Friday 30 March 2018

Say I'm Your Top of the Pops

Its August 8th 1985, but there's no holiday for Simon and Richard as they host this live edition of Top of the Pops!


Just like that!


08/08/85  (Simon Bates & Richard Skinner)

Amazulu – “Excitable” (25)
Getting this live show underway with their debut hit which peaked at number 12.

Dire Straits – “Money For Nothing” (4) (video)
With a little vocal help from Sting, this second single from their huge number one album Brothers in Arms was now at its peak.

Princess – “Say I’m Your Number One” (31)
Making her debut with what be her only top ten hit when it peaked at number 7.

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly – “Too Many Games” (36) (breaker)
His biggest hit but it got no higher.

Phil Collins – “Take Me Home” (28) (breaker)
The video was shot in 'every capital of the world' apparently ~ and it got to number 19.

UB40 & Chrissie Hynde – “I Got You Babe” (7) (breaker)
On its way to number one.

Go West – “Goodbye Girl” (30)
It seems Go West were no too keen to release this as a single, and I can't say I blame them! But it did plod to number 25.

The Top Ten Videos:
Sister Sledge - "Frankie" (10) (video clip)
Opus - "Live Is Life" (9) (video clip)
Kool & The Gang - "Cherish" (8) (video clip)
UB40 & Chrissie Hynde - "I Got You Babe" (7) (video clip)
Billy Idol - "White Wedding" (6) (video clip)
Madonna - "Holiday" (5) (video clip)
Dire Straits – “Money For Nothing” (4) (video clip)
Tina Turner – “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” (3) (video clip)
Eurythmics - "There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)" (2) (video clip)

Madonna – “Into The Groove” (1) (video)
Second of four weeks at number one.

Madonna – “Holiday” (5) (audience dancing/credits)
And Madge gets the rare honour of having a second song played on the same show. It had been her debut hit peaking at number 6 a year earlier, but this time it went up to number 2.


August 15th is next.

68 comments:

  1. Amazulu – “Excitable” so good, lively caribbean sound but the softer end to the chorus ("I don't want you to change your ways...") is very nice too., and nice promotional video.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5HuQ0DHHoQ

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    1. I must say that I had a crush on the Amazulu lead singer at the time, with her fantastic Carribean body, and judging by your video link, you can see why. Pity she chose to cover it up in the TOTP studio, as this was of hottie calibre. I could just sing the words of the song title to describe her...."baby you're so excitable....."

      As far as the video goes, this never got played on British TV at the time, as The Chart Show was still a few months away from launch, and TOTP seemed to be the only player of videos, and after this Amazulu debut on the TOTP stage, it only got the playout track a couple of weeks later, so thanks for the video link Starry.

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    2. Pop and rock videos used to be played as filler items between programmes sometimes. I remember STV had a slot called Pop Shop that did so.

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    3. Yes, but I think in the South we had these fillers much later, around 1987 or 1988, but not as early as 1985 THX.

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    4. The sleeve photo is excellent too

      https://imgur.com/a/qz5bR

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    5. You'll like this later single sleeve then...

      http://www.45cat.com/record/is284

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    6. Yes indeed Arthur, that single sleeve I remember as a scene from the video for Too Good To Be Forgotten the following year in 1986, and one of the videos shown in the first year of The Chart Show on Channel 4 which launched that year. Very tasty in that picture sleeve!

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  2. Dickie's last regular show is a very jovial affair, with even Master Bates managing to approach something that approximates likeability. Was that a mint he had in his mouth at the end? I imagine that Bates missed Dickie, as he did seem to have a genuine rapport with him.

    I have always had a vague notion (when I thought about them at all) that Amazulu were one-hit wonders, but this unfamiliar song disproves that. It's a decent tune for the summer, quite lively and enjoyable, and the group certainly make for a colourful sight on stage, with an image not all that far removed from The Belle Stars. One of the most familiar sounds of that summer next, with what must be the most overplayed Dire Straits hit. It's never one I have been all that keen on, with a definite hint of smugness about it, but I can understand why it was popular. The video certainly seemed groundbreaking at the time, and while the blocky computer graphics have inevitably dated it remains an impressive technical accomplishment for its era.

