English gossip.

I promised a friend I would share information about a well-known television presenter. This presenter (well known in the UK) lives part-time in the same village as my inlaws. Now there are a few other famous people who live in the area and they are fairly well-liked. One is a director (and his assorted family) who my brother inlaw works for and he has nothing but nice things to say about. The director also used a picture of a tree (that once stood on my inlaws' property) as a piece of set decoration in a film he made.
As for the presenter she is kind of known for her... how we shall say... condescending ways with the people in the village. It is like she is surprised that everyone is literate and doesn't engage in incest and ship-wrecking or something. She has done a few shows (she is a life-style sort) where she likes to say, "oh and this was all local" and much of it isn't. She also likes to try and get all kinds of free things out of assorted small-business owners in the area. (in particular people who do crafts) One person said that they said, "sure you could use one of these for your show but I need to charge you for this item." This presenter said, "but think of the publicity. It will be paid back in full when it is featured on the show." The thing is, she has been known to say, "and I made this all by myself" about some item she wants to use that is made by some local person/crafter. So people aren't exactly enthused to work with her.

I think what really soured people regarding this personality is the fact that one day she and her husband drove across someone's field with absolutely no regard as to whether someone was growing a crop or not or The fact that it was private property. Yes there are plenty of paths and areas that are open to people walking across but to drive your fancy-pants car? Well that is something else. Even if there wasn't a crop growing there that year, there is the fact that a car running across the soil can ruin it for awhile.

A very funny story one of my brother inlaws told me had to do with her roping a local play-group into doing something on her show. They were making something and one of the boys made a sort of telescope and the presenter asked on television, "and so little child, what will you do with this?" the boy responded, "I will look through windows at people getting dressed." The presenter was horrified. Everyone else thought this was funny as heck. She hasn't been back to work with the play-group since.

She is the sort who is interested in being involved in the village when it suits her television needs.

reviews of things.

I finally watched Bright Star. It takes me awhile to get to things.
God Damn that was an amazing film. I said elsewhere that the film captured the physical feeling from Keats' poetry. At least my response to his poetry which always left this faint sense of ache and longing. Or the light-headedness that can come with love. I think what I also liked about the film is that one observes the maturity and growth of Fanny and John's love. There are these moments where the film lingers as the two are just in eachother's presence and nothing more. The comfort of one another. It was intensely romantic and heart-breaking; especially watching Fanny's response to hearing of John's death. It was an ugly kind of crying. That deep in the soul where every cell in your body is experiencing the loss of this other person. It kind of felt voyeuristic to watch.

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( What have I been reading lately )