champagne, giles coren and not posting after lunch

[Ken Gargett]

This is perhaps more for our UK members - curious to know the thoughts in general on coren. I just don't get him. It seems that a lot of people like him - he has been writing for a while so some must but, I'll confess that I gave up ages ago. Too much of it is taking cheap shots at defenceless targets. I do like the TV stuff he does - the little I have seen seems so different to his writing. I stopped reading him years ago because I thought he was boring and very average and that there was no one who thought he was funnier than he did himself.

Anyway, last night when I got home from a very long lunch (11 bottles between 4 of us, including some great champers, not that Mr Coren would know), I opened my emails and had been sent this by a mate. 

The clever response would be to step back and wait until morning before commenting. But no, I thought, fabulous, another windmill at which to tilt.

So, in I jumped. The big warning should have been that in attempting to register for the Times, I failed to correctly spell my own name - I am now 'ken gargeyy' to the Times. Did not even notice. Then I took my opportunity to express my view of Mr Coren and his thoughts on champagne.

And then forgot about it. Woke up to about fifty emails - the first one saying that they would have liked to say what I said but courtesy prevailed (so I was rather curious to know just what I had said). Most of the comments are actually reasonably supportive, though certainly not all.

Meanwhile, I need to find a breathalyzer lock for my computer. 

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/champagne-is-only-good-for-cleaning-drain

[ayepatz]

I’m a Times subscriber, but I’m afraid I don’t like Giles Coren.

Once you’ve had the sweet champagne that was AA Gill at his finest, Coren comes across as a particularly acidic crémant that’s had too many “award-winning” stickers applied to the label.

Gill’s successor as restaurant critic, Marina O’Loughlin, is a good read.

As is Giles Smith’s Sport on Television column.

And there’s always Clarkson...

[Ken Gargett]

4 minutes ago, ayepatz said:

I’m a Times subscriber, but I’m afraid I don’t like Giles Coren.

Once you’ve had the sweet champagne that was AA Gill at his finest, Coren comes across as a particularly acidic crémant that’s had too many “award-winning” stickers applied to the label.

Gill’s successor as restaurant critic, Marina O’Loughlin, is a good read.

As is Giles Smith’s Sport on Television column.

And there’s always Clarkson...

my thoughts exactly re coren v aa gill. he is at his very best gill-lite. more gill-wannabee.

[ayepatz]

I’m reading Gill’s book The Angry Island - Hunting the English at the moment.

He was born in Scotland and always considered himself a Scot.

It’s a giggle.

If you’re not English.

[luv2fly]

Ken, DO NOT POST AFTER YOUR LONG LUNCHES.  Get Cardinal WhipCrack on board!

[Ken Gargett]

1 hour ago, luv2fly said:

Ken, DO NOT POST AFTER YOUR LONG LUNCHES.  Get Cardinal WhipCrack on board!

i should know better. but good wine always makes you think you are in superb form and unaffected by anything so mundane as alcohol. and i got enough positive responses to suggest that all was not in vain.

[luv2fly]

I agree!  Thanks for posting Ken.  

[ayepatz]

His response that “91 comments” on the day of publication is all he needs to see, tells you everything you need to know.

He writes to provoke. As did Gill, admittedly. Yet somehow he managed it with more brilliance, delicacy, dash, profundity, style, wit, elegance, and élan.

[Habana Mike]

1 hour ago, ayepatz said:

His response that “91 comments” on the day of publication is all he needs to see, tells you everything you need to know.

He writes to provoke. As did Gill, admittedly. Yet somehow he managed it with more brilliance, delicacy, dash, profundity, style, wit, elegance, and élan.

Though apparently 83 of those were responses to Sir Gargeyy's comment......

[99call]

20 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

 more gill-wannabee.

My Missus is a paintings conservator, and recently met Giles Coren on a program about faked masterpieces.  She confirmed to me my suspicions, that he is a very unlikable character in the flesh. I bit like the Joffrey character so excellently acted by Jack Gleeson, he's trapped in some Dickensian time-warp, where he still talks to people like street urchins. 

I have no idea why UK tv insists on commissioning shows that lavish more privilege on blue blood high society types, sending them on massive holidays/experiences of a life time, that they could easily afford themselves), whilst also televising horrendous shows like "Benefits Britian".  

The reason why I think AA Gill's of this world are so enjoyable is, yes they can be a little like a fart in a space suit at times, but they have the right degree of talent for you to be able to imagine forgiving them the more difficult rougher edges of the character and cherishing their wit and intelligence above all.  Ultimately with Coren, I don't think he hasn't the talent, to outweigh him seeming, for lack of a better expression 'a bit of a shit'.

All this said I did really enjoyed one of Coren's comments on a restaurant in London that had disappeared up its own arse

Waiter =  "So now I will explain the concept and construction of the food and how the menu works"

Coren =  "Hhmmm........... I was under the impression that 'was' a menu!?"