The Mayor of London to star in EastEnders

Nexus · 20 Jul 2009 at 14:10

If you follow Boris on Twitter, you will see that he uploaded some pics this morning of him in the Square.

Klo · 20 Jul 2009 at 14:23

Sash said:
Norway.

Norway is indeed cultured, but we forget actually how cultured England is. Its got some of the best museums in the world, lots of world class theater, art galleries, brilliant musicians (and bands) and so on.

We seem to lose sight of it in the drudgery of everyday life.

deuse · 20 Jul 2009 at 14:39

I wonder if the makeup dept can do something with his hair?

Sankari · 20 Jul 2009 at 14:45

Rich_L said:
Lol at an Aussie talking about cultured nations

This is the sort of thing I've had rammed down my throat ever since I arrived in your quaint little country. It would be more credible if I hadn't spent the last five and a half years mixing with the good people of Britain and discovering that when it comes to culture, the average Brit doesn't know his Brecht from his Brahms, his Verdi from his Vivaldi, his Tallis from his Titian, and his **** from his elbow.

Simply having a lot of old buildings in your country does not make you cultured. If this was true, Greece and Egypt would be two of the most cultured places on Earth.

semi-pro waster said:
Would you care to elaborate on who they might be? Just because it is a bit of a curious statement to make without anything further in the way of information.

Germany, Denmark, Italy, Austria and Japan. Just to be getting on with.

Nitefly · 20 Jul 2009 at 14:47

Evangelion said:
Completely daft, of course - but then, Britain abandoned any pretence at being a cultured nation decades ago.

It'll take anything to get people to moan at Britain these days

Chimerical · 20 Jul 2009 at 14:58

Evangelion said:
Completely daft, of course - but then, Britain abandoned any pretence at being a cultured nation decades ago.

We do have culture, its called getting drunkenly smashed every Friday night.

B@Th*nG · 20 Jul 2009 at 14:58

Evangelion said:
"Star"? It's a cameo role, nothing more.

Completely daft, of course - but then, Britain abandoned any pretence at being a cultured nation decades ago.

as if to prove a point - **** off then, frankly *grins*

B@

RDM · 20 Jul 2009 at 15:03

Evangelion said:
It would be more credible if I hadn't spent the last five and a half years mixing with the good people of Britain and discovering that when it comes to culture, the average Brit doesn't know his Brecht from his Brahms, his Verdi from his Vivaldi, his Tallis from his Titian, and his **** from his elbow.

Do you really think that your average German, Dane, Italian, Austrian or Japanese would know either? Interests in the classics, be it art, music or plays is relatively niche in all nations. With Tallis being somewhat more obscure than most classical composers.

Jamesdavid3 · 20 Jul 2009 at 15:05

I have not watched Eastenders since it was on at Xmas time afew years ago..

Sharron and Dennis was there outside and Dennis got stabbed by this man in a mask or something..

semi-pro waster · 20 Jul 2009 at 22:41

Evangelion said:
Germany, Denmark, Italy, Austria and Japan. Just to be getting on with.

I've got to admit I've only been to Austria of those so far but I'm not sure I'd call it cultured - it's a nice enough place (ignoring the far right parties that perform quite strongly there) with some beautiful mountains but the Austrians that I've met didn't come across as especially kulturny. Nor for that matter did the Germans, Danes, Italians or Japanese that I've met elsewhere but maybe that says more for the company I keep than anything else.

Klo · 20 Jul 2009 at 22:44

They probably look at us and call us a cultured country. It all depends on the perspective.

Skeptic · 20 Jul 2009 at 23:29

Evangelion said:
This is the sort of thing I've had rammed down my throat ever since I arrived in your quaint little country. It would be more credible if I hadn't spent the last five and a half years mixing with the good people of Britain and discovering that when it comes to culture, the average Brit doesn't know his Brecht from his Brahms, his Verdi from his Vivaldi, his Tallis from his Titian, and his **** from his elbow.

Maybe if you weren't so pompous then you'd have had a warmer welcome? I'm starting to think you're just a troll. A well read and eloquent one, yes, but a troll none-the-less. Most of your posts are intended to provoke reaction.

'The good people' of any country are unlikely to know the distinctions that you have provided; in fact, does not knowing them make you uncultured? Perhaps I should name a number of things that you wouldn't know. Does that make you uncultured? Of course it doesn't, it just means that in your life you haven't encountered them.

