Will Self Slurs Again

Self publicist Will Self has been on the radio again and he reminded my that he has yet to respond to any of my messages and attempts at exploring with him why he thinks its bullshit for anyone to compete at the Olympic or any other games. That didn't stop him from being paid to travel all of the way to Australia to appear on television there to blackguard the London Olympics yet again.

I took the opportunity to write to Mr Self again, as follows; and I will let you know if he ever responds:

Dear Mr Self,

I have just listened to the book programme on Radio 4 hosted by Mariela Frostrup. I was rather surprised that you didn't mention your plan for investing in London for the greater good. You know, your anti London Olympics £9 billion solution.

It's been quite a while since you announced your grand plan on Newsnight. Maybe you have realised that your grand plan is much more difficult to prepare than your flippant assertion suggested.

I have also read that transcript on your web site of a television programme [on] Australian television in which you appeared. Do I understand it correctly, that you went all the way to Australia for a very handsome fee merely to give a jaundiced opinion on sport and sports people? Why would anyone rational do that? Moreover, your comments illustrate that you have no understanding whatsoever of why people participate in sport and sporting events: whether the Olympic Games or merely running around the local park.

I notice that you are involved in something to do with Disability in the Media. Let me advise you that one of the most revealing and emotional events I have been to recently was a national swimming competition in Sheffield in which able bodied swimmers and disabled swimmers performed turn and turn about. We saw young people of all levels of ability swimming for no financial reward whatsoever. We saw very fine physical specimens ranging from 16 to 20 years of age. We saw swimmers who represented the 10 or so levels of disability that UK and Paralympic Sports divide their sportsmen into.

If you search your mind you might find that your view on the motivation of sportsmen has nothing to do with reality. You might then understand why you have found it absolutely impossible to come up with anything resembling your putative £9 billion alternative solution to the London Olympics.

As your failure even to acknowledge any of my messages is obvious, I will, as before, be posting this message on my blog where many people will see that I have been attempting a dialogue with you for a long time now but in spite of your drunken rallying cry on Newsnight your views are, to paraphrase your own words on the Australian television programme, bullshit.

Yours etc 

DW