    No full-length play for the new Prince single, but we get the first appearance of Princess instead, completing the full set of pop royalty. She doesn't look especially regal here, but the number 1 earring she sports is a nice touch. The song title sounds like a blatant plea to record buyers to convey the record to the top, but it didn't quite succeed; it's not a bad effort anyway, thanks to a catchy chorus. On what grounds did UB40/Chrissie Hynde's dire cover qualify as a breaker this week, when it was already at number 7? The only one of this trio we won't hear again is Maze/Frankie Beverly, and I don't think that is any great loss as it sounds like yet another example of the overly-smooth, identikit soul sound that seemed to be all over the charts at this point.

    More tedious soul of the blue-eyed variety from Go West next. As Angelo says, a definite plodder that fails to linger in the memory at all - even the backing singer failed to provide much visual interest this time, dressed up in that unflattering suit. From a distance, Peter Cox appeared to be wearing pyjamas! A Madge double bill to close, with her popularity evidently hitting new heights post-Live Aid. Our hosts join Gazza Davies in failing to get the title of the number 1 correct, and then we get what must be an extended playout to the reissued Holiday at the end. I'm quite sure that weird moment when the camera focused on the studio floor and somebody's legs walked through the shot would not have been seen by viewers in 1985...

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    1. It was unusual for a live TOTP to contain production errors, however I specifically recall watching this show at the time because of the technical glitches: the mic failure edited out of this repeat and dodgy camera work during the playout which was aired at the time.

      I always thought that Bates and Skinner paired well, therefore it's difficult to conceive why Dickie was dropped from hosting duties if he didn't leave for commercial radio until the following year.

      I think it was chewing gum which Bates removed from his mouth at the start of his closing ink.

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    2. Yeah John G, the Dire Straits video which was played in full on this show to final fadeout, for the full whopping 4 minutes of it, goes to show just how much TOTP liked this video too. It was interesting that Sting was the tall lanky 'legoblock' delivery man, and Knopfler was the short, fat, cigar-smoking one with the beard.
      Good Lord, why did they not have two tall lanky 'legoblock' characters in the video, as they both this type in real life?

      I guess Knopfler was thinking high pitch voice (Sting), and deep voice (Knopfler) who may have liked the occasional cigar, who knows? Still, I just love watching this video, and yes, it was impressive for its time for technical accomplishment, and as THX mentions below, was absolutely fascinating at the time for its computer animation. Bravo for showing this video in full TOTP. It is is a video of the highest class!

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    3. Anonymous - I noticed that Stanley Appel was in charge of this show, rather than Michael Hurll. Although an experienced TOTP director at the time (and of course, a future producer), perhaps he was less assured than Hurll at directing a live show? Whether it was a mint or gum that Bates had in his mouth, I'm surprised he took that chance in a live broadcast, unless it was planned in advance as a moment of humour.

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    4. It looked like a Polo to me. Maybe Bates had secured a sponsorship deal with Rowntrees to go with his watch deal.

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  3. Incidentally, for some reason BBC4 edited out a technical glitch at the start of Dickie's post-Dire Straits link, when his mic initially failed to work:

    https://we.tl/RExDr0zUQZ

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    1. It's a shame that they did not edit out his mistake on the Princess title of the song, where he says Say You're My Number One, when it should be Say I'm Your Number One. I wonder if anyone spotted this mistake, as BBC4 clearly didn't!

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    2. And the mistake when both Simes and Dickie said Msdonna's No 1 was In the Groove?

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  4. Well, Simes and Dickie thought they were just hilarious, didn't they? Amusing themselves more than the viewers, I'd say.

    Amazulu, often forgotten among the 80s hitmakers, but this was sunny and uplifting, which was what they were best at. The lead singer bravely has her bare feet on for this performance. I know they were fond of a cover, but was this an original?

