That’s all good; he deserved all that success, but it made me feel a little uncomfortable.
And now Charlie Brooker. I was late to the party, yes. The reason I was attracted to him (his work, really) was that he was quietly doing his thing in a corner of entertainment during his Screen-, News- and Gameswipe period and earlier. He was genuinely observant, witty and brutally honest. He hardly had to adhere to boundaries, because hardly anyone (sensitive) was paying attention to him. I loved that; it can’t get more real and true than that. Now he’s Mr. Big Shot and I’m a little lost.
These days his words are quoted as if he’s a prophet. These days people feel he has a lot to answer for. People also feel he became too main stream. Charlie Brooker is no longer an individual doing his thing in a dark corner hardly being heard or seen by anyone. No, Charlie Brooker is now public property, property which anyone who feels like it can piss over or put on a pedestal. Whatever you like, because Charlie Brooker became a product.
I don’t quite understand people saying he’s got a lot to answer for. For instance the Zeppotron productions like ‘8 Out of 10 Cats’. He’s not Zeppotron, he’s only one of the founders. He doesn’t even run Zeppotron, he’s only one part of it. You can’t expect him to answer for the mess other people within Zeppotron make. The only Zeppotron production he’s in that makes me frown and grimace is ‘10 O’Clock Live’ and even there, he’s not the only one working on that show and his pieces, even though a bit shallower than I would like them to be, were quite good. All other Zeppotron productions his name bear were at least of a reasonable level of quality. So that shouldn’t be the reason he has to answer for anything. What is? I have no idea.
Then his work opposed to his marriage. I still haven’t worked out what the 2 have to do with each other except that Charlie’s involved in it and in some points Konnie was and still is. Except from that, we’re talking about two different things. And like I said before in another post, Charlie is not responsible for Konnie’s work. That he’s married doesn’t mean he can’t say anymore some show is shit; it’s just probably not the best thing to do.
Also the fact that Charlie bites the hand that’s feeding him is not entirely true. I’m still convinced that Charlie was only bitching about certain shows because of his love for the medium TV, and those shows should have been better or hidden in a closet behind some old stuff that’s never get used anymore.
The whole discussion about his hair. What the hell is that all about!? What does his hair have to do with anything of his work? Charlie Brooker never was a looker. Charlie Brooker will probably never be a looker. Charlie Brooker was never and shall never be promoted as a looker, because that’s not the point of his work. His hair, being a part of his looks, is of no importance. Can we now stop talking about his hair?
And finally the Charlie Brooker lovers. I am one, I confess that readily. I will not however, put him on a pedestal. If he screws up, I will be one of the first to point that out, as I have in the past. Yes, Charlie said things that sounded fairly true, but so have wiser men than Charlie, more often than Charlie about subjects that really matter. Charlie’s not stupid, no, but he’s not the wise, half-god prophet some people seem to hold him for. He’s just another man who appears on TV quite a bit (much) lately. That’s all fine and he deserved all the success, but let’s not overreact; there’s no need, really.
I realize I sound a bit angry in this piece. I am not. I am actually quite amused. I am also very confused, but still more amused than confused.
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