Am I just a curmudgeon?

[Cassius]

Or is anyone else sick to the death of Comic Relief??? I am certainly not against doing things and raising money for charities, but I am just a little bit fed up of celebrites making the most of their time in the spotlight - all for chayriteee mate!

[Marmora Man]

I'm with you - forced jollity and public giving. Baah humbug. Real charity is private and fun is what you have with friends, not via a TV.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I agree totally - all of THAT effort for an amount of money which equates to a week or two of lottery spend. You would think from the hoopla that it was nigh on impossible to pull that much money from the british public any other way

[*Bob*]

It would help if there was something funny in it.

[Jeremy]

Don't you find Lenny Henry funny, Bob?

[*Bob*]

It's cheered me up that he's not presenting it any more.

I think if (IF) I sat and watched all (fifty-eight hours) of it and put a pound in a jar every time I genuinely laughed, a fiver would more than cover it.

Unfortunately I wouldn't get past the first three minutes. As soon as I hear a mention of an upcoming comedy 'spectacular' featuring the cast of Eastenders and BBC newsreaders I'll be off to put my head in the oven. And my oven's electric, so that's going to HURT.

[Cassius]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> Don't you find Lenny Henry funny, Bob?

He really is hilarious isn't he? That wonderful advert he is in for that hotel chain. I cry with laughter every time I see it - 'I've found something small time - THE BILL'. Unfortunately Lenny its your career that is small time now.

[annaj]

Also, there is the whole tricky issue of them withdrawing funding from good developing world sexual health charities that offer termination, among other services, under pressure from the catholic church and faith schools.

I'm never comfortable with charities that have religious affiliations, even less so with one that claims to be independent, but then bows to pressure.

[Brendan]

I just see it as pointless.

Why not raise money to put a stop to foreign companies and governments exploiting Africa. And then send a few men with guns around to the various corrupt despots that pass for leadership on the continent and tell them to run their fucking countries properly and provide their people with the services they need.

[Xena Worried prince]

I am just going to bury my head in the sand today and wait for Charities like "Help a London Child" (Capital Radio at Easter) or that ilk that I support

Good job that I am planning on staying in with a stack of DVD's and Jack (Bottle off) in an attempt to clear my head from the night before last.

Sad but true, I think I am actually getting Charity Fatigue now as there are so many rattling their tins at me (either in the street, on the radio or on TV) ::o

[annaj]

Sorry, can I just do a complete u-turn on my last post.

I've just checked with my sister, who works in sexual health and is up to date on all this stuff, and apparently now comic relief are funding charities that support contraception and termination, depsite the objections of the catholic church and faith schools. A few years ago they pulled funding from a few charities and offered catholic organisations a deal to guarantee that none of their money would go to causes they didn't agree with, but apprently now they've stopped all that and many catholic organisations are boycotting comic relief as a result.

Which, as far as I can see, is a good reason to support them!

[citizenED]

I would much rather give money for someone to do nothing. Take off that silly wig, those ridiculous leggings, stop jogging round the park with a wheelbarrow or crazily pouring custard over your wacky best friend. You don't have to demean yourself. Just have an hoest whip round and I'll chip in.

[Ten]

The fat guy from accounts didn't take kindly to me kicking his red nose across the floor.

What happened to the fun element? He was just as grumpy the other week when I asked if he was giving up dandruff for lent.

[mockney piers]

My wife would kill for me to take that much interest in her hair. Chap should have been chuffed that you noticed!!

[PeckhamRose]

I hate being made to feel guilty for not getting involved.

I am so glad I do not work for a big corporation where it was "expected" you join in.

You just know that any negative reaction will go on record somewhere and you'd be marked against it in the assessments.

I also cringe when I hear the Radio 4 presenters talk about having joined in - oh how funny that they did. You can tell they cringed too.

It's all too big and corporate. Should have all stopped after the first Live Aid in '84.

Whinge whinge

[snorky]

sort your lives out you miserable bastards

[jayes]

People give charity in different ways..."real charity is private"....what a load of cobblers.

If charity was not "public" there would be far less good work done in this world. If persons choose to raise money by acting a t1t and through media then so be it.

The Marathon is a road race but is in effect, a very public display of charity giving, by hundreds of thousands of people....there are thousands of these type of events each year and long may it continue.

personally I don't really like Comic relief and choose to give through DD's each month, but I wouldn't begrudge anyone who is involved or gives to the cause.....so yes sorry I think you are a curmudgeon :(

[pk]

snorky Wrote:

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> sort your lives out you miserable bastards

not how i woulda put it, but there might be something in it

[Mikecg]

Charity Begins at Home!

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Well my afternoon was jollied by seeing a red-caped crusader riding a chopper through Peckham Rye.

[*Bob*]

What did they 'do' last year? ?40m?

What if everyone promises to pledge double their usual amount tonight, on the condition that they skip the bloody thing next year? Or just put something - and not wishing to be contraversial here - put something funny on?

Now that would be a relief.

Because as it stands there are more laughs in The Deer Hunter.

[woofmarkthedog]

No you are a helmut......

W**F

[Ann]

I think Red Nose Day is every two years but yes it does seem to come round a lot sooner. At the end of the day it does raise a lot of money which can't be a bad thing. However I confess I am becoming somewhat of a curmudgeon myself when celebs like Lenny Henry suddenly take centre stage. I am also a little suspect about Robbie Williams . I suppose for the celebrities involved they might say. " I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't." To answer the OP, yes it grates.

[RosieH]

Yeah, I'm with Snorky, I think you're all a miserable bunch of b*****ds.

It's not on that often, you don't have to watch it, you're not obliged to bathe in baked beans, you don't have to donate AND you get to see red-caped crusaders riding on choppers through Peckham Rye. 40 million quid to good causes - what's not to love?

Frankly while I'm not a fan of general zaniness, and it might be the hangover I'm still nursing, but I'm finding the films rather emotional. Enough to tolerate the very bad suit the very delicious David Tennant was wearing. I'm unconvinced this money would be raised any other way - do people really buy lottery tickets as a way of giving to charity? I think moving them to donate through rubbish comedy and harrowing documentary footage gets the job done and as such is no bad thing.

[dazeykat]

Do any of you complainers give to any good cause, whether time or money? You don't have to watch comic relief, there's other channels on the telly box. If it helps anyone out of poverty or provides opportuniy, who cares if a minor celebrity gets a plug in return? You have the choice to give and the choice to watch.