    I thought the Dire Straits video was fascinating at the time, because computer animation was still a novelty, though stuff from this era looks almost uniformly awful from a modern perspective. There's an 80s Thomas M. Disch horror novel that features a frozen head being defrosted in a microwave too, I wonder if he was inspired by this? As for the song, the riff is fairly solid, but it's all very dad rock.

    Princess with a rather naked plea to send this all the way to the top - so much for that. What I most recall about this lady was her black and lavender hair colour. Not a bad little pop ditty, slightly hysterical woah-woahs, mind you. SAW, wasn't it?

    Breakers, no recollection of Maze, nothing to make it stand out here either. Phil Collins with a plaintive number, mostly remembered for the video with the oh-so-hilarious punchline (which we don't see here). Then UB40 well into their uninspiring covers band phase.

    Talking of uninspiring, no wonder Go West didn't think this was good enough for a single, there's no discernible tune for a start. At least the shoes stayed on this time. Has album filler all over it.

    I recall a review that said Desperately Seeking Susan was an unusual film because it had not real villains in it: even the baddie is not so bad. So it's a generous watch if you want to give it a go, though I've found it very slight when I do.

    And that woman again to play us out.

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    1. Yes, the Princess song is a SAW production. According to her Wikipedia entry she worked with Osibisa in the late 70s; it seems that her brother was murdered as well.

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    2. Older than she looked, then. She had a very good look, at that. Wasn't there a video at a swimming pool or something (he asks without checking YouTube)?

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    3. The video was filmed around London, with some kind of water feature appearing at the start down by what I assume are the banks of the Thames:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0hbnqKdPZw

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    4. Thanks, just watched that, no idea where I got a swimming pool from! Checked out her other videos and no pools there either. Maybe it was a TV appearance? Maybe it was her bikini top?

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    5. Very much an Irene Cara "Fame" vibe to the Princess video. Take the singer to a few locations in the same city and make her mime in front of the unsuspecting and confused public. I like the last shot near the Palladium where Desiree walks off screen left as if to say "Are we done now?"

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    6. Talking to a friend, he remembered Princess at a swimming pool too, but couldn't place where. It must have been a pop show of some description. Other than that, drawing a blank.

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  5. hosts: oh dear, dickie's got saddled with his slimyness for what must be the umpteenth time now - no wonder he departed radio 1 not long afterwards (sadly slimy was still entrenched there for several years after this)

    amazulu: was soca the new reggae or something? barely have we seen arrow leave the studio then this lot do something very similar. despite the bright colours and the energetic efforts of the singer, this is nothing to get excited about. is that what used to be the belle stars behind her?

    dire straits: if i'd have had a pound every time i heard this when it was a hit single, i would have got a whole load of money for nothing. i think this was the moment mr knopfler decided a headband might distract from the fact that he was now seriously balding (which of course only had the opposite effect)

    princess: as i write this it looks like i'm the one to announce the completion of pop's royal family (queen / prince / king). after the first two duffers, this is more like it - i don't think it's quite my number one of the year, but it will certainly sail into my top 10 crackers list. and to think i actually thought that on the evidence of this that some guys called stock, aitken & waterman were fast-becoming the british equivalent of stateside club/dance producers extraordinare jam & lewis. despite what turned out to be their best attempts to kill-off pop as a going concern as the 80's went on (in fact they succeeded in at least beginning the beginning of the end in that respect) i still love this track with it's hypnotic groove and modulation - only the overly-heavy squelchy snare sound stops if from being utter bliss. ms heslop was originally only employed as a demo singer to hopefully sell it on to a star name, but she sold it to the point where they went with her anyway - despite being an unknown. and like the amazulu lady i thought she was quite a looker too, but would have been even more of one without the dreads

    maze: they had been around since the mid/late 70's, and by this point had become one of the biggest live draws in blighty despite having next-to-no success as a chart singles act (in london anyway, effortlessly selling out places like the hammersmith odeon several times over). this cocktail-funk effort was by no means their best though - if pressed, then i would plump for the ballad "reachin down inside" where frankie beverley's heartfelt and impassioned vocals really stir the soul

