Spin Like You Mean It

27 Jumada-al-Ula - 1427 A.H.

I do enjoy watching politicians try to cover all the bases at once--then not seeming to cover any. It seems better to me than most "reality shows", where fame-hungry oiks get thrown into a room together and play typical domestic-primate territory games.

The latest attempt by a dogma-junkie to capture the imaginations of zombies, while demonising a handy scapegoat is by Conservative "leader", David "What-me-worry" Cameron. He appeared on the radio programme, Desert Island Discs, and gave a list of records he would take with him to the aforementioned desert island. Not a bad list--fairly plain, though--R.E.M., Pink Floyd, The Smiths, Dylan. He also included Radiohead and The Killers, in what seemed like a blatant shout-out to "the kids", saying in effect "See, I'm cool, I don't just listen to 'old-guy' stuff." He then went on to say that Radiohead played the song Fake Plastic Trees at his request at a Friends Of The Earth benefit gig. Radiohead themselves naturally denied this the second Cameron's quote left his mouth. I don't know what reaction The Killers had to the news. No word on whether his cache has improved with the rock-n-roll yoof. (Probably not)

A couple of weeks later Cameron was quoted as saying that DJ Tim Westwood's weekly hip-hop programme "encourages gun and knife culture". It's the same hysteria that appeared in the U.S. after Public Enemy and N.W.A. became hip-hop vanguards in the late 80s and later still with the rise of Snoop Dogg and gangsta rap--and it seems to be a cheap tactic to foster resentment at a chosen scapegoat. Don't get me wrong--most gangsta rap seems pretty shit to me--and I still don't understand how a white man absorbing-then-diluting black street culture makes said white man "cool" (a la Westwood). However, I still think that the media being the "cause" of violent behaviour due to 'copycat' actions "is" a political shell game that benefits only law-makers and the courts (and, of course, lawyers). As David Cross said: "Can someone tell me which violent video game Hitler was playing?..and uh, what was that slasher film that Genghis Khan used to like?"

I accept that there will more than likely be a few knuckle-draggers who will try and emulate 50 Cent & co. to the point of foolishly getting caught up in gangland idiocy--but to attack an entire fanbase of a certain music with that accusation seems far more disturbing to me.

Hopefully a lot of people are awake on this one and 'don't believe the hype'--but then, most people--especially those loyal to political parties, seem to be asleep 85% of the time. It has been entertaining watching Cameron open his gob wide and insert his Tory foot. I suspect there'll be more to this story. In the meantime, stay vigilant, kids. Would you buy a used Killers CD from this man?