[Archived] News comment

[thenodrog]

22nd person dies from the Libya museum attack. Absolutely horrific the humanitarian and cultural damage being caused by Islamic extremists at present.

Tunisian. (Albeit perpetrated by Libyans)

[jim mk2]

You're absolutely right that the media sensationalism over plane crashes causes a false shift in perception, making people think air travel is inherently unsafe.

Plane crashes are thankfully rare so it's hardly surprising they are headline news when they do occur. This is not "sensationalism" and I don't see any connection between media reporting and people's perception of air travel. There are those who are afraid of flying, some who have no fear and enjoy it and those who endure it and are just glad when the plane has landed safely and they can get off (the majority I suspect).

In the case of the French Alps crash the story was "sensational" in the true sense of the word because a pilot with apparent mental health problems on an apparent suicide mission flew his aircraft into the ground at more than 400mph, killing all on board. I don't know whether the event is unique in aviation history but I suspect it may well be. The headlines and reporting may have been shocking but then it was a shocking event.

For my part, my worst flight was probably the first, to Malaga in 1968 in an Iberian Airways Caravelle which hit numerous air pockets going over the Pyrenees and dropped several hundred feet each time. I've never experienced anything like it since. Other bad experiences were coming into Heathrow in a BAC 111 in 1971 which (the pilot explained afterwards) hit a current of very cold air and shook violently for about 30 seconds. Circling round the rooftops of Lenigrad in 1979 in old Aeroflot jet was pretty hairy too. Since then it's all been plain sailing, so to speak. Modern aircraft are so much better, although the overall travel experience is far worse. Within 30 years (but not in my lifetime unfortunately) I can see short-haul flights in Europe gradually being superceded by high-speed rail.

[DE.]

I suspect you don't read the online versions of papers after incidents like this, Jim. Suddenly every story of a minor fault with an aircraft is printed, that's sensationalism.

Not to mention the false reporting of cracked windshields, hypoxia and so on that were practically reported as fact before any credible evidence emerged.

I'm on an airline forum and saw a post that was pure speculation appear in an online story (I'm sure most here can guess which paper) as factual.

By all means report what happened and what has happened, but to claim the media doesn't sensationalise events like this is wide of the margin imo.

[jim mk2]

I agree there was some ill-informed speculation in the papers - though to be fair most of the sources came from within the airline industry. But I wouldn't confuse that with airline forums or blogs. The shortcomings of "citizens" journalism does not mean all media have to be tarred with the same "sensationalist" brush.

[thenodrog]

Since then it's all been plain sailing, so to speak. Modern aircraft are so much better, although the overall travel experience is far worse. Within 30 years (but not in my lifetime unfortunately) I can see short-haul flights in Europe gradually being superceded by high-speed rail.

Untill a full one of them is driven full tilt into the buffers at 200mph!

[Tris]

Fate is a strange thing.

I had a lunchtime pint on the slopes, and sat next to a South African guy at the bar.

Last week he worked at a trade show in Barcelona. He was meant to go from there to Dusseldorf.

On Monday a mate phoned him and suggested binning Germany off to come snowboarding in Switzerland instead.

So he let his Germanwings booking lapse, and booked himself a flight to Zurich instead. And is still here to tell the story.

[broadsword]

Sounds a bit like Mark Wahlberg missing his flight on 9-11.

I've flown German wings plenty of times, I've always felt very safe in their hands. I guess it's all illusory because any flight can crash. There's no way to mitigate all risk.

I do have my prejudices, I guess it helps me to rationalise going thirty thousand feet in the air. I point blank refuse to fly air France and would only cross the pond with Virgin or ba. EasyJet I feel fine with but Ryan air I avoid, just too cheap. I avoid looking out of a window if at all possible.

I do wonder whether anyone with a known history of depression should be allowed to fly.

[jim mk2]

Sounds a bit like Mark Wahlberg missing his flight on 9-11.

I've flown German wings plenty of times, I've always felt very safe in their hands. I guess it's all illusory because any flight can crash. There's no way to mitigate all risk.