    go west: i didn't know they objected to this being released as a single, but peter cox certainly looks like he'd rather be somewhere else. i know he is rated as a singer, and i suppose this isn't too bad once it sort-of gets going. but i feel it would have been better for all concerned had they disappeared for good after "we close our eyes". more modulation going on at the end

    madonna: has there ever been another occasion where an artist got two songs played in a row on the show? what it confirms is that although "get into the groove" was pretty good (well, at the time anyway), it still pales when compared to "holiday"

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    1. john's beaten me to the "pop royal family" punch - bah! if only princess had been shit, i might have got there first

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    2. Bad luck, Wilberforce! To answer your question, in 1971 TOTP had a short-lived album spot where a featured artist got to play up to three songs in a row. Those who did were Marvin, Welch and Farrar, The Four Seasons, Tom Paxton, Cleo Laine (!), Labi Siffre, The Moody Blues and Elton John. In Elt's case, he played Your Song, at that point in the singles chart, followed by two album tracks. There were also a couple of occasions when both sides of a double-A single would get played, normally if it was a Fabs release; we did see The Jam play both sides of one of their number 1s (Town Called Malice/Precious) in 1982.

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    3. I missed out Badfinger from that list - like Elton, they did two album tracks plus a hit single (No Matter What, in their case). That show is actually on YouTube, with mute links from Jim'll:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-p1tXvvh4o

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    4. I also thought that Amazulu had borrowed one of The Belle Stars, i.e., the blonde hottie at the back. I actually think it is one of The Belle Stars, if anyone can confirm please.

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    5. There were two occasions in 1996 - Oasis (Don't Look Back In Anger/Cum On Feel The Noise) and Paul Weller (I think on the first show after TOTP was shunted to Fridays)

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  6. They’re coming thick and fast this week with these Smitty shows. A few good numbers on here tonight…

    Amazulu – Excitable – I wasn’t, so FF

    Dire Straits – Money for Nothing – The neon Knopfler image from this video appeared on the later compilation cover ‘Money for Nothing’ appropriately. I’d forgotten the sexy bits from this video but not the excitement of being at the Wembley shows. Little did we know that Knopfler would call a halt to Straits a few years later after the ‘On Every Street’ tour, but they were great entertainment whilst they lasted. In the States, this song stayed at no1 for three weeks. “I want my MTV” was sung by Sting to the tune of his ‘Don’t stand so close to me’, hence the record company insisted on Sting’s co-credit.

    Princess – Say I’m your no1 – FF

    Breakers – Only Phil Collins is of note, but they don’t do this end of show encore anthem justice here by just repeating the “I don’t know” section and then cutting before the chorus bursts in.

    Go West – Goodbye Girl – Their gut instinct not to release this as a single was spot on.

    Madonna – Into the Groove – Propelled Madonna into the big league…

    …Madonna – Holiday playout – How often as a playout been the same artist as the no1? Goodness know why this charted again as surely many people would have bought it the year before, but it gave Madge two in the top10 again. It was the same B Side as well but a different picture sleeve. Shame the camera focused so much on the showcase dancing couple and then bizarrely filmed the floor for a while.

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    1. Actually Sting was making better records with other people at this point in time. My favourite track off Phil Collins' 'No Jacket Required' album was 'Long long way to go' which Phil and Sting dueted on and performed at Live Aid. Amazingly it never got a single release.

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    2. I think Madonna was big from Like a Virgin onwards.

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    3. Yes indeed sct, that extended playout with Madonna following her own video at No.1, was probably much more than was originally broadcast in 1985, as I counted about three minutes of the playout including the camera focusing on the floor for a while, but still, wasn't it great for Madonna to be played back to back with two songs at the end of the show? Enjoy it while it lasts madam, you're on the crest of a wave at the moment.