With all due respect, the things you have mentioned are relatively niche, and I'm not surprised most people don't know them. Perhaps you need to stop associating with the lay public and only talk to those who meet your academic, cultured, holier-than-thou stipulations?

Bit of a rant, yes, but come on. I'm not going to lower myself to saying 'go home', as you've every right to be here, but why not go elsewhere if this country doesn't meet your criteria?

Von Smallhausen · 20 Jul 2009 at 23:49

Chimerical said:
We do have culture, its called getting drunkenly smashed every Friday night.

If there is one thing I cannot stand it is people who post such generalising information which may cause some to form a completely false image of this country .....

You didn't include Saturday nights.

Chimerical · 20 Jul 2009 at 23:56

Von Smallhausen said:
If there is one thing I cannot stand it is people who post such generalising information which may cause some to form a completely false image of this country .....

You didn't include Saturday nights.

I recall a paramedic (I think) saying on some generic TV programme that he thought alcohol was a worse problem in this country than heroin. We should just legalize/decriminalize marijuana to be honest, at least it'll chill people out and not propagate the disorder and violence than drinking does. (Although I'm sure you'll disagree on that particular point).

semi-pro waster said:
I've got to admit I've only been to Austria of those so far but I'm not sure I'd call it cultured - it's a nice enough place (ignoring the far right parties that perform quite strongly there) with some beautiful mountains but the Austrians that I've met didn't come across as especially kulturny. Nor for that matter did the Germans, Danes, Italians or Japanese that I've met elsewhere but maybe that says more for the company I keep than anything else.

All mediterraneans are just shouty, angry people who can't drive from my experience/badly skewered perceptions; I'm allowed to say that due to my descent though. I think its a myth that other countries are more cultured but Evangelion does have a point about England at least.

Von Smallhausen · 21 Jul 2009 at 00:02

Chimerical said:
I recall a paramedic (I think) saying on some generic TV programme that he thought alcohol was a worse problem in this country than heroin. We should just legalize/decriminalize marijuana to be honest, at least it'll chill people out and not propagate the disorder and violence than drinking does. (Although I'm sure you'll disagree on that particular point).

Paramedics are severely underpaid for what they do and I think a circa 30k salary is what they deserve, unfortunately they don't get it.

As for the marijuana argument, I personally have never needed artificial stimulation to control my emotions so it is something I can't grasp.

Even when I was in my late teens / early twenties and out almost every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and getting smashed I was never violent or abusive and knew when I had had enough ... ish.

Chimerical · 21 Jul 2009 at 00:07

Von Smallhausen said:
Paramedics are severely underpaid for what they do and I think a circa 30k salary is what they deserve, unfortunately they don't get it.

As for the marijuana argument, I personally have never needed artificial stimulation to control my emotions so it is something I can't grasp.

Even when I was in my late teens / early twenties and out almost every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and getting smashed I was never violent or abusive and knew when I had had enough ... ish.

Yeah, I used to think the same and I don't drink, smoke, have never inhaled, injected, etc. but recently I've begun to personally understand why people do this stuff to themselves on a regular basis. Not only that, but cannabis would be good for me I reckon, better than prescription anti-depressants have been at any rate.

Like you say, you drunk responsibly and anything done in moderation isn't bad imo, even drugs.

semi-pro waster · 21 Jul 2009 at 07:35

Chimerical said:
All mediterraneans are just shouty, angry people who can't drive from my experience/badly skewered perceptions; I'm allowed to say that due to my descent though. I think its a myth that other countries are more cultured but Evangelion does have a point about England at least.

That's fair enough, my point wasn't that I thought England (or anywhere in GB for that matter) was cultured but more that it was a bit of a curious statement. I'm not sure there are any particularly cultured nations - there are cultured people within pretty much every nation I'm sure but that's not the same thing.

We'd also have to define what we mean by cultured and even it is still really just a subjective measure.

Naffa · 1 Oct 2009 at 11:32

IT'S TONIGHT!!1

http://www.radiotimes.com/ListingsS...23&jspLocation=/jsp/prog_details_fullpage.jsp

platypus · 1 Oct 2009 at 11:48

RDM said:
With Tallis being somewhat more obscure than most classical composers.

I'd like to think he's enjoyed a renaissance of late, if you'll pardon the pun

.

Even though I dislike it, Classic FM has done a lot to publicise some of his works, and the incredible Tallis Scholars have done wonders for his music

.

Jono · 1 Oct 2009 at 12:40

I really hope he stumbles into the pub and does a Michael Crawford-esqe fall down into the cellar and destroy the bar sort of performance. I'd watch that.