Thursday, July 26, 2007

Fame is the Spur

According to the Daily Telegraph Tony Blair spent thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money entertaining a host of Britain's leading television celebrities at Chequers during his last 15 months in power.

The guest list included Charlotte Church, the singer and Channel Four presenter, and her Welsh rugby-playing partner Gavin Henson, Tess Daly, the co-presenter of BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing, and her husband Vernon Kay, who is also a TV presenter. Other famous names included Lorraine Kelly and Fiona Phillips from GMTV, as well as Chris Evans, the BBC Radio 2 DJ. Richard Madeley, one half of the Richard & Judy show, dined with the Blairs, as did June Sarpong, the youth television presenter. Steve McClaren, the England football manager, and his wife Kathryn, were also invited to Chequers, as was Match of the Day 2 presenter Adrian Chiles.

There's only one question. Why? What possible value did it have? What could he have learned in helping him to run the country? The cult of celebrity is making this country a less attractive place to live and the obsession of our government, their political opponents and the media with fame is futile.

In any event why wasn't I invited? (You're not famous - Ed)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Politicians buy into the whole 'celebrity' thing, too, and are considered celebrities right along with actors, singers, and athletes.

Our Presidents do the same thing.

Politicians like to hob-nob with actors and other famous types, and the actors and other famous types like to hang out with the politicians because they are powerful and power brings its own cult of celebrity.

Politics is a field that allows nerds like Karl Rove to get back at the world for beating him up in elementary school.

It would be nice if everybody treated everybody exactly the same, regardless of their wealth, fame, power, etc. That's what the Good Lord wants us to do. And woulnd't it make Blair look good to ask a few laborers and working-class folk to go have a beer with him at the closest pub?