The Kingdom Of The Blind

Look, straight up, I think the blog format where a writer picks whatever stories happen to be making the news then gives their opinion on them is hackneyed and crap. We have a culture of analysis over content, because analysis is a piece of piss, and content is hard.

The opinion piece I wrote for the Guardian ages ago was really easy to write. Why? Because I wasn't required to line up facts in support of my argument. I didn't have to interview anyone or do any research. I didn't even have to leave my room. The only criteria was that I said something guaranteed to piss people off, and said it stridently.

I bring it up because this is one of those posts. And, you know, I guess I can understand why bloggers resort to it - it's hard to think of new things to write about continually, and if you choose a little-reported story, you can draw people's attention to it.

This doesn't even count as under-reported, but meh. Calls are being made for Jeremy Clarkson's head after he referenced the fact that PM Gordon Brown has one eye in an insult. Apparently, calling Gordon Brown 'one eyed' is the height of insensitivity - even though it's a simple statement of fact, albeit intended perjoratively - because it draws attention to a disability. On the other hand, the media consensus seems to be that, in the case of Heather Mills, having one leg is not such much a disability as a comic misfortune.

Sure, I find Senor Clarkson a bit irritating, but that's his job. Don't MPs have anything better to do than complain about a hack humourist's off-the-cuff remark? Apparently not.