Top of the Pops

Welcome to the lowlight of your Christmas, my TOTP blog. And I've got James here with me for once to add his own brand of bile. It's really hard to write a blog on a phone so take heed and pity me, for suffering in more ways than one.
I have never heard this Take That song before, but we both agree the brand is not working as a three. Everyone wants a (Jason) Orange in their stocking. Why not get a new member? James Corden seemed up for it on the Gogglebox repeats - sorry, highlights - last night. James says he feels something about the way Gary sings feels patronising. If you're feeling patronised by Gary Barlow in a Christmas jumper, you're probably not at your mental best.
Who the fuck are Gorgon City? Isn't that a brand of cheese? Oh no, that's gorgonzola and Cathedral City. Is this dubstep? James; 'There's a rent a raver down the front.' James is convinced they film this TOTP in July and then just CGI Ben Haenow in at the end.
James: 'When's Florence on?' I think she's reanimating in her oxygen chamber, I've not seen her for at least a year.
Up next, Schmuck. Spelt Sigma. Isn't that some X Factor reject? Oh it's like drum and bass or something. They've half got the washing machine but not quite. Come back Ed Sheeran, all is forgiven. Not really, fuck off.
I'm not mentioning Fearne and Reggie this year as they're beneath contempt.
Next up is The Vamps, a 'youtube sensation'; like Frankie Grande but less likeable. James says they look like they might be playing in a bar in the background in The Knick. If that's not funny, direct your complaints to him as I don't watch it. Jingle Bells is not a valid Christmas cover version. This is endless. There's only one fucking verse to Jingle Bells, you cunts!
Fearne likes Foo Fighters, or her autocue says she does. Well, someone has to. I have never heard any of these songs that have been out this year, thank fuck. Yet still I want to punch Sam Smith in the chops.
James: 'Fresh from making computers, it's Tom O'Dell.' Who's this miserable sod? Bring back the garage. Bring back Pharrell. James says, 'Bring back Jingle Bells.' This is a song for those who started drinking port too early on Christmas and are crying already.
McBusted. My mum's favourite. I had to buy her their CD for Christmas. I'm not even joking. Do you know how that's going to screw up my recommendations on Amazon? Disgusting. This is anti-awesome. We think might have just heard the lyrics 'More range than Brian May.' Still I suppose it's cheaper to smash up a 'air guitar' than a real one not one of the pricks can play anyway. I hope the missing one with the eyebrows is having a lie in.
Next in the aural torture chamber is Coldplay. Who'd have thought the man who wrote the beautiful The Scientist could follow that with literally hundreds of duff, samey s-hits that make you want to consciously uncouple with your own eardrums. Just stop. Stop it now, just like the sex offenders charity. Also, stop wasting paper. That confetti is murders to clear up.
One thing I will say in Fearne and Reggie's defence, they're not incessantly telling me what's coming up next for once. Probably because everyone's turned off in previous years when they did.
Next up is Rixston. Me and James simultaneously: 'who?' James: 'These people all look privately educated. How do people know the words to this song? They must play it to them in the queue.' The singer looks like Shane Ritchie.
Next up, Jeff Probst from Survivor. Oh no, it's Mr Probz. This is the worst yet. I prefer Mr Oizo.This is a new low, even worse than that twit on the piano.
The next person 'had people literally pouring out of his tent at Glastonbury' - yep, running for the nearest Herbal Highs stand, no doubt. George Ezra? Pigeon toed twat. Knock-kneed gnat. I think he just sang a line about Gordon Brown. James is becoming hysterical, and not in a good way. We're praying to be called for dinner right now.
James says there's a lot of 'sub UB40 stuff out at the moment.' Just stop and consider that sentence. Sub UB40. Fuck.
Next up is Ella Henderson. I've not heard this much but it sounds like it's off an advert. Her mouth gets on my nerves. I know that's not her fault, but there it is. James is nodding his head to this one, it's his second favourite after Take That.
My mum has just come in to express her disgust at at Matt Willis. She said 'He takes over the whole band. Talk about ruining a good group.' Hold on, I just bought you their CD, I say. She goes, 'I like to listen to them but I couldn't watch a DVD with them on now. I don't know how Emma Willis puts up with him.' Fair comment, but he had to put up with her misogyny and bias so it's swings and roundabouts. No point trying to explain that to my mum, though.
'Ed Sheeran, your favourite!' I went to James. My mum failed to detect the sarcasm and said 'I knew gingers would have their day.' Ed Sheeran has not even got a nice voice. It sounds whiny. I didn't look up once when he was on. Offensive to all senses.
Who are Clean Bandit? Sounds like Mr Muscle. My mum is not impressed. But she has got a large glass of Baileys. I've not even had a drink yet. God knows I need one.
