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Comic relief
dobiesdraw
Member Posts: 2,793
Just spotted this article in the local Telegraph and argus, and imo , it's bang on .
Is it wrong to say I can't stand Comic Relief?
WHAT a lot of fuss over this week’s Comic Relief danceathon.
“They must be terrified,” said one TV presenter. “Guys, you’re so brave,” said another, as Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman started their 24-hour challenge on Monday evening. You’d think the pair of them were going over the top.
The “longest ever danceathon in Red Nose Day history” was basically two middle-aged women trying to stay awake in a nice air-conditioned studio, swaying to a succession of floor-fillers, with hourly comfort breaks, while Radio 2 fawned over them from start to finish.
Naturally, lots of famous faces “dropped by” to support the fearless fundraisers along the way. Mary Berry brought them a chocolate cake, Jeremy Vine busted some moves to Beyonce’s Crazy in Love, Ed Balls danced Gangnam Style and the cast of Hair the Musical turned up to boost ticket sales, sorry, I mean to join in with the selfless dancing.
It was a painful reminder of why I can’t stand telethons.
I think it started with Children in Need. It’s always on in November, and as a teenager this was when I often had huge stressful piles of exam revision to get through. I’d come downstairs for a break, hollow-eyed and twitchy, and there it was, taking over the entire evening’s telly - an inane spectacle of jolly celebrities larking around for charity. I deeply resented them and their high jinks. And if I’m honest, I still do.
Yes, telethons raise an eye-watering amount of money for good causes, in this country and overseas. Yes, they’re fun for schools to get involved with. And when celebrities are on board it raises the profile of the whole shebang. I get that. And I take my hat off to people like Eddie Izzard, who ran 27 marathons in 27 days for Sport Relief. Heck, I’ve even donated money to TV charity appeals. It doesn’t mean I have to like them.
It’s the self indulgence that grates. Overpaid, over-exposed celebrities having a laugh in zany sketches; taking on daredevil challenges in exotic places, (all filmed for a prime-time documentary that will show them in a great light); being flown to Africa to be moved and humbled by people they wouldn’t give the time of day to if there were no cameras around, or social media didn’t exist.
And along the way these selfless celebs - models, girl bands, soap actors, sport stars, daytime telly hosts, reality TV divas - get to show us why they’re such good eggs, boosting their ‘brand’ in the process.
I remember the last Comic Relief telly shindig two years ago - it was panned for being largely unfunny, with way too long sketches, and for its noisy mates-down-the-pub ambience (a dated Friday night TV trend that came and went in the 1990s), which alienated viewers watching it from their sofas.
Expect more of the same tomorrow night. It’s the self indulgence I can’t be doing with - the “Aren’t we all fabulous?” baloney, the sycophancy. It’s all a bit too Richard Curtis for me.
If celebrities were really passionate about supporting charities they’d get on with it, quietly, like plenty of other people do.
I’ve met some wonderful people who get their hands dirty helping people in need, without expecting any glory in return
I resent rich famous people, who spend more on a pair of shoes than I earn in a month, pleading for money from the public. I support charities without making a fuss.
I don’t need to see Matt Baker on a rickshaw, Davina McCall sobbing in a wet suit, or Little Mix posing for selfies on Mount Kilimanjaro with Dani Dyer and the bloke from Pointless.
Is it wrong to say I can't stand Comic Relief?
WHAT a lot of fuss over this week’s Comic Relief danceathon.
“They must be terrified,” said one TV presenter. “Guys, you’re so brave,” said another, as Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman started their 24-hour challenge on Monday evening. You’d think the pair of them were going over the top.
The “longest ever danceathon in Red Nose Day history” was basically two middle-aged women trying to stay awake in a nice air-conditioned studio, swaying to a succession of floor-fillers, with hourly comfort breaks, while Radio 2 fawned over them from start to finish.
Naturally, lots of famous faces “dropped by” to support the fearless fundraisers along the way. Mary Berry brought them a chocolate cake, Jeremy Vine busted some moves to Beyonce’s Crazy in Love, Ed Balls danced Gangnam Style and the cast of Hair the Musical turned up to boost ticket sales, sorry, I mean to join in with the selfless dancing.
It was a painful reminder of why I can’t stand telethons.
I think it started with Children in Need. It’s always on in November, and as a teenager this was when I often had huge stressful piles of exam revision to get through. I’d come downstairs for a break, hollow-eyed and twitchy, and there it was, taking over the entire evening’s telly - an inane spectacle of jolly celebrities larking around for charity. I deeply resented them and their high jinks. And if I’m honest, I still do.
Yes, telethons raise an eye-watering amount of money for good causes, in this country and overseas. Yes, they’re fun for schools to get involved with. And when celebrities are on board it raises the profile of the whole shebang. I get that. And I take my hat off to people like Eddie Izzard, who ran 27 marathons in 27 days for Sport Relief. Heck, I’ve even donated money to TV charity appeals. It doesn’t mean I have to like them.
