15th August 2010

Have you seen that bloke on TV called Paul Yarrow? People started to notice that on important UK outside broadcasts, there was always this scruffy little man in the background. At first I thought he was one of those 'hello Mom' nerds, but curiously he never smiled or waved at the camera - just talked on his cell phone or read the paper. When finally discovered and tracked down, he said he was on a mission for the plain, fat, ordinary people of this world - to make a stand against the media's obsessive interest in the young and beautiful. This struck a chord with me.
When I watch France Vingt-Quatre (24) on French TV, this 'obsession' with youth and beauty is even more pronounced. I often wonder where all the past TV presenters, models and air hostesses are, once they've outlived their 5-mins of youth and beauty. It's the same with the literary world. I don't want agents to look at me: just the quality of my written work. Did they check out what Shakespeare or Jane Austen looked like before they published their work?
So, more power to your elbow Paul Yarrow. Continue your original approach and make people listen to the fat, ordinary and plain people of this world. It's about time.