Typically sensationalist piece of piffle on C4 last night about Amy Winehouse. Most of what needs to be said gets said by Clive James:
When people say that you have a duty to your talent, they all too often mean that you have a duty to them. But they're misstating the case. The duty of the greatly talented is to life itself, because what they do is the consecration of life. I could end with something that Pavarotti once told me in his dressing room before I interviewed him. He wouldn't say it on air, for fear of sounding immodest. He said he knew his gift was from God. But perhaps a better ending would be what Philip Larkin said to the ghost of Sidney Bechet. "On me your voice falls as they say love should, like an enormous yes". Come on, kiddo. Give us a song.
Posts
1 comment:
There are two sides to this - obnoviously the most noxious is the prurient voyeuristic judgementalism of the egeneral public and the media. In fact, the other day I tried to convince a friend that clicking on links to sensationalist c'leb tittle-tattlery does have a real effect, however tiny - that every story you click on incrementally increases the attention that person receives from paperazzi. (She got annoyed and wouldn't listen to me. Fair do's.)
But on t'other hand, Winehouse is a self-fulfilling prophecy. She's stage school, and clearly has long been hungry for fame. Having Rehab as a lead single seemed smart and funny - until it became clear it was less of a commentary and more a statement of intent.
In summary then: dispassionate.
Post a Comment