BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV

Subject: BS: UK in 2011 - Taliban TV
From: Nemesis
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 04:29 PM

2011 and the West has lost WW3. In Britain, the Al-Qaeda Government cunningly embraces the idolatrous medium of TV and unveils its latest weapon: Taliban TV!

SCHEDULE: 0600am: "G-Had TV". Morning prayers.

08.30: "Talitubbies". Talitubbies say "Ah-ha!". Dipsy and Tinky-Winky repair a Stinger missile launcher.

0900: "Shouts of Praise". More prayers.

1100: "Jihad's Army". The Khandahar-on-Sea battalion repulse another attack by Imperialist, Zionist-backed Infidels.

12.00: "Ready, Steady, Jihad!". Celebrities make lethal weapons out of everyday objects.

1230: "Panoramadam". The programme reports on America's attempt to take over the World.

1330: "Xena: Modestly-Dressed Housewife". Xena stays at home and does some cooking.

1400: "Only Fools and Camels". Dhal-boy offloads some Chinese rocket launchers to Hamas.

1430: "Green Peter". The total of Kalashikovs bought by the milk bottle top appeal is revealed.

1500: "Madrasah Challenge". Two more Islamic colleges meet. Bambah Kaskhain asks the questions, 'Starter for ten - no praying'.

1530: "I Love 629". A look back at the events of the year, including the Prophet's entry into Mecca, and the destruction of pagan idols.

1600: "Question Time". Members of the public face questions from political and religious leaders.

1700: "Koranation Street". Deidre faces executution by stoning for adultery.

1730: "Middle-East-Enders". The entire cast is jailed for un-Islamic activities.

1800: "Holiday". The team go on pilgrimage to Mecca. Again.

1830: "Top of the Prophets". Will The Koran be No. 1 for the 63,728th week running?

1900: "Who wants to be a Mujahadeen?" Mahmoud Tarran asks the questions. Will contestants phone a mullah, go 'Inshallah' or ask the Islamic Council?

2000: FILM: "Shariah's Angels". The three burkha-clad sleuths go undercover to expose an evil scheme to educate women.

2130: "Big Brother". Who will be taken out of the house and executed this week?

2230: "Shahs in their eyes". More hopefuls imitate famous destroyers of the Infidels.

2330: "They Think It's Allah Over". Quiz culminating in 'don't feel the Mullah round'.

0000: "When Imans Attack". Amusing footage shot in mosques. The filmers were also secretly shot.

0030: "The West Bank Show". Arts programme looking at anti-Israel graffiti art in the occupied territories.

0130: "Bhufi the Infidel Slayer".

0200: "The Gaza Strip". The adult hour where couples discuss their favourite strategic positions.

0300: "A Book At Bedtime". The Koran. Again.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 04:49 PM

*RAOFIHLMFBO*

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: GUEST,Kim C no cookie
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 04:50 PM

Except that according to the Taliban, TV is agin the law... ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 05:41 PM

Don't you just love racism and religious bigotry...

I'm not laughing

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Gareth
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 06:49 PM

At the risk of acting the paranoic, suggest that a re reading of R Heinlein's "Revolt in 2001" Also published as "If this goes on" might be in order !!!!!

Gareth (In the Reverand Nemiah Scudder mode)

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 07:52 PM

Don't you just love people who do things anonymously, like hijacking airliners, mailing anthrax spores, and posting crappy humorless one-liners on Mudcat?

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 08:03 PM

I never agree with anyone choosing posting as a nameless GUEST. However on this occasion, I find myself agreeing with the post itself.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 08:47 PM

You consider, Mr McGrath that it shows "racism and religious bigotry"?

I dont think thats what Guest REALLY believes, to be honest...

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 09:13 PM

I don't give a bugger what GUEST really believes.

And if the funny had been all in terms of an imaginary Jewish takeover?

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 09:40 PM

I dont have an answer to that...sorry...it wouldnt bother me, but then I'm not Jewish.

For me, Hille's joke was funny because many of the points accurately describe how we perceive life under the Taliban regime....& are certainly more subtle than a lot of the 'anti-Taliban/anti-Bin Laden' jokes going around.

I see more potential for offence towards the women forced to be nothing more than 'housewives', to cover themselves completely, or the fact that women are stoned for adultery.

It didnt mock them because of their Race or Religon, to my mind, but mocked their BEHAVIOUR, with admittedly mentions of the Koran, Mosques, etc, because those words fitted the theme.