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  7. On the Sounds of the 80s Red Button Special tonight it was a rock (or rawk) special, and it featured a video for a song we heard a couple of years ago, We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister. I'd recommend checking that out, because it's really funny! Even funnier than they intended, it's camper than Kenneth Williams.

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  8. Amazulu - Not their best song, but it's nice enough and a good choice for show opener.

    Dire Straits - Crap. There's an obvious edit after this and now I know why, I have to ask: why are BBC4 getting so scissors happy lately? Chopping the mic problem out makes no sense when Skinner and Bates refer back to it repeatedly in the rest of the show!

    Princess - Best thing on the show, an excellent SAW production and a great vocal. Shame she never did anything as good as this later.

    Breakers - A song that's spent 3 weeks in the bottom 5 places of the chart shouldn't count, nor should a Top 10 hit. Maze's most famous song is 'Joy And Pain' but it was Donna Allen who had the hit with that (if we get to 89 we'll presumably see it) The Phil Collins track is one of his better singles from this period.

    Go West - Seemingly competing with that Feargal Sharkey single as the dullest song in the chart.

    No need for double Madge at the end, especially given that 'Holiday' is vastly over-rated.

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    1. i can't say i'm overly keen on "money for nothing" myself, but should it dismissed as crap in the same way as something like "there's no one quite like grandma"? what i remember was that at the time it was seen as "proper" music by those who thought they were in a position to determine such things. and as such there was pressure on those who didn't share that opinion to at least respect it. but whatever one's feelings on it, i just wish i'd been the bassist in dire straits as surely that was the luckiest job in the music biz (a minimal ability required, with fantastic financial returns)

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  9. Shakey Shakerson1 April 2018 at 10:00

    Amazulu. I had always thought that these were born out of the ashes of The Belle Stars - seems I was wrong. I'm not a great lover of this kind of caribbean/soca music and this did little to shift that opinion.

    Time and over-playing has dulled Money For Nothing's appeal both as a song and a video so it gets the FFF ( fast forward finger).

    A very-obviously bra-less Princess with the fine 'Say Im Your Number One'. This doesn't get played much these days. I still like it. Such a pity we don't get to see/hear much more of her.

    Breakers. Maze - never heard this and it sounded less memorable than the brilliant Joy And Pain which I still have on 12 inch and which properly showcased Frankie's glorious tonsils.
    Phil Collins - one of his better songs, but wasn't one of those cities New York? UB40 doing their upmost to irritate the bejesus out of me. And managing it.

    Not much love for Goodbye Girl on here, but I like it. Peter Cox looks tres uncomfortable though.

    Apart from Billy Idol, the top ten is hideous.

    Madonna goes two-for-two to close the show. Just so you know, Holiday is far superior to Into The Groove.

    Scores. Smuggy and Duggy proving that ToTP should never, EVER, have been broadcast live. There is no benefit whatsoever to the viewer, and the added pressure just turns most jocks into mush-brained morons. Just about the only non-cock-up section in the show was the countdown which I reckon was pre-recorded. Getting song titles wrong is the worse sing a DJ can commit so they each get points deducted - its a 3.

    Musically, a poor week. Princess and Go West were the pick of a very poor bunch, so its a 4.

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    1. after the two albums released in her brief 80's heyday, princess released a third one... 27 years after the second! on that she's dubbed HRS princess - presumably that stands for "her royal serenity"?

      as for her stage name: i wonder if it was actually a nickname, or a creation of pete waterman? you can just inagine him saying something like "you need a proper showbiz name desiree, 'cause your real one's no good - i know, so far we've had queen, prince and king in the charts..."

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    2. Always thought the best of Princess's meager output was Keep On Loving You from early '86. A far superior SAW production to anything they did post 1986. Not sure if we'll actually get to see it.

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    3. Shakey - I concur with you re Go West as I quite liked it also. The problem, on first hearing it, is that it's as though there's more to come and it never quite gets out of the starting blocks, hence why it wasn't one of their biggest hits, although back then you still had to shift copious volumes to hit the Top 30. Once you've listened to it a few times though, it's strangely addictive (plus Peter Cox had a great voice).