It’s the self indulgence that grates. Overpaid, over-exposed celebrities having a laugh in zany sketches; taking on daredevil challenges in exotic places, (all filmed for a prime-time documentary that will show them in a great light); being flown to Africa to be moved and humbled by people they wouldn’t give the time of day to if there were no cameras around, or social media didn’t exist.
And along the way these selfless celebs - models, girl bands, soap actors, sport stars, daytime telly hosts, reality TV divas - get to show us why they’re such good eggs, boosting their ‘brand’ in the process.
I remember the last Comic Relief telly shindig two years ago - it was panned for being largely unfunny, with way too long sketches, and for its noisy mates-down-the-pub ambience (a dated Friday night TV trend that came and went in the 1990s), which alienated viewers watching it from their sofas.
Expect more of the same tomorrow night. It’s the self indulgence I can’t be doing with - the “Aren’t we all fabulous?” baloney, the sycophancy. It’s all a bit too Richard Curtis for me.
If celebrities were really passionate about supporting charities they’d get on with it, quietly, like plenty of other people do.
I’ve met some wonderful people who get their hands dirty helping people in need, without expecting any glory in return
I resent rich famous people, who spend more on a pair of shoes than I earn in a month, pleading for money from the public. I support charities without making a fuss.
I don’t need to see Matt Baker on a rickshaw, Davina McCall sobbing in a wet suit, or Little Mix posing for selfies on Mount Kilimanjaro with Dani Dyer and the bloke from Pointless.
Comments
That's a great article, & I could not agree more.
Haven’t watched any of these since Nob Geldof shouted “ Give us your f....ing money!” at the viewers.
Too many people are sick of the continual barrage of tearjerking tv ads, the relentless student types ambushing pedestrians in shopping centres and the plethora of organised events where a set amount must be raised before you can complete your uni-cycle ride up Kilimanjaro (costs have to be offset first with these challenge style events).
I would advocate that people should maybe give to charities which are relevant to their own lives.
For example I climb and hike so give to a mountain rescue organisation and also to the local air ambulance. I raise money for cancer research to honour those friends and family affected by this evil disease and I volunteer with the roughsleepers and foodbank because thats what I feel God calls me to do.
Its a personal thing and it should always be a personal thing. I am not impressed when pampered celebs rock up for a jolley and were all supposed to be motivated to give, although the efforts of Izzard, Bishop and Walliams did prompt me to open the coffers. No on the whole Id be more impressed if the celebs rocked up donated a five figure sum and went (probably tax deductable anyway).
The real thing about charity is this. The 2 or 3 items someone puts in the local foodbank collection point often helps to touch more lives than sticking a tenner into a collection box.
Yours in hope for the future
Mark
= a year but staff are all on on forced work from job centre or get sanctioned
fails to amaze me how these managerment cant give anything back they make enough with backhanders from traders wanting stuff put aside for them traders
Charity is far from charity these days and is just another big business feeding off our goodwill....shops charge a fortune but exempt from rates like normal shops
Did you once have a bad experience in the local oxfam shop ??
I just think youre being obstreperous and obnoxious because....... no thats all Ive got.
Hope you never need an air ambulance to be told sorry but the funding isnt there.
Mark
i know of 3 people working in a air ambulance shop and if they dont go they are sanctioned the manager is on 30k a year and puts stuff behind for a trader
Air ambulance was my chosen charity donated 10% of my ebay sales until i found out what this manager was upto since then i have stopped donating to them
being an ex fisherman it is now RNLI
However sorry to burst your bubble about air ambulance if you was unaware of these kind of practises then now you know they no better than others
i know a manager from ashgate hospice if any gold goes into shop it never see shelves anything decent is kept for the family
i know to a church doing an appeal to send blankets and donations to syria and anything donated was thrown away only money was kept
its big business they dont care who they rip off
Before I retired , the role before my last one , was as a manager of a large high street furniture and electrical charity shop ..i can assure you , my salary was below that , and this was for a well known charity. I was the only paid member of staff and everyone else was a volunteer .
Some of my staff , were referrals from the job centre , who I used to be in regular contact with, and it was a regularly changing situation due to job seekers turning up once and never making another appearance ( I would suggest the main reason for this to appease the job centre in the short term) .
We also had a small jewellery and retro/antique section , which I alone was responsible for evaluating and pricing . Anything that I considered would make more money on ebay , would go off to our online people . At no time did I ever put stuff " back" for anyone , and to be fair I don't know of any managers in that charity who did .
In essence you are painting a very inaccurate picture of the majority of charity shops Mason , obviously there will be the odd unscrupulous managers , as there will be in any sector , but it is not the norm.
dobie is not 65 comic relief started in 85
as for that danceathon yuk pure sanctimonious guff
p.s Are you Hansons drinking partner ?
every sector has its bad eggs charities too