Thursday, December 2, 2010

Rush Poppers, Gordon Ramsay and Why We Deserve Better

The red tops have recently been full of the latest Ramsay outrage; a tiresome spat between Gordon Ramsay and his father-in-law. The "hooligan chef" who parades his half baked ideas about gastronomy, and fully formed aggression, in telly land seems to court controversy. In 2008 The News of The World gave a insight into this enfant terrible's lifestyle and perhaps the seeds of this latest debacle:

The News reported on a tryst in an expensive hotel where Ramsay met Sarah Symonds and followed her as she made a rush for Soho: "She left and travelled to Soho where she spent ten minutes browsing a sex shop called Simply Pleasure. She spent £10 on three small yellow bottles of amyl nitrate, branded Rave and Rush. Amyl nitrates, also known as poppers, are not illegal". (James Weatherup & Carole Aye Maung, 23/11/2008)

Being a simple fellow I thought poppers were some kind of popcorn, apparently not. Rush is in fact a peculiar form of liquid incense used in certain intimate rituals it seems. Apart from his potty mouth and ability to enrage genuinely talented folks like Marco Pierre White, why is this individual so beloved by TV producers? The answer is there if Britain cares to look. It is the same reason why prime-time telly is dominated by trashy confrontational junk like The X Factor - a showcase for rows and discord. These programmes, like Ramsay, feed the red tops with salacious tittle tattle, which boosts viewing, and then allows TV companies to sell ever more expensive advertising. A cosy arrangement you might think, but does it have a cost? Yes, it does! The cost is that a condones a form of unruly behaviour - take a look at the vomit drenched high streets of a Friday night - removes any sense of individual decorum (Ramsay the role model!) and denies REAL TALENT a platform. If you are a great chef with something of value to say, but do not resort to expletives and intimidation, or poppers fueled indiscretion, then what good are you!

Telly land is dominated by crude and avaricious men. The reason for this is the unholy alliance with the tabloids and the independent production companies. These companies are in a downward spiral ever trying to catch the attention of the couch potato with a new outrage. Confrontation sells, that is the message. This permeates TV from from morning to night, ever more angry and divisive. We deserve better and perhaps some of the politicians who bemoan "Broken Britain" should take a look at modern "culture" as decided by the likes of Cowell, Ramsay, and the other cashing in on this demise. No doubt Simon Cowell sitting in a jacuzzi eating Angel Delight, or Gordon Ramsay blinking through the exotic haze of poppers, do not give a damn, you should!

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About Me

Nestov Ratz is a world renowned campanologist originally from the Romanisch speaking region of Switzerland. Nestov has been acclaimed by high society for his zither playing. In 2007 Nestov wowed holidaymakers in Benidorm with his act, Nestov & Mr Strawberry, an act comprising a zither and a singing parrot.