UKC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6134906.stm

he`s my favourite news presenter.

Despite the ceraaazy ties...

In reply to lummox: i kind of agree with him, he has taken a stance that he will not wear any symbol on air and i think thats commendable. he says he wears one in private so whats the deal? apparenlty he is inundated with things to wear to raise awareness for different charities/organisations. i dont know what half the ribbons are for that you see people wearing, pink is breast cancer but yellow, white, green?!?!? no idea. does it matter though? if they support it then it can only be good for the cahrity!

no one should be pressured into wearig a symbol for a cause if they do not want to regardless of whether they believe in the cause or not. i support the guide dogs for the blind quite a lot but do not wear anything to associate myself to the charity. is there a need to display ones "aligiences" ? i have a poppy on but it is really only to remind me of servicemen and women and the role they play in life, its certainly on to try and claim some moral high ground on a non-poppy wearer....

In reply to west-country-wanderer:

I thought that the people arguing against him were being ridiculous when they said that he conforms to wearing symbols by wearing a suit and tie on air and that if he truly wanted to show that he was independent and non-conformist then he would wear t-shirt and beach shorts on air.

I disagree wholly with that. That's not him conforming, that could well be a personal choice to wear suit and tie rather than go on TV looking like a total plank in a t-shirt!!

In reply to lummox: Jon Snow takes another step towards legend status, my favourite moment was his interview with Nick Griffin (BNP) absolutely classic. watcchin Griffin try and deny the fact that he was racist while being brilliantly questioned by Snow

In reply to lummox:

Quite right. I wear a poppy and am proud to do so. It doesn't glorify war, its simply a mark of remembrance for those who have died in countless pointless conflicts (and a handful of neccessary ones).

But no presnter should ever be hounded into wearing one on air. Its about individual choice - something many died for just over sixty years ago.

In reply to Southampton Tom:

Not quite as good as when he was reporting from a street protest by medical staff in Bagdad. His question to one protester..

"tell me, you're a gynacologist, what have you been feeling today."

SUPERB!

In reply to Hjonesy: There's something rather smug about Jon Snow that doesn't appeal to me. I'd like to take him on an outdoor adventure trek, get his nice designer suit all muddy by crossing a swamp, then tie his hands and feet together with his fancy ties, and watch as Ray Mears pins him to a tree with knives, then his Asian women co-presenters of C4 News torture him by dancing round him naked.

In reply to Marc C:

Would he have to wear a poppy on this little expedition?

In reply to Marc C:

Bit too much detail there Mark; you've thought about it too much.

Admit it - it's not Snow you imagine this happening to...

In reply to Marc C: Pretty much your typical day shirley?

In reply to Marc C:

My mate regularly sees him riding around London on his bike with his suit still on. Does this count?

In reply to TobyA: I've met - he came seemed very nice, very approachable- has anyone read his auto biography? is great - don't think Marc's adventure trek would be anyting new to him - tales of treking into Nicuraqua to interview the rebles- walking into afganistan from Iran to follow the russian invasion - and loads more- tink he deserves a bit of time sitting behind a desk

In reply to Etak:

Aye they need to send that wee Krishnan Gurumurthy (sp?) bloke out to one of these places, he's turning into a bloater.

In reply to DougG: he`s gone all posh too... you used to be able to at least here a Bolton twang.

In reply to lummox:

Did anybody hear about that old fella that got jumped by a bunch of lads at the station in Dagenham(?) the other night and robbed. He was collecting money for poppies!

Those lads need stringing up!

In reply to DougG:

according to a firend that met him, that's 'cos he's full of himself

In reply to TobyA:

He was stood next to me at the traffic lights on Grays Inn road. He was sporting a tie that would blind dog at 500 paces.

His bike is crap btw, not even an "ironic old ratter"..

In reply to Southampton Tom: I find Jon Snow quite sexy, I think I must be disturbed.

As for the poppy thing, red poppies were growing in the fields where so many men died. Isn't that why they are red???

I am a passivist and would still buy a poppy.

There's all the rubber wrist band thingys too. If people are happy giving money to charity, that way, I think it's a good thing.

In reply to John Rushby (when he finally gets that f*cking thing right):

Usually looks as if his neck has just been sick.

In reply to John Rushby:

It's still wrong.

In reply to John Rushby:


ooh you bike snob, Rushby .

p.s. just heard you can get a Pompino- like with a few gears- sounds perfect for someone in my fine physical condition..

In reply to DougG:

Sue me

In reply to John Rushby:

You'll be hearing from my solicitors.

In reply to rock waif:
Even more came up as a result of all the disturbance casued by the shelling - hence the symbolism.

White poppies, on the other hand are what you get opium from. What is that meant to symbolise?

In reply to Marc C:

He might cope well;

When and where were you most scared for your safety? Have you ever felt that your life was seriously in danger? Rebecca Marshall, Walton-on-Thames

South China Sea, when stranded with Vietnamese boat people in the face of hostile Malays on the coast of Malaysia; caught by a death squad in El Salvador after they'd already killed a Dutch TV crew; and in Kosovo, after becoming separated from the Western media pack whilst filming retreating Serb forces.