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    4. It turns out Desiree had already been given the moniker Princess, which she used professionally, by her brother who managed her before she hit the big time.

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  10. Slimes and Dickie finally get the jovial chemistry to gel properly, just as Dickie leaves us (sadly) – and we’re still left with Shitty and the ugly nodding dog!

    No studio outing for either Howard Jones’s or Nik Kershaw’s latest singles. At least they’re consistent.

    Is it Arrow again to begin with? Just as average from Amazulu.

    Dire Straits? The first word’s correct. FF.

    Up comes the gold medal of the night for Princess with a Jaki Graham style performance (mime it well and look at the camera sparingly) achieving a fine amount of audience handclapping, and a song I love, though Jaki Graham never smuggled peanuts like that. Either Princess was cold or excited. As for her name (Desiree) not being star material, some years later there was a singer called Des’ree who had a big hit with “You Gotta Be”.

    Maze – never trust a singer wearing a poker cap. Identikit smooth / bland soul track of the evening.

    Phil Collins – what a waste of time and money. Opulence over song quality.

    I thought “Frankie” was dreadful, but UB40’s shark-jumping moment where they go from decent reggae band to shit soft covers act lowered the bar even further.

    Now then, Go West, it’s time in your career for the ballad. Make it a memorable one. Ah. You didn’t want to release this? Our fault.

    Madonna re-entered, eh, Richard? With her reputation? Be very careful how you phrase your sentences – and Slimes, are you chewing? Would you like to share it with the rest of the class?

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    1. Richard Skinner finally bows out of TOTP, following Tommy Vance and DLT only months earlier. Considering that Skinner began on the show way back in 1980 as not just presenter, but also giving career and behind the scenes info on particular groups, his best combination and chemistry was clearly with Simon Bates, who I noticed got much less slimey since Skinner paired up with him as a regular pairing.

      I shall miss Skinner's upbeat style and friendly character on the show, but replacements like Dixie Peach for example, were no like-for-like with Skinner in my opinion, so the show was now moving towards less knowledgable and charismatic presenters, but more hyped and packaged types, as the 80s now evolved further.

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    2. calling howard and nik... come in, come in, your 15 minutes are up!

      i can't say i'll be sorry to see the back of them though (especially mr jones)

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    3. arthur i had it in the back of my mind that somebody simply known as "desiree" was quite popular about 15-20 years ago. but a search on discogs yielded no results. now i see why, as it was actually a corrupted version of the name (presumably to try and make it sound a bit more hip?)

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  11. has anyone seen a recent pic of the amazulu singer annie ruddock? if not then go to discogs (link below), but prepare yourself for an annie nightingale-style shock (at least annie n is at least 70, but annie r is only in her mid-50's!:

    https://www.discogs.com/artist/1212610-Annie-Ruddock

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  12. So it's lunchtime and the whole family (Wifey and JT) have sat down to watch,

    A "live" show tonight with both Bates and Skinner having a blast. They only have 2 acts and a pre-record to deal with so probably bored.

    Live Aid has clearly had a massive effect on the charts this week, especially Dire Straits and Madonna. As I mentioned previously she really did own 1985 and gets 2 bites of the cherry tonight.

    First up the colourful Amazulu. Wifey wants to know why she is dressed as a Christmas Cracker and has lost her shoes. A good number to start of the show even if my 11 year old thinks its a bit naff and wants her to do the "Electric Shuffle" (it's a Fortnite thing apparently).
    I liked Amazulu, they were always a lot of fun,

    Dire Straits gets a "I bought this" and a "why is this so old fashioned" from the rest of the room. Hadn't seen the full video for a long time and I can see the appeal at the time. Video better than the song.

    The Royal 80s continue next, We've had Queen, King and Prince and now we get Princess with a great pop song. Clearly remember this at the time and my favourite track of the night.

