Comic Relief - the serious bit

As usual there were lots of information films, sometimes harrowing, in last night's programme. Often tears are uncomfortably juxtaposed with laughter but, by and large, this tension works well. Last night there was a film which illustrated the importance of something as seemingly trivial as a mosquito net, costing £2.50. The film featured a young mother undertaking the long and difficult journey from her rural home in Tanzania to the nearest medical facility with her small child who was suffering from malaria. I expected it to follow the usual format of arrival at the hospital in the nick of time with the message "but thousands of children are not as lucky as Shayla". Wrong. I watched in disbelief as the look on the young mother's face turned from one of worry to absolute desolation. Shayla had died in her grandmother's arms. I was shocked. Later in the programme, to illustrate the fact that one child dies every 30 seconds, this clip was shown again with a countdown in the corner of the screen. I don't think for one moment that the organisers of Comic Relief are irresponsible people. I have no doubt that much soul-searching was done before the decision was finally taken to show this clip and without a doubt it will have provoked high levels of compassion among the viewing public. But in this instance, I think it was wrong. To witness at such close quarters the shocking and complete despair of a mother as the fragile threads of her child's life slip away just felt wrong and voyeuristic. It reduced the sacred stuff of human tragedy to a mere marketing ploy. Well, that's how I felt, anyway. But that is not to detract too much from the good that is done via the Comic Relief proceeds.

An appropriate way to end this posting would be to share the recent reflections of a much-loved friend of mine who is 'on the ground', as it were, in Africa:

"It can be so tiring seeing endless European projects, propped up by white people…..with the best intentions but not really doing anything to give people dignity and responsibility and creating a kind of aid dependency and expectancy. There are no easy answers but there is a lot of naivety in projects that are set up. Nakuru is full of ‘projects’ and of course people will try to benefit from anything going. So much wisdom is needed. Kenya has received so much aid and is one of the most corrupt countries. We were trying to imagine the other day what it would do to a city’s morale if foreigners kept pouring into Birkenhead to solve the problems of homelessness, drug abuse etc etc (rich Americans maybe?!). In the end you’d give up, take no responsibility and just expect handouts. So much better if local efforts were supported behind the scenes?"

Food for thought.

Comic Relief Day - the flippant bit...

I'm not a big fan of the telethon thing but if I have to engage with one then it would be Comic Relief. I can't stand that Pudsey Bear thing - not that I disagree with charity fundraisers per se (oops, Sorry about the Latin, it's a Catholic thing!) I guess it is the whole "let's take a look around the BBC regions to see what people have been up to - Over in the Midlands Quantity Surveyor Colin Wilkinson has spent the day surveying quantities whilst immersed in a bath of Heinz oxtail soup and raised £7.50 for Children in Need" And all the waving of the 'big cheques' gets up my (big, red) nose. At least Comic Relief is entertaining AND they have the good sense to only do it once every two years. There were a number of highlights in last night's show. Of course, I was eager to see who had won the Fame Academy title. It was, as (sort of) predicted here the delightful Tara Palmer-Tomkinson with her 'kinky boots' routine. In terms of voice, Tricia Penrose should have won it, without a shadow of a doubt. She did a great rendition of the immensely talented Alicia Keys' If I Ain't Got You. (As I click, I am listening to the original) But as in all these things it is a popularity contest and Tara was the bigger personality. What really matters is that loadsa money was raised for good cause.

I latched onto Ricky Gervais' spoof appeal video instantly, having spotted the blue screen technology. Nevertheless it will remain, I suspect, one of those supremely wicked comedy moments for some years to come. True comedy pushes the boundaries and this was pure genius. Even as I was protesting at its inappropriateness I was laughing.

Peter Kaye came up with a good one - a remake of the old Proclaimers hit 500 miles. I'm not a big fan of Peter Kaye, partly because he is too popular (here I reveal one of the many complexities of my personality). There are certain people that I use as a guage in this. I like to catch on to new talent early on. As soon as I began to hear middle-class mums and 12 year-olds saying "yeah, I know" and "I'm the only gay in the village, see" I knew it was time to move on from Little Britain. Kaye has a very retro act and his humour is quite unsophisticated - he's a bit of a one trick pony really. BUT, he enlisted the help of the extremely talented Matt Lucas to add some comic credibility. And of course, cameos from everyone in comedy, current faves and has-beens alike. The inclusion of the Proclaimers themselves should give their career a boost. I saw them two years ago at Greenbelt Festival and I remember how, when this song was played, spontaneous singing and dancing seemed to break out across the whole festival site with no generational boundaries. This bodes well for sales of the Comic Relief version. This should partially make up for Amarillo which I hoped had been consigned to the 1970's archives forever but has since been adopted as an anthem by lovers of tat everywhere.

Best laugh of the night goes to Catherine Tate. Stroppy teen, Lauren, goes to 10 Downing Street on her work experience placement. When PM Tony Blair (the REAL Tony Blair) turns the tables on her and says "Am I bovvered?" I almost lost control of my bodily functions. Well in, Tone, mate, the boy done well. George Bush may have his Barneycam videos, but you were real class!

Comic Relief does Fame Academy

When Fr Simon suggested giving up TV for a day for Lent, you may have all sat and nodded approvingly but I just thought "Nah!!". I actually watch very little TV and wouldn't miss it if it weren't there. So, with a clear conscience I have been watching the recent series of Fame Academy for Comic Relief. I wonder why the likes of Shaun Williamson (formerly Barry from Eastenders) is taking part. He has a good voice and has probably done a bit of cabaret in the past. Have you seen local lad, Ray Stubbs, perform? Sports commentator Ray is, I am told, a former resident of Ridgewood Drive in Pensby. He is clearly in it for a laugh but has been fairly entertaining in the process. He always has a slightly manic and dangerous look in his eye. I would perhaps like to see 'It girl' (no, it's nothing to do with computers!) Tara Palmer-Tomkinson do well. I get the impression that she has a fundamental honesty and vulnerable childlike quality. She puts me very much in mind of people like Marianne Faithful and perhaps even Edith Piaf - a chequered past but also an inner strength.