I see it as no more racist than the jokes posted on another Thread about the 'Irish S.A.S.'

Whether a Moslem reading those things would RIGHTLY be offended is another matter.... Is it just a joke or is it a calculated insult? To me, its unquestionably just a joke.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: RangerSteve
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 09:43 PM

I thought it was funny.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Nemesis
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 04:49 AM

(Thanks for the support Paul - I had a somewhat sleepless night worrying about this after Guest's post.)

I realised that in the UK we knock and self-depreciate ourselves, utilising irony and parody (and this largely permeates through all stratas of our multi-cultural society) and as this is a particularly British joke - it might not be understood by other members of the Global Mudcat community. But Crumbs! I wonder if Guest would understand what "Goodness Gracious Me!" was all about?

Britain's only stand-up Muslim comedienne Shazia Mirza cancelled gigs for a week after WTC - then climbed back on stage to announce "My name is Shazia Mirza - at least that's what it says on my pilot's licence" and receiving standing applause. Does that make her a religious bigot? Or a seller-out of her religion? Or an transcending observer of comic potential in a tragedy?

She says: "You have to attack ignorance with humour. We're not all fanatics. I tell audiences how they can distinguish me from Muslim terrorists: they have bigger moustaches than I do." Equally, she finds Osama "Bin Liner" absurd, but the attempts to catch him farcical, "His son commented that when he gets angry he becomes invisible.. and now this one man has the whole of West running around trying to get him out of a cave. It's quite funny when you think about it."

That's a Muslim woman's point of view. Rhetorically speaking, could we take issue with that - without (in Guest's view) being racial or religious bigots?

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 05:57 AM

Frank Skinner, in his tv show last Saturday night, had a "You've Bin Laden!" spoof, with the big O (FS in disguise) triiping over, walking into the patio doors, etc. Sometimes you just need to laugh. Was "'All 'Allo" funny?

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 06:04 AM

Telling ethnic jokes inside, or from inside an ethnic group and telling them from outside is a very different thing. Telling them from outside is a potentially dodgy thing at a time like this when there are people trying to turn this into what Bush called a Crusade (out of ignorance rather than malice I hope) and Bin Laden calls a Jihad.

I wasn't suggesting that Hille is racist or religiously biased, and I don't think it either. But there are people who are, even without realising it, and I'd hate to see a thread slip over into that. When it comes to jokes about the Irish, there are enough Irish here to keep things fair, even though that can get quite heated at times. The same would probably apply to jokes relating to Jewishness. But I don't think we have many Muslims here, and that makes a difference.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 06:40 AM

Hille's post was making fun at one particular set of insane beliefs, a set of beliefs which spells danger for the Western world, and the future of women. If any Jewish sect ever threatened to kill all Americans, I would not consider it unacceptable to make fun of that particular sect. Similarly I have no problem with jokes about the IRA, as opposed to jokes about the Irish generically. Get the difference?

btw, Sharia Mirza's comeback joke was grrrrreatt, Hille, thanks for posting it!

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 06:54 AM

No, Murray.

The original post made fun of the Muslim faith in general:

"Holiday". The team go on pilgrimage to Mecca. Again.

"Shouts of Praise". More prayers.

"Top of the Prophets". Will The Koran be No. 1 for the 63,728th week running?

Those were the parts that I felt were bigoted.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 06:54 AM

I agree, Murray. It's always been the practise in England to laugh at things like that--think of Hitler, a cartoonist's dream. It doesn't make the dangers and discomforts any safer, but it makes them easier to live with; in fact it could make them more dangerous, by making us understimate them. But "it's being so cheerfull as keeps us going", as they used to say.

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 07:04 AM

Guest, I don't see it that way. If you read your three examples again, you will see that this is making fun of the EXTREMES of Islam as decreed by the Taliban.

Remember, there is no ONE Islam. The Islam of the Aga Khan for example is vastly different from the Islam of Mullah Omar.

Just like Catholicism really. And Judaism for that matter. Organized religions always bend and shape to suit the prevailing circimstances. Sometimes in the process they become ridiculous and derve to be ridiculed.

But ridiculing them has bugger-all to do with racism.

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 08:17 AM

Apologies, Guest......In your 1st post you came across a but like a Troll (to my mind anyway). That seems like a danger when you post a strong opinion without a name to it....

