Friday 10 March 2017

A word matter



A muddy field, last week, near here.


Mostly my posts on here have been poem-posts for the past few months or longer - no opinions on anything (other than in poems). Then yesterday I was listening to the radio - Desert Island Discs, as it happens (I listen to that so much these days I wrote a poem about it, back here). The guest was TV presenter and comedian Jimmy Carr - not someone I like (or dislike) particularly but sometimes I make myself listen to guests that I wouldn't choose as friends or dance partners - it can be good to be surprised ('hey, that guy's not a twat after all') and I was ready for one of those experiences. It's depressing to think that the world is full of twats, isn't it - who wants to live in that world? 

And, you know, he wasn't a total twat... he was nice about his Mum... he got a bit excited about having lost his religious faith (for those of us who've never had any this is 'big deal, well done you' kind of a revelation), but the thing he said that most bothered me is something that has bugged me on and off all day. He said "people don't remember what you say - they remember how you made them feel." (He said something like that anyway, it must be a regular theme because I actually took the quote from a recent article online; I have to be honest, I couldn't face listening to the show again...). I suppose it's his defence for jokes he makes that get criticised for insensitive content (a kind of 'well, it doesn't matter - no-one remembers anyway' kind of a defence) but I think it is one of the most stupid, tiresome, Trump-esque comments I have heard in some time. Sure, no-one remembers every word  of a comedy show (especially if alcohol is involved and at comedy gigs it often is, I suppose) but words matter, now more than ever (in comedy, in politics, on the radio). And now we don't need to remember them ourselves anyway because they will be repeated on youtube and dvd and google forever more. So if you speak to thousands, nay millions, of people every week your words really matter - no matter how stupid they are, maybe especially if they are stupid. You have power if you have that kind of audience so don't deny that and pretend it's not there. Don't lie to everyone (including yourself). 

The show left me with a really unpleasant feeling (and that's rare for that show - it's usually a bath of positivity/triumph over adversity/coping with life's slings and arrows to come up with something amazing). No matter how hard the charming Kirsty worked to make him seem interesting I just felt uncomfortable and disappointed (not sure exactly by what... the lack of honesty I think). Words matter. I don't believe in much really but I guess I do believe that. Which is good, what with the poems and all.

Anyway...

7 comments:

ROSY LONG said...

words really matter - you are right! It is very sad that those who shout loudest seem to matter more than what they actually say!!

hope said...

People seem to forget that once words leave your mouth (or keyboard) they take on a life of their own. I would be so much happier if people reverted back to "Think before you speak" instead of "speak over others as loudly as possible."

YOUR words always matter...and they are thoughtful and often inspiring. :)

ROSY LONG said...

Aaww!! Thanks! I always enjoy your words!

The Bug said...

Very true - and for me it's the words that caused however I feel, so that's just a really stupid statement.

Niamh B said...

I really didn't like his dvd, and felt a bit yuk having bought it, reeled in by his milder material which was quite funny I thought, only to find a really yakky underlying attitude to his whole set.

anyways - nice to hear he was nice about his mam I suppose. But couldn't agree more with you - words are hugely important.

Rachel Fox said...

I've heard very little of his work... the odd bit of that weird Countdown show he does now and again but he's only a small part of that really - the smiley face that says 'now for the ad break'. I keep thinking of him as 'mean michael mcintyre' (in terms of image) now and that's probably what he's going for (big bucks but a bit more controversial... not hard really, I suppose).
There are very few comedians I want to watch a whole dvd of...

martine said...

So true