I do have my prejudices, I guess it helps me to rationalise going thirty thousand feet in the air. I point blank refuse to fly air France and would only cross the pond with Virgin or ba. EasyJet I feel fine with but Ryan air I avoid, just too cheap. I avoid looking out of a window if at all possible.

I do wonder whether anyone with a known history of depression should be allowed to fly.

Me too. I refuse to fly Ryanair because of O'Leary's disregard for his employees and his passengers.

Ok for passengers but not for pilots.

[ABBEY]

And wrong leaves on the track . Imagine ticket prices on the high speed line . It's £70 from rishton to Newcastle .

[Baz]

What a crazy world isn't it? When people are being hounded because of expressing their personal opinion in a perfectly acceptable manner it represents the thin end of a rather unpleasant wedge.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/03/28/roger-moore-idris-elba-james-bond-english_n_6960700.html?icid=maing-grid7|uk-ws-bb|dl6|sec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D340042

I shouldn't be surprised if it isn't all dreamt up by that chap's agent under the category free publicity because tbh until 5 minutes ago I'd never heard even of idris elba and now the producers have been painted into a corner and likely will not dare not overlook him. Very clever if so.

So whats next for the PC crazies? A black Santa? A black Robin Hood perhaps? It's all as loony as me auditioning for the role of Sabu the Elephant Boy.

Idris Elba is one of the top british actors of recent years. The Fact he is black should be debated in terms of whether Bond should be black, personally I see no issue but can understand debate, however the "english english" remark by Moore isnt "lost in translation", or racist in intention, but it is clumsily embarrassing in prose.

[otto man]

Idris Elba is one of the top british actors of recent years. The Fact he is black should be debated in terms of whether Bond should be black, personally I see no issue but can understand debate, however the "english english" remark by Moore isnt "lost in translation", or racist in intention, but it is clumsily embarrassing in prose.

Shouldn't be up for debate at all. It's a loaded question and only leads down one path. The PC brigade having a thrombo! (which it's currently doing) Can any one imagine Ben Kingsley being asked how he felt about Benedict Cumberbatch being considered for the role of Gandhi? The mind boggles!

[ultrablue]

There is a key difference though - Gandhi wasn't a fictional character.

Would it be the same Bond from Ian Fleming's novels? Obviously not. But then Daniel Craig looks nothing like the Bond from the books either.

Why not give the character a new look? It's only a movie after all. People will vote with their feet and their wallets.

This reminds me of this classic:

[thenodrog]

Shouldn't be up for debate at all. It's a loaded question and only leads down one path. The PC brigade having a thrombo! (which it's currently doing) Can any one imagine Ben Kingsley being asked how he felt about Benedict Cumberbatch being considered for the role of Gandhi? The mind boggles!

Benedict bloody Cumberbach???? Surely Johnny Vegas would be a shoe in for Gandhi...... and anyone who objects to that is just a racist bigot in my book!

[thenodrog]

There is a key difference though - Gandhi wasn't a fictional character.

Would it be the same Bond from Ian Fleming's novels? Obviously not. But then Daniel Craig looks nothing like the Bond from the books either.

Why not give the character a new look? It's only a movie after all. People will vote with their feet and their wallets.

Hey yeah! There's been almost as many Bonds as Doctor Who's. Maybe Q could invent a regeneration chamber and they could change em at will. We could have Julian Clary as the next one.... or Hilda Baker perhaps? How about George Galloway? He's scottish and would certainly appeal to ethnic minorities! I wouldn't fancy him against Richard Keal mind and I doubt the queue of 'Bond Girls' eager to leap into bed with him would be very long.... or very impressive.

As you say people will vote with their feet.

Thats got the ball rolling so any more stupid suggestions folks?

[otto man]

There is a key difference though - Gandhi wasn't a fictional character.

Would it be the same Bond from Ian Fleming's novels? Obviously not. But then Daniel Craig looks nothing like the Bond from the books either.