Mr Mcgrath, I do see your point, but frankly, its IMPOSSIBLE to take out of our everyday lives EVERYTHING that Extremists could take offence at (either truly or as an excuse (in their perception))

To change us in even the slightest way is a tiny 'victory' to them (& I belive the mentality of the people in this sitiation is that any change, any effect on us is a 'point scored' to them, whether they are aware that its happened or not).... just for them to be able to assume that they have caused a reaction, however small, in us, gives them a degree of gratification.

I dont advocate changing nothing of course...going about blithely ignoring facts, & dangers, & the measures announced by David Blunkett I welcome (up to a point)

..anyway, I'm 'losing the plot' over whatever point I was trying to make, so I'll shut up now....

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Grab
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 09:09 AM

Guest, there's nothing bigoted about it. It's not insulting them for who they are, but for what they do - for example, ridiculous restrictions on who ppl can behave. And there's nothing wrong with a "stereotype", so long as you don't think everyone conforms to it - are jokes about Americans/Japanese on holiday, stiff-upper-lipped Englishmen and sex-mad Frenchmen also racist? If so, could you please provide me with a list of jokes which you find acceptable? I doubt the list would cover more than one page...

Graham.

PS. Bloody hilarious, Hille, top marks!

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 09:14 AM

Well-put, Grab

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 09:23 AM

I thought it was funny too. Rowan Atkinson wrote a letter in the Times the other day defending the right to make humour out of religion, which would be jeopardised by the proposed bill to outlaw religious bigotry as well as racism. Political correctness can go too far. Can you imagine a life without "The Life of Brian" for example, one of the funniest films I've ever seen. Most religous jokes (the funny ones anyway) don't mock the religion per se, but only the most extreme and overorganised aspects.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Arnie
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 10:55 AM

Being a Yorkshireman living in the South, I'm used to being stereotyped and the butt of so-called southern humour about tight-fisted Yorkies etc. However, I do not find this a problem as these sort of comments are always said in jest (and usually over a pint, which helps). I think it would be a sad day if my southern mates couldn't make a joke about my origins without me running off to the CRE thought-police to complain. I agree with those above who see our Brit sense of humour as an essential part of our make-up and making fun of each other is part and parcel of that. Anyway, I just call them a bunch of southern poofters who are condemned to drinking headless beer at outrageous prices!

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 11:08 AM

*G*

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 11:38 AM

Oh dear what an unhappy and po faced little crowd seem to have gathered here, loosen up guys it's good for you to laugh. I expect you laugh at things that other people find unfunny. That's if you have a sense of humour?

Jock

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: DougR
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 01:48 PM

I've often heard that British sense of humor differs markedly from U.S. humor. I think that may be true, based on the postings in this thread.

I read Hille's post and did not find it racist, or poking fun at religion, or offensive in any other way, but neither did I find it funny.

It sure wasn't worth losing sleep over, Hille. :>)

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Troll
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 06:23 PM

I rather enjoyed parts of it, but then, I've spent a bit of time in England and so am a little more familar with English humour.
Did I spell "humour" right?

troll

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 06:26 PM

"Aren't we funny!" is one thing. "Aren't you funny!" is another, and a bit different. It's when it gets to "Aren't they funny!" that I get uncomfortable.

I was hearing today about a young refugee from Afghanistan - driven out by the Taliban, not knowing whether her parents or brothers and sisters are alive or dead. Since September 11th she's been getting harassed at school by other pupils and jeered at and so forth. The way Jewish refugees from the Nazis were treated by some pig-ignorant people in England when the Second World War started.

Irreverant humour about the overmighty, and about the people who threaten us, that's a good tradition. No problem with jokes about Bin Laden the satanic dustman. But it's easy to slide into jokes that hurt people who don't deserve to be hurt.

And that's nothing to do with "political correctness" - it's to do with respect for other people who are entitled to respect.

Shazia Mirza sounds great.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Nemesis
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 07:13 PM

Thanks DougR and everyone.

Thing is I did lose sleep, thinking "Hells Bells - I've cooked my goose on Mudcat" *G*.

Hey, Guest, 3 out of 26 'tweren't that bad (statistically at least)!

"Life of Brian" - Excellent film, especially as it is spot on at portraying contemporary life in Roman Palestine - all those Messiahs and sects for example.

Anyone see "NTNN" tonight and the terrible joke about such accurate bombing in Afghanistan that they can hit a big red cross squarely in the middle? In anlysis distasteful because people died, but the joke is about the boastful (joke)of surgically precise bombing...does that make sense or am I just digging another big hole (oh, no that's probably a dubious pun too - eek!)

Out of here.......