My mum is looking at the CD cover for her McBusted CD now. I said, 'Sorry, I should have crossed out Matt Willis's face for you' and she goes, 'Dont worry, I can do that', quick as you like, followed by 'He's gross.'
Haenow now. I've heard from a reliable source that he wasn't even a van driver. Honestly. How will the pop lizards try and pull the wool over our eyes next? Why wasn't he there in the studio? Could they not afford the CGI? Poor sod, he'll never get to be on TOTP now. His career will be over by next Christmas.
I asked my mum to sum up that TOTP in one words. She said, crap. On that note, I wish you a merry Christmas, JLS style. Have a good one.

Question Time (Guest starring Russell Brand and Nigel Farage)

Let's get one thing straight. I hate Question Time. At least on the Big Questions they discuss things like 'Do pets go to Heaven?' Question Time is just sallow, pious or middle class people saying something half snarky to Amanda Platell, who I actually saw on Question Time a week or two ago, and she looked botoxed to fuck, like a more masculine David Gest. Bit rich from someone always slating Nicole Kidman/ Kylie's looks, but I digress.
But of course, everyone wants to watch sideshow freaks Nigel Farage (autocorrects to forage, but you know the only thing he's foraging for is his next pint of beer) and Russell Brand, who hasn't mentioned his ballbags in aeons. I miss Russell's ballbags, his trousers and pants, MTV's Dancefloor Chart, his radio show/podcast (obligatory Andrew Sachs wife sad face image here). But I mustn't cling to those old dreams anymore. I have to get on board with the revolution. But isn't this just the David Icke videos I've been watching on YouTube for 15 years, dressed up as something new? I know about the phoney bone of contention. I know about 'look over here'. And every cunt knows about the lizards by now. The lizards are all over the place.
I don't even normally have to look at Farage, as I have the Ukitten Chrome plug in that turns his pterodactyl face into a lovely kitten on my computer. I wish that worked on the TV.
Imagine being the OTHER people on the panel with Brand and Farage. You might as well just send a cardboard cut out, like they do with that 14 year old out of Stereo Kicks (no, not the ketamine one).
Anyway, pay attention, it's the first question from Jonathan King (not really). I couldn't understand the question. I think it was 'Are politicians petty?' but said in a cunty type of a way to try and trip you up.
Russell Brand said something and it wasn't funny and now Farage is saying something serious, too. This is why I don't like Question Time. Start arguing already, motherfuckers. Oh, they did, some womanon the panel (as Nigel Farage would probably refer to her) just started on him.
Oh, a sallow girl is now asking a question, or at least saying words. Ah, she's digging Rusty out for telling people not to vote. She's a plant! As our leader Moz said, 'Each time you vote, you support the process.' Which is a lame lyric, but by no means the worst on that album (see the song Smiler with Knife. Still, Earth is the Loneliest Planet and I'm Not a Man are good; see 'Wolf down T-bone steak. Wolf down cancer of the prostate.' Now THAT'S a lyric.) Are you allowed to just 'make a comment' as sallow girl did and not ask a question? If you want to 'make a comment' go on the Mail Online, bitch.
Russell: 'Give us something to vote for.' Good point. I vote for that dude who was playing Candy Crush in the House of Commons this week. He looked like he was on the baby levels, though. Amateurs.Come talk to me when you're in the 400s.
Haha, the women are turning on RB for being a sexist. Aw. I don't mind when he says love. There's no malice in it. I forgive most misogyny if the person is funny/clever enough. At least he's engaging, unlike all three of the women on this panel.
Why is this woman moaning about Russell having nine million Twitter followers? He's not a role model. He's a former crackhead/ sex addict/ rabble rouser. He doesn't have a duty to say a certain thing. At least he's saying SOMETHING.
Can you imagine queueing up to be in the Question Time audience? I bet the chairs aren't comfy. I'd rather go in the Jeremy Kyle audience, at least the subject matter there is honest (even if the guests are lying... but then what about the 7-10% who are telling the truth and still get a tell off? It's a slippery slope.)
Dude from Babybird seems to be asking a question now. He's digging out Farage for being a multi-millionaire. Who cares how much money people have? Are they decent people or not? In his case, not.
David Dimblebore is querying how the panel is like 'Punch and Judy.' It's because half the panel are cartoon characters and the others are dour women. Where do they get these people from? It's like when they get the drabbest feminists possible on to talk about 'women's issues.' It's self-misogyny.
