The boys and spent the weekend with my Dad, and because of Harry’s obsession, a good part of it was spent watching the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.

This programme is not Simon Cowell’s exploitative, and vindictive X Factor, this is rich British entertainment at it’s very best, hosted by the excellently cheesy Bruce Forsyth, and the lovely Tess Daley. I confess to being glued to it, it was great, even Brucey’s shit jokes, and the over the top and camp manner of the judges.

Joke about Rav Wilding:

“He collects herbs and spices and keep them all in alphabetical order, I asked how he can possibly find the time………….he said easy, it’s next to the Sage”

Brilliantly shit, and harmless.

The other great moment was Chris Hollins saying it was really hard to concentrate on his moves when he was so close to a body as fit as that of Ola Jordan…….honesty at it’s cheeky best. However, the really brilliant thing about this programme is nothing can really be fixed, it is just B or C class celebs having a go at something that seems pretty damn hard to me, fair play to them for putting themselves up for it (Admittedly 50k helps).

What I hate about other programmes such as Britain’s Got talent and X Factor is the fact that they are so manufactured, and the merciless picking on the mentally backward, is in my opinion tantamount to abuse. This does not and cannot happen on Strictly Come Dancing, as the people involved are from the show business industry, they have happily gone on to the show and set them self up for adoration or ridicule. They are fully aware that their reputation is at stake, but the potential positive exposure, and enhanced career prospects are worth the risk.

A semi retarded ginger haired kid with thick glasses, acne, and a terrible voice, does not know when he is plucked from the crowd by The Simon Cowell Find A Freak department what he/she is being exposed to. Clever editing, camera angle showing worst features, and a rude and spiteful bunch of idiots taking easy shots at them, is in not entertainment in my eyes, but millions of others love it, so I don’t dislike anyone who has a lust for it, otherwise I would have no friends, I just wish people would see my point, but as soon as I try to make it I get accused of being miserable.

Just give me good honest fun that harms no one any time. Call me old fashioned, but watching something like Strictly is perfect for me, because apart from bruises and back strains, no one can get badly hurt mentally or physically. I fear that one day, someone unstable, who is ridiculed in front of millions on reality TV could do themselves, or worse others, serious harm in some sort of a frenzied attack on a society that has rejected them in a humiliating manner. I hope not.

Pictures come from weekend at my Dad’s in The New Forest area, the sun shone brightly (25c yesterday) and as is the norm at my Dad’s, I ate and drunk far more than I should have, but who cares.

Oh yeah, I forgot, Reading lost again.