Why not give the character a new look? It's only a movie after all. People will vote with their feet and their wallets.

This reminds me of this classic:

But that's irrelevant.(As they are both portrayals of "on screen" individuals, fictional or other wise.) However if you prefer,how about Ray Winston as Kunta Kinte? Works for you? Adds to the authenticity? Helps capture the flavour?

Hey yeah! There's been almost as many Bonds as Doctor Who's. Maybe Q could invent a regeneration chamber and they could change em at will. We could have Julian Clary as the next one.... or Hilda Baker perhaps? How about George Galloway? He's scottish and would certainly appeal to ethnic minorities! I wouldn't fancy him against Richard Keal mind and I doubt the queue of 'Bond Girls' eager to leap into bed with him would be very long.... or very impressive.

As you say people will vote with their feet.

Thats got the ball rolling so any more stupid suggestions folks?

ha ha ha! Yeah, we can do a second "What if" thread.

What if........... Stan Ogden was James Bond.

[ultrablue]

I'm saying the fictional or otherwise is relevant. Sony have the rights to the onscreen fictionl character and can do what they like with it.

For many Sean Connery was the authentic James Bond and everyone since has been a variation. This is a character who has killed 370 people, and none of them got him first, slept with over 50 women and never got an STD, fires missles out of his bloody car and you worry that changing his skin colour might harm his authenticity?

My vote is for a live action version of James Pond.

[otto man]

I'm saying the fictional or otherwise is relevant. Sony have the rights to the onscreen fictionl character and can do what they like with it.

For many Sean Connery was the authentic James Bond and everyone since has been a variation. This is a character who has killed 370 people, and none of them got him first, slept with over 50 women and never got an STD, fires missles out of his bloody car and you worry that changing his skin colour might harm his authenticity?

My vote is for a live action version of James Pond.

But that's cos he's hard...Innit!

[Tom]

Honestly can't think of a single better choice for bond than Elba, the man drips charisma and is a great actor.

Make it happen!

[otto man]

Takes all sorts I suppose Tom.

[thenodrog]

Honestly can't think of a single better choice for bond than Elba,

Just a thought Tom..... Can you tell me how many black sailors in the RN achieved the rank of Commander in the 1950's?

[Amo]

James Bond sucks anyway.

[Tom]

Just a thought Tom..... Can you tell me how many black sailors in the RN achieved the rank of Commander in the 1950's?

I'd guess more than there were Spartan warriors from Australia named Russell Crowe - it's a work of fiction and requires the suspension of disbelief overall, as long as the best man gets the role and can't see many better for it, thougt Clive Owen would have been perfect but he's faded a bit in recent years.

[ABBEY]

Russell Crowe is from New Zealand .

[Stuart]

Just out of interest, does anyone think that James Bond should be played by a woman?

If not, why not?

[broadsword]

http://screenrant.com/hollywood-will-smith-offered-superman-vic-2871/

Burt Reynolds was offered the part of Bond, but turned it down, believing it was impossible for an American to play it.

You can argue that the description of the character in the books has never matched the appearance of the character on-screen. I argue that it's an accepted norm that the character be played by a white actor of British heritage. (George Lazenby admittedly was an Australian, but he wouldn't have to go too far back to trace his roots to the UK.)

I think Elba's being put forward for the sake of trendiness, "let's do something different". When Lazenby took over from Connery, the script writer was going to weave a sub-plot regarding plastic surgery into the story, to maintain some continuity. that wasn't deemed necessary, yet since then, until Craig, all the actors have been at least 6 feet, white and with dark hair - that's at least some attempt to make him look like the character of the books. There was an uproar when a blonde Bond was mooted. he's since gone on to be a major success and some people's favourite Bond. But I don't think a black Bond would be accepted, just as a black superman wouldn't be accepted.

I think it's somewhat ridiculous. Just like having Jackie Chan play Batman or Benedict Cumberbatch play Shaft. Maybe it would do good business at the box office, but it would lose them a fair number of Bond afficiando's, the die-hard fans.