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Ed.
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 08:01 PM

"For many people in the West, Islam appears to contradict such democratic values as freedom, individualism, and personal choice, perceptions seemingly confirmed by outsiders as 'fundamentalist', 'radical' or 'militant'.

Such widespread opinions held by people living in Europe and America are frequently not informed by factual information, but result from overgeneralizations and characterisations of Islamic movements."

M.J. Gohari

I tend to agree with McGrath on this.

it's a difficult one, but making fun of yourself / your own is one thing. Making stereotypical generalisations about something that you don't understand is something else.

I'm not saying I agree with the Taliban in any way, but as an example, how many of the people who posted here actually know what 'taliban' means?

Do you know anything about the history of the movement?

Cheap shots are easy, understanding takes time and effort.

Peace to you all

Ed.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Little Hawk
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 11:36 PM

This thread suggests that commercial television could actually be worse than it already is! That's a disturbing thought, if ever I've heard of one. Ditto for commercial radio.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 20 Oct 01 - 12:07 PM

Well, yes, Ed, I do know what Taliban means, and I know all about the history of the movement, and I hope Gohari's vapid ramblings are a comfort to all the women in Afghanistan who have been stoned to death for minor infractions of their insane delusional edicts.

But, then again, I know that pre WWII, in the Thirties, there were plenty people in the chattering classes in Britain who were only too ready to make excuses for Hitler and the Nazi party. Plus ca change .............

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Oct 01 - 02:09 PM

Taleban or Taliban means "the Seekers". Not to be confused with the The Seekers group, whom I always rather liked.

I haven't myself read The Taliban - Ascent to Power by M. J. Gohari published in August by the Oxford Universitry Press. I assume that Murray MacLeod must have read rather more of its 172 pages than were included in that brief extract in order to feel entitled to write it off as "vapid ramblings."

However I see that the website of the US Embassy in Pakistan says of this book "This is an informative account of Afghanistan under Taliban rule." But then what would they know about it?

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 20 Oct 01 - 02:56 PM

I have dipped into two or three of Dr Gohari's books during my sporadic visits to Borders. As I recollect, he seems to write about nothing but Islam, apart from one book I saw which purported to explain the religious beliefs of American Presidents.

But yes, I was wrong to castigate the good doctor's book as "vapid ramblings". I should have said "turgid ramblings".

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Oct 01 - 05:00 PM

Writing about nothing but Islam in itself sounds quite a reasonable specialism. That's a pretty sizeable sort of specialism.

It's like saying of someone who writes a book about some aspect of America that they must be a bit suspoect since all they seem to write about is America. Even more so, because America is a much more restricted and localised specialism.

"Borders" I take it is a book shop. I think the most I would take away from dipping into a book in a bookshop in the way of literary criticism would be "No, I don't think I want to buy that one - and I don't think I'll bother to look for it in the library."

Incidentally that link to the non-Taleban Seekers in my last post didn't come through - here it is, with a musical soundtrack. We need cheering up in these times. (You know, leaving aside that Judith Durham is a woman, they sound remarkably like Coopes Boyes and Simpson...)

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 20 Oct 01 - 05:41 PM

McGrath I think that you are a professional Leftie.

Jock

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Oct 01 - 10:23 PM

Strictly amateur.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Arnie
Date: 21 Oct 01 - 06:55 AM

McGrath - Taleban actually means students - the Arabic word for a student is Talebe. I suppose it could mean seekers as in 'seekers of learning', but the strict meaning is just student.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 21 Oct 01 - 06:09 PM

FYI - the original posting on this thread appeared in The Sunday Times today.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Fiolar
Date: 22 Oct 01 - 08:40 AM

Interesting thread. Has anyone been following the series of cartoon strips by the political cartoonist Steve Bell in the Guardian. I think they are bloody hilarious. I especially like the single one recently where he included reprentatives of all religions have the mickey taken. I think the day that humour is banned, that will be the day that we can all wave goodbye. In passing, today's political cartoonists are only a pale shade of the 18th and 19th century ones.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Oct 01 - 04:22 PM

Steve Bell is no pale shadow!

I can't see that treating incitement to religious hatred in the same way by incitement to racial hatred gets in the way of making jokes about religions, or criticising them.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Nemesis
Date: 22 Oct 01 - 08:43 PM

The One and Only Dai - you read it here first!!! *G*

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: harpmaker
Date: 22 Oct 01 - 09:02 PM

If everyone had a harp to play, just think how much more relaxed we weould all be--------johnny!!

