Thursday 29 January 2009

Thank Gok for compassion

Not another TV programme about obesity and food fanaticism! But, once again, it was Gok that got me in front of the goggle box. 'Too fat, too young'. Channel 4. Tuesday evening, 27th January. A brave decision to confront his 21-stone past, but great television. You could feel the gain, the pain and the hope. Understand where he's coming from and where he's going. True compassion. As a public service broadcaster, Channel 4 does this kind of programme much better than the BBC (whose programmes have to involve plantlife, elephants or something strange called 'impartiality'). Think of 'Secret Millionaire'. And to believe that Channel 4's only likely future would be in a public service broadcasting partnership with Channel 5! Let's hope that this new Channel 45 sticks with the compassionate streak. Teach the BBC a thing or two about common humanity. Perhaps we can have Gok Wan advising Robert Peston on the importance of finding and relating good news.

Mark Griffiths www.idealconsulting.co.uk

Wednesday 28 January 2009

Happy Birthday Jose Marti!

Jose Marti would have been 156 years old today. Who is he? One of the founding fathers of the revolution that freed Cuba from Spanish colonial rule. No, not that revolution. The one before it. If you've ever visited Cuba, you'll know that it is branded by three clear icons - the Cuban flag, that picture of Che Guevara, and stone statues of Jose Marti. Soon, not this year or next, but maybe in a decade, Cuba will see a lot more branding than its people are used to. In Havana, they queue avidly outside stores selling Adidas and Italian clothing brands. Clearly, as Cuba celebrates 50 years' freedom from the capitalist yoke, its people can barely wait to welcome it back. Yet, without Jose Marti and the Castro revolution that followed half a century later, the majority of Cuba's people would still not be able to read an Adidas label never mind crave one.

As the latest revolutionary slogan goes, "Un mundo mejor es posible".