The Times are a changing... - a million pieces...

The Times are a changing...

OBITUARIES.

The Times of London.

1785 - 2008.

There are some institutions that shouldn't be messed with. As Laurence Binyon would say; 'Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.' They're the things that allow us in these barren years of labour government, with society falling apart at the very seams, hold up our heads and remember there will always be an England.

The Times of London was one such institution. When you bought it, you weren't just opening your morning paper you were making a stand against the crude vulgarity of the red tops, you were in your own way doing your bit for civilisation.

Then came the compact edition, closely followed by free dvd give aways, marketing ploys, once I even saw a full front page pic of Liza Minelli in Cabaret. Slowly but surely the things that made The Times that cut above the rest were eroded away. I still love the institution, I still think they have the best cricket coverage, great reportage, etc, it just doesn't seem to be quite so grand anymore, less than the sum of it's parts.

Yesterday saw the most ghastly example of this yet, the example that saw me pic up my Times to buy it then put it down in disgust and refuse. Yes, they let Katie 'Jordan' Price write for them. Not only did they let her contribute but they felt the need to brag about this on the front cover of the paper. I was black affronted.

I couldn't quite believe it, it's symptomatic of our society where everything has to pander to the lowest common denominator. Jordan is inescapable enough as it is, to the extent that I'd already been having a moan with the Waterstone's staff about the fact that they moved the Shakespeare section to make way for multiple copies of her books. Now I can't even turn to my newspaper to escape her, because apparently stripping naked to turn men on for a living now qualifies you to replace Shakespeare and to write for The Times.

It seems that The Times is joining the avalanche of other media outlets swan diving downwards to appeal to chavus-neanderthalus and so I ask you to join with me and mourn the passing of The Times of London.

2.8.08 15:36

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To date 10 Comment(s) TrackBack-URL

Chippy (3.8.08 18:35)
I stopped buying newspapers years ago, adverts, stupid inane stories that were obviously made up by somebody most likely in a mental facility etc, they should ban the bloody things, too many trees worth of paper (and no, I'm not a 'tree hugger'), news can now be got online and pretty much everyone has the internet these days, if not the news programmes on the tele!

amillionpieces / Website (3.8.08 22:29)
Chippy - quite. I don't buy one every day any more - normally just if I'm getting a train or going to be sitting around at a weekend. My new phone has good internet though so I may just give up entirely and do it all online.

Arty / Website (4.8.08 06:42)
You mean, THE Times? Oh dear, if so.

I used to read the free Metro in the morning or one of the two free evening offerings because I knew that any paper I could buy would barely be worth the cost.

amillionpieces / Website (4.8.08 23:55)
I do indeed mean THE Times. And I haven't been able to bring myself to buy a copy since. I've taken up reading the New York Times using their iPhone app instead.

Mikeachim / Website (5.8.08 01:27)
I think this kind of hate-campaigning against Jordan is a dreadful thing to behold. You should be ashamed. It's intolerant and narrow-minded.

Fact is, Jordan is a beautiful thing. Take that scene in Indy And The Last Crusade where they come out the cliffs and there's Petra. Petra is in Jordan. Lovely country, lovely people.

I hope you feel ashamed.

By the way, did you see Katie Price in The Times the other day? I laid an egg. What the hell is this country coming to? I might emigrate.

Somewhere like Jordan, maybe.

amillionpieces / Website (5.8.08 14:35)
Oh, but I heard Jordan had two unscalable mountains that were full of hazardous materials. You have to be careful around such areas, many men have died!

Arty / Website (6.8.08 02:20)
Haha, the irony.

(4.9.08 17:04)
hi how are you?i am new on here x

(4.9.08 17:05)
sorry,my names leanne and my blog is http://girlinterrupted87.20six.co.uk/

about me and shit that goes on in my head

amillionpieces / Website (4.9.08 23:17)
Hi, Leanne, nice to "meet" you.