Blah blah blah. This is why I don't watch Question Time. I get distracted too easily. I'll tell you what programme I like where people have their say. Points of View. Let's face it, I'll never write a blog about Points of View so let's cover it here. My favourite thing about Points of View is when people start their emails 'why oh why.' Someone wrote recently to complain that the weather girl was saying 'it's going to be a lovely day' when it's sunny and 'it's a miserable day' when it's raining. He was livid that human emotions were being attributed to the weather. Some people like rainy days, BBC, just ask Garbage. But they really need to get rid of the new graphics, they're fucked. And bring back the blahdeblah theme tune (nod to Adam and Joe, RIP). Oh and also when they give a real dickhead comment a really stupid accent. I like that. Just kill Jeremy Vine. He might like Morrissey, but he's not one of us. No way. Make Richard Osman present it, that would be fun.
A strangely normal looking woman asks a straight question: 'Is Britain really overcrowded?' What do the Ukittens think? Meow!
Normal looking woman is rolling her eyes at Russell Brand. I've gone off her, now. Russell Brand just said 'farted'. Trust him to lower the tone. Maybe he'll bring out little Paul Scholes soon?
Russell Brand just called Nigel Farage a 'pound shop Enoch Powell' and Nigel looked mad. Russell had been working on that speech. But it did seem to rattle the forager. Give the man a pint of beer, FFS. He's a man of the people.
Some fat guy with a walking stick is now pointing angrily at Russell Brand and urging him to stand for Parliament and stop preaching. RB is looking a bit under the cosh, now. This is actually a fun bit. A woman with blue hair is now screeching that Farage is a racist. I'm waiting for her to be bundled out. Is it always like this? LOL. This isn't politics.
A strangely good looking man in the audience is standing up for Nigel Farage. I have never seen a good looking person in the Question Time audience. Plant!
Russell is right; immigration IS a 'look over here' issue whilst the fat cats get fatter. I do actually agree with him there. The white woman is pretending not to get it and declaring we have very few racists in this country. How the fuck would you know, you entitled bitch? That's like a bloke saying the country isn't sexist. That's easy to say when you're not the one getting beaten, raped, harassed, just like black people are getting arrested disproportionately, are under-represented in all media and a million other things I don't even know and can't even imagine and I'm not even going to pretend I do because I'm not a patronising arsehole. An arsehole, maybe. But not patronising.
A stupid woman is talking about 'immigrants from outside this country'. Where else would they be from? Someone shouted at her to shut up. LOL.
This immigration bit is dragging. What's the point of Question Time? Has it ever changed anything? It's just people disagreeing. It's like 'Do pets go to Heaven?' We will never agree. We can't even agree on if there IS a Heaven.
Oh a question about the NHS. My favourite. The Tories shut down the library where my writing group was held, making the group non existent at the moment. But I still don't want to sit in that audience and shout at someone about it. Because it's just lip service. No one actually cares or is going to do anything about any of it. Then, in a blink of an eye, we're dead.
Someone in the audience is texting. Take that phone off them, it's like Will.i.am on The Voice all over again.
This woman is playing the old 'let me finish' card now. Who does she think she is, James Jordan talking to Gary Busey? We all know how that ended. HONK!
Russell Brand hasn't spoken for at least five minutes. What the fuck is this shit?
The woman in purple on the panel is really going on. If she'd said anything the slightest bit interesting, I'd give her the courtesy of writing her name. But she hasn't. Russell Brand is writing something. I think this is like when Louis Walsh writes stuff on a notepad on the X Factor. I think it's like when you're in a boring meeting and you write 'fuck off' and then you have to disguise it by making it into a garish doodle.
I hate humanity. I want to see Russell and Nigel have a punch up. Why is that woman taking up so much airtime? It's all about the airtime, as Russell should know from his Big Brother days.
There's a boring question about grammar schools now, which Russell is swerving but he's having a dig at Nigel again now; 'He don't have no good ideas', says Russell after saying he got 'a quite good comprehensive education.' Didn't learn about double negatives though, hey? I jest, I like talking like Russell Brand, too. 'Citing, isn't it? It makes life a bit more colourful.
Who cares about grammar schools in Kent? What about ebola? What about something juicy? Snooze! I went to a crappy school in a shithole town and I sit next to someone at work who went to Lancing College which apparently is posh, and he's dumb as a rock. (No offence, if you're reading my blog, which you're obviously not, teehee) I mean he knows Latin, but he's got no common sense. So who gives a shit what school people go to?
Nigel Farage just said 'opportunity' and I thought, 'Opportunity it don't exist, it's the opiate of the populist.' You could probably learn more about politics from the song The Happiest Place on Earth by Desaparecidos than by watching a thousand Question Times. I recommend it.
Sorry for anyone who read my blog expecting me to care about any of the issues discussed. What's that old saying? Whoever you vote for, the Government always get in? I guess Russell's not to far off, after all. Maybe the world is a hologram. Maybe the TV and fluoride are anaesthetising us. But if the fight against it looks like this, count me out. Give me my Candy Crush and my crisps and my vodka and my sleeping pills and as Tell Off Man ie. Mike Ehrmantraut once said, 'Leave me to die in peace.'