    Breakers:
    Frankie who? Big star in America was he? Never heard of him and the song is average.
    Phil Collins with a forgotten song and touring every capital in the world (I counted 3).
    How is UB40 a breaker? It's in the Top Ten? Not hearing a lot of love for this one on here so I will stand up and say I like it.

    Go West up next. "I used to fancy him" spouts Wifey. Must be the jacket! She had the album and actually remembers the song. Not one I recall and it's OK but not brilliant.

    Top Ten countdown and then I finally get JT's attention with Madonna "This was in Despicable 3 - I like this one"
    It is a fine tune and deservedly number one.
    I've also now found someone who watched "Desperately Seeking Susan"- Wifey of course,

    We then get Madonna on playout which runs out of steam half way through as we obviously stop being live and the cameraman films the floor instead.

    A quality show tonight, best in a while.

    One more to go and then it looks like we get a couple of weeks break for Young Musician and Sky at Night.

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    1. I decided to stop reading your posts, because of the constant use of "w***y, as a derogatory term that is denigrating to women. There is no place for it on this blog, and I hope others on here will take the same view as me, as fellow regulars on this blog.

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    2. I very rarely post here, mainly lurk, but there seems to be a sense of irony in your post Dory when it comes to comments about women.

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    3. Mine are complimentary, not denigrating, so please.

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    4. so do i read this right? when it comes to derogatory terms for women, "wifey" qualifies but not stuff like "hottie" and "cutie"? i can't see any real difference myself - other than presumably mrs morgie is aware of how "hubby" refers to her in his reviews, and doesn't take exception to it (perhaps that's their pet names for each other?). however it would be intereresting to see what other regular contributors think...

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    5. I can confirm CHRIS is more than happy with it. Started as a bit of a joke as she moaned at me watching them and then got hooked herself.

      Now I get asked if she gets a mention?

      No offence intended to anyone. Just meant to be a bit of harmless fun.

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    6. No Wilberforce, there is a clear difference. The first term 'w***y would get a slap or a handbag knock in the face, and the other two (my two terms) would get nothing but admiration and feel-good vibes, not to mention a few blushes here and there. Good lord, wake up and smell the coffee man!

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    7. so do you have proof of this? do you go around calling women things like "cutie" and "hottie" without them taking exception in some way in response? maybe if you were some kind of sleb and they were showbiz wannabees they might react in the way you infer. but otherwise that's something i find difficult to believe to put it mildly, and hopefully others here share that opinion (if so, then let it be known!)

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    8. I think you're not in the real world. How can someone take offence to being called cute or hot? It's the ultimate complement my man. I don't know what type of world you're living in, but it is somewhat mind-boggling to say that people take 'exception' in some way. I'm not even going to continue this conversation. On to the next show....

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    9. er, there's nothing here about about actually calling women "hotties" and "cuties" to their faces and what the reaction is...

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  14. Am I reading this correctly. REALLY!!This is Morgie's wifey here.He has always called me wifey and I call him Hubby. It is all in fun and nothing wrong or degrading in it at all. Enough said....

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    1. Good Lord, so you do have a name and your own voice then? I'm still not going to read your husband's posts while continuing with these w***y inclusions.

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    2. mrs morgie, would you take exception to someone like dory calling you a "hottie" or a "cutie"?

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    3. Don't rise to the bait

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    4. Cos you'll only encourage him

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    5. And what do you mean "someone like Dory"?. I take offence to that.

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    6. i'm simply trying to prove a point here. come on mrs m, as a woman give us your thoughts on this!

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    7. It's getting a bit Brut 33 in here...

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  15. Shakey Shakerson15 April 2018 at 14:05

    A bit late to this debate because of laptop problems. For what its worth Ifind Morgie's way of reviewing to be a welcome change from what the rest of us come up with - giving a cross-generational, mixed-sex view of the show. As for the term 'wifey' I see nothing derogatory in it at all and, indeed, I occasionally use it to Mrs Shakey along with other terms that she is less pleased with. It is certainly no more derogatory than 'the missus' which I estimate is used by around 90% of married men in the North.

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