Red Ken is at it again. Usually so full of love for all things PC that you’d think he would change his name to Percy Clemmons, Ken’s latest ‘morally outraged’ hissy fit comes as somewhat of a surprise.
“Ken Livingstone launched a vitriolic tirade against violent TV, films, gangsta rap and Margaret Thatcher yesterday - blaming them all for making Britain violent.”
When is the last time you heard gangsta rap and Margaret Thatcher used in the same sentence? Brilliant. Is the Mayor available for the comedy circuit? He went on to say:
“The Thatcher years 'helped create a generation of people whose children did not have a moral code', he claimed.
He also said some rap music was behind the current spate of violence and society's moral breakdown.“
One could argue that violence and explicit rap lyrics are just art imitating life, but being a Thatcherite is surely just delusion imitating life. At any rate, Ken needs to make up his mind – is it poor, black kids who are to blame for the world’s ills or the rich, white folks in tweed? Londonist hazards a guess that casting a wide net of blame ensures that someone, somewhere will agree with him. Clever trick, Kenny.
Surely the increase in disillusioned youth with violent tendencies has nothing to do with – we don’t know – political decisions that disenfranchise those most in need of help, or the media purposely churning out sound bites dangerously blown out of proportion to keep their foaming-at-the-mouth reactionary readers happy? Nah, couldn’t be. It’s got to be TV and music (the very outlets of this generation’s frustration with their lives) that is rotting British brains and making everyone horde knives like demented Japanese sushi chefs.
We think this Lib Dem spokesman has him pegged though: “Mr Livingstone's comments on culture are just him going off on one again.” You think?
Photo courtesy of bekkchen's Flickr stream
