What do your taxes get you? How much do you pay? Why is the tax system so complex no one really knows how much they should be paying?There is a problem of accountability and affordability it seems - where does all the money go? Why are Councillors paid so little? Why did Cameron veto the deal?
Enough with the questions. Here in St Gallen the Canton apparently funds such public delights as the botanical gardens (pictured) that are incredibly well maintained and have a vast array plant species. Not a place I'd normally hang out, but nice as something to do on a Sunday (refreshingly all the shops are closed here, so Sunday remains a genuine day of rest for all, while in the UK it has become just an extension of Saturday shopping), it is warm and quiet in the tropical house. What's more it is free to get in, unlike similar spaces in the UK.
Managed to find the time to watch the first two episodes of Charlie Brooker's 'Black Mirror' and found the whole thing pretty uninspiring. Ok, we know that social media is playing an increasingly important role in political decisions (The National Anthem) and that an Orwellian future is increasingly easy to envisage thanks again to social media, virtual worlds like 'Second Life', everyone having to own the biggest plasma screen available, the fact that ipad 2 will be number one Xmas present this year and the fact that X factor have TV ratings and itunes music downloads pretty well sewn up (15 Million Merits), but Black Mirror seems like a wasted exercise.
Ok, Brooker's wish fulfillment of Big Brother zombies in 'Dead Set' was stylish, dark and funny but 'The National Anthem' was a wish fulfillment too far: like one of his diatribes of easy targets chucked in a blender. Let's use Kate Middleton, the Turner prize, the Royal wedding, David Cameron, twitter and bestiality and see what comes out. Trying to use 'The Thick of It' as a kind of 'fly on the wall' model didn't work, and the direction was off the mark, particularly with the overuse of unnatural colour and lighting which worked with 'Dead Set' but didn't work here.
Much as I liked the concept of considering how far politicians would go in the face of such pressures (with some similarities with Cameron's recent veto) it just wasn't very funny and the shock factor was not as high as it could or should have been. I understand a response to my criticism is that it is hard to make such a production be any better due to pressures from the channel etc. but there it is.
The second episode I liked more, perhaps because there was more of a narrative thread and a character, Bing (brilliantly played by Daniel Kaluuya), who the viewer could follow and empathise with. I am a fan of dystopian sci-fi and despite my criticism of the obviousness of the targets here it had more going for it than Brooker's 'Cameron f*cks a pig' episode. Though like the first episode it certainly lacked any kind of humour - even Chris Morris' dark 'Jam' had laugh out loud moments, this did not. This is perhaps to do with the writing input from Brooker's wife, ex-Blue Peter, ex-X-tra Factor presenter Konnie Huq who I recall being the most inept Blue Peter presenter, and despite this managed to remain the longest serving female. I don't wish to be too 'down on Huq' but there are several moments that seem to connect with her life in this episode, first there is Bing being called to audition, him being chosen because he is an 'ethnic.' Is Huq suggesting this was the case for her being chosen for X-tra Factor, or even Blue Peter? - e.g.- 'Good 2:1 at Oxford, some screen time, and ethnic - put her on!' There is also the grey area surrounding her departure from X-tra factor, some say she left, some say Simon Cowell disliked her presentation skills - and much as I would hate to agree with the biggest A**hole in the universe her skills could be better...There is also the porn star trap door idea, the suggestion that good looking starlets without sufficient talent or the 'X-Factor' are being siphoned off into porn - does Huq have insider knowledge of this as well?
Despite the presentation, acting and direction of '15 Million Merits' being better it is the premise that bugs me a bit. It just seems like Brooker and Huq's attempt to criticise X-factor and the culture of watching TV and involving oneself in multimedia - which by both reviewing TV, appearing on it and writing for it they are fully paid up members of. So I guess I am accusing them of being hypocritical. Again the response to this is that they are trying to do what Bing does in the episode - tell everyone what is wrong with what they are doing, then sell out for an easier life anyway. I am more optimistic in that I believe there are people who are willing to go through and attempt to destroy the system from within, regardless of the personal cost, and it is important that viewers become inspired by this kind of TV drama. The pessimism of the ending of '15 Million Merits' only serves to indict the writers as sell-outs too. As an example of inspiring, dystopian sci-fi TV drama perhaps they should have looked at Dennis Potter's 'Cold Lazarus'. I think it time someone said that, contrary to a review I saw suggesting Brooker should move to a Scottish island and avoid TV for a year, he should go back to what he does best, writing scathing reviews of bad TV, and leave (as he has for episode 3) the real comedy/satirical writing to those who can do it best, like Armando Iannucci, Chris Morris, Jesse Armstrong and Graham Lineham.