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Nemesis
Date: 22 Oct 01 - 09:10 PM

Ooooh, yes, I was at a Robin Williamson recently concert and the harp bits were lovely.....luckily it nearly more than made up for the other strange bits in between (I was a Robin Williamson virgin until then). Mind you, as transporting them is not easy we'd all have to stay at home and ..pluck .. *G*

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 22 Oct 01 - 09:25 PM

Most, if not all, of the Taliban will hopefully be in a position in the not too distant future,to assess the relaxing qualities of the harp .......assuming their idea of paradise is comparable to ours.

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: GUEST,just a nobody
Date: 22 Oct 01 - 09:57 PM

Hille... you have been politically incorrect, socially inconsiderate, moraly mis-informed, and culturaly crippled.... I liked it... to those of you who didn't...

Get over it...

There has been a little radio add that I heard a couple days ago... a spoof car commercial for the Geo-Jihad, for the terrorist on the go. It wasn't knee slapping, but enough to get a chuckle. Of course, I know I said the Jihad word, how dare I poke fun at those that belive it is a sacred duty, right?

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Nemesis
Date: 23 Oct 01 - 05:35 AM

"terrorist-on-the-go" she *G*'d, from the Purgatory of political incorrectedness, tangled in her harp strings...

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: GUEST,Bobby Sands
Date: 23 Oct 01 - 10:43 AM

Methinks that some people need to learn the difference between negative stereotyping and satire. The initial post here clearly meant to provide satirical speculation on what things would be like if one highly radical element of Islam was in charge. Similar things have been done with extreme fundamentalism in the U.S.

Screw 'em if they can't take a joke.....

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: Nemesis
Date: 23 Oct 01 - 11:27 AM

Satire - that was the word I was looking for earlier - Cheers Bobby (had any good meals lately?) :)

Also re. fundamentalism - we have a situation at our local Church of England primary school where parents are understandably upset and calling for the removal of the Headteacher after 6 years of officially recognised (Government) incompetence resulting in the school being on failing/special measures with pupils failing to receive the education they should be. What I'd term yer-average Christian parent is taking pragmatic measures through the Local Education Office, etc and then there are the "fundamentalists" who are berating petition organisers about turning the other cheek, nothing in the Bible that says, etc and PRAYING against the "wicked" un-Christian parents.

I think satire plays an important role in unveiling deeper issues. In both these situations, global and local, blind adherence to perceived creed is fudging a wider issue that religion shouldn't necessarily be playing a part in. Incompetence is incompetence - kids are not getting an education; extremist terrorism is extremist terrorism and people are getting hurt. I think it is very easy to snarled up in PC-ness and miss the whole point. I mean I worked amongst some the World's top academics at the School of African and Asian studies here in the UK, who were so busy researching/debating/theorising (and getting mega-bucks funding to do so) on cultural and religious diversity, etc that they couldn't differentiate between satire (or joke) and an academic theory - very very depressing and pointless ultimately because it never seemed to get to the (or a) point,i.e, after all that money and effort - the effect on the ground for the people effected was still the same.

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Oct 01 - 12:05 PM

Seems to me we're missing half the point of the joke. The original posting was not just a satirical comment on fundamentalist terrorism. It was also a satirical comment on mainstream British TV, and its reliance on the recycling of a handful of tired old formulae.

Enough! Enough! … of the self-congratulatory mateyness of 'lowbrow' programmes and the patronising pomposity of 'highbrow' ones – of the frenetic but futile attempts to grab the gaze of a 'yoof' audience which only watches mainstream TV ironically, while intoxicated – of the cosy cardigan-and-carpet-slippers nostalgia piped out to pacify us oldies till we nod off in our armchairs … Enough, already!

(And yes, I know there are a few excellent programmes on the TV … but I'm talking here about the vast majority of mainstream, prime-time, mass audience stuff.)

So, why not give the Mullahs a channel of their own? The faithful can watch it devoutly, while the infidels watch it ironically. Double the audience ratings at a stroke - what about that for a marketing strategy?

Wassail! (Ironically)

Subject: RE: BS: UK in 2025 - Taliban TV
From: GUEST,MikeofNorthumbria
Date: 23 Oct 01 - 12:11 PM

Gee whiz - somebody ate my cookie again!

Sorry folks, I was the anonymous guest rubbishing British TV a few minutes ago.

Rest assured, that was not Guest The Flamer, it was the original but currently disenfranchised MikeofNorthumbria, who wants to get back on the Mudcat Forum as a registered user asap.

Wassail!