In reply to Etak:

maybe not the outdoor trek through a swamp, but Ray Mears throwing knives, Marc C's co-presenter lookalikes (I dread to think where he'd get these from!) and Marc C himself in his underpants might freak him out. He didn't even mention were the Owlman would come into things.

In reply to Dave Garnett:

Yes, for some reason red poppies like growing on ground thats had high explosives chucked at it - and building sites

I think I get where Snow is coming from though, I used to wear a yellow cancer band until it became a fashion item now its attached to my bike. I think that the livestrong foundation set up by Armstrong started that whole coloured armband thing off.

Steve D

In reply to SteveD:
Yes - oportunistic annuals which exploit new areas of bare ground, and produce lots of viable seed. Then disappear as other species become established - typically cornfield weeds, but western france was a similar barren expanse leading to huge swathes of poppies in the first year or two after the war

In reply to rock waif:


I do not think that word means what you think it does...

"Pacifist"?

And WTF are this Ekklesia bunch on about? And why the multiple ks? Reminds me of those "Amerikkka" types, and I'm sure that's not the effect they're after.

In reply to Richard: what do you think I think then? probably spelt it wrong. I am having a brain holiday today, in preparation for the weekend.

In reply to rock waif: Are you a very calm person.

In reply to Stormmagnet: nah, I meant the other thing

In reply to rock waif:

A "passivist" would be someone who was very passive - perhaps you meant that you normally didn't do things because you just expect them to happen, but in the case of poppies, you're activist.

In reply to Richard: Thanks - I did use the right word:

Noun: passivist
Someone who does not believe in violence or the use of force

In reply to rock waif:

Just checked, and you're right. I very much stand corrected. One meaning of "passivist" is indeed "pacifist". Unreserved apologies.

In reply to Richard:

Yay, an public apology on Rocktalk.

Good effort

In reply to John Rushby:

Can't argue with facts.

Oh.

In reply to Richard:

Aye, facts are chiels that winna ding, as they say.

In reply to lummox:

Whilst I respect his choice not to made a bitch of the media and rally for any popular cause that comes round in the calendar by wearing a label, I'm sick of hearing about why we shouldn't wear poppies etc etc and why it's hypocritical and why immigrants don't think it's right for them to wear them.

Don't wear one if you don't want to but every resident in the UK should realise and possibly have respect for the people who have died in the armed services securing the defence of this society. Without them it would be a hell of a lot different now, a lot of us wouldn't be here, and there'd certainly be a much less diversified and rich culture with the inevitable lack of immigration if old Adolf had got his way.

Oh, and you can wear one without agreeing with the Iraq war.

In reply to Jon Hemlock: do you not think you are being a little inconsistent in saying "I'm sick of hearing about why we shouldn't wear poppies etc etc "
and then following up "Don't wear one if you don't want to " by telling us "every resident in the UK should realise and possibly have respect for the people who have died in the armed services securing the defence of this society"

If you dont want to be lectured on one point of view then you shouldnt lecture people on the other. everyone thinks the thing they believe in to be correct, however we all believe differnt things

In reply to Psychopathic_Barbie:

Not really no, but I see your point.

It is tiresome, the talk of whether we should or shouldn't wear poppies, but my point was that we all do have a choice and I suppose what I'm trying to put across is that if there were no misconception about what it meant to wear a poppy there would be no need for the debate or the need for people to reference their displaying of thanks or rememberance against their own beliefs.

In times of unpopular conflict particularly I think it's important for people to know that wearing a poppy doesn't mean that they are supporting war, the government, or the British Empire.

In reply to Richard:

Thanks

In reply to lummox:

Oi, Snow NO!

In reply to lummox: Seems fair enough to me. If he wore every badge he was asked to he'd look like an F1 driver not a new presenter...

Andy F

In reply to andy farnell:

or Wee Jimmy Krankie

In reply to lummox:


Here's what Muriel 'Munro Show' Gray has to say about it.
http://www.sundayherald.com/59073

In reply to DougG:

Fine example of 'poppy fascism' right there. My take is that the forcing of millions of boys into a meat grinder is far too complex a history for me to successfully express any feelings about by wearing a poppy. And no one with a more uncluttered version is going to make me feel guilty about it. The 'fascism' starts when you decide that others should feel the same way as you, and try to exert some pressure upon them to do so. For all her caustic, ersatz assumption of balance, Muriel Gray is doing just that, and she knows she's on safe ground to do so. Backslaps and incrowd chortles all round. I'll stick with my version, and do honour as I see fit, without any mandatory state prescriptives.

In reply to Steve Parker: I like Muriel!

In reply to Marc C:

She's got a rather smug elitism about her, though.

In reply to Steve Parker:

I usually like Muriel Gray too but this has an air of "Will this do?" about it.

Historically she's a bit blinkered too, as Dick Sheppard who was asked to lead the first Remembrance Service at the Albert Hall went on to form the Peace Pledge Union, sellers of the infamous White Poppy. At the time the Great War itself was described as the War to End all Wars and the League of Nations was hoped to perform the enforcement/engagement role.

With mutinies in the trenches, support for the Russian Revolution and the White Poppies coming from precisely those who did Stand and Wait (and genuinely didn't want loved ones to have died in vain) the circumstance on the ground were much less clearcut and as binary as Muriel would have you believe.