so British they're part of the institution

Hope fully a light hearted look at our multi cultural society.

I was watching Rolf Harris on TV a few miutes ago and commented to the wife that old Rolfy seems to have been part of my near 40 years on this planet for longer than i can remember. Basically despite his characteristic Aussie accent he seems more British than the British, with his sunny personality and chirpy humour he is a very welcome component in my British life.

Another person who springs to mind is the newsreader Trevor Macdonald, or Trevor MacDonut as we, (ok then I) affectionately call him in our house, (a throwback to watching Lenny Henry do his impression on ATV's TISWAS all them years ago). Although his West Indian accent is unmistakable, if somebody suddenly thrust a microphone in my face and shouted : " Name somebody britsh !" next to Margret Thatcher and the Queen I'd probably blurt out "Trevor Macdonald".

Any views or comments....

 

Lenny is as British as me, he was born in Dudley. Trevor and Rolf are just legends becuase they are on British TV. They are apart of British culture, Lenny Henry has such a great sense of humour and he is not bitter about anything, he can make jokes about his harsh childhood.

I am not sure why Trevor is such a legend but he has such a likability factor and people trust him. There is somthing about his voice that makes you trust him, trust is very important in a news reader.

 

Agree with everything you said about Sir Trevor MacDonald ( forgot the sir before ) . In a crisis I think that it is Trevor MacDonald who I'd tune in to to get all the facts, whether they were true or not.

Very aware of Lenny's origins , i was born about 20 or 30 miles up the road from Dudley in a place called Telford, Shropshire and happily lived there until i left home at 17 to join HM Forces, never felt the need to move back though....

 

I obviously can't speak for them, but I would guess that Rolf and Trev have both opted into 'British life' - culture even, but might not pass the 'cricket test' - when Oz and West Indes play the MCC. They share a common language (accent apart) which I guess is their first or preferred language. They may even have British passports (and be citizens?). They do not share racial characteristics but they may share the same, or very similar religious views.

it just goes to show that 'multi-cultural' is a very fuzzy concept, especially for Britain, which is neither a nation (unless Scots, English and Welsh agree) nor a State (while we still have the UK, and hence NI/Ulster).

So what's multi-cultural? many cultures? a mix of cultures? and to what should we apply this adjective? society? does it have anything to do with identity? perhaps as there is said to be a youth culture, we have been multi-cultural since rock and roll!

Its easier to define a society that has many languages (but know that language also helps to define culture), one that had many religions, one that has many races.

just a Sunday ramble ...

[edit: I was not born in or near Dudley]

 

Re MacDonut,I hate the way he reads the news,never liked his dumb down style,but thats just me.Jim Naughty and Jon Snow.

Agree re Rolf,although I think he means less for anyone younger than 30.

 

sir trevor has lost a lot of his credibility with me after i watched a few of his 'tonight' programmes. muck raking tabloid journalism of the basest sort. it must have been a fat paycheque to tempt him to present that load of bollo*ks.
cheers


julian

 

Got to agree with Saab and Julian. ITV news programs should now be billed as 'Light Entertainment'.

 

Aye, ITV News is, to put it bluntly, a pile of populist pooh.
But then BBC TV News isn't that much better - both go for far too much emotive reporting.
I'd like to hear the facts and make up my own mind!

And as for Lenny Henry, he was a m8 of a m8, we used to have lunch and talk about boxing and The Funk. Good bloke!