Millbank musings
Yesterday saw a media mini-scramble for my services, at least within the BBC's Millbank building. Who knows, if you heard me on FiveLive or saw me on BBC News 24, this might have even prompted you to Google me and see what else I'm saying, hence reading this blog.
My multiple appearances were prompted by a police press release, based on a new policing strategy. The Met's decision to trawl for complaints by broadcasting video clips of happy slapping victims getting attacked has prompted some controversy. Fellow academic Dr David Holmes of Manchester Metropolitan University - who has previously advocated his own preferred format for screening scenes of (fictional) sexual assault in (see p.5 of linked PDF) - equated happy slapping with terrorism, shortly after my appearance. Makes a change from him dispensing advice on stalking, I suppose. This issue will run and run, so watch this space. For instance, it's clear that there's a bit of a 'frontlash' brewing against the ASBO movie Kidulthood (e.g. in the Times)*. Feel free to send in your annecdotes and evidence about how the issue is panning out it your town.
I was also pleased to see my contributor copy of Manmade Modular Megastructures (London: Wiley-Academy, ISBN: 047001623X) arrive in the post. My chapter is called 'Hollywood's Noir Detours: Unease in the Mental Megalopolis' and Amazon will sell you copy here.
[* See Kevin Maher, "It's proper sad, man: These 'authentic' films from the mean streets are simply middle-class voyeurism", The Times T2 Cinema, February 15, 2006.]
My multiple appearances were prompted by a police press release, based on a new policing strategy. The Met's decision to trawl for complaints by broadcasting video clips of happy slapping victims getting attacked has prompted some controversy. Fellow academic Dr David Holmes of Manchester Metropolitan University - who has previously advocated his own preferred format for screening scenes of (fictional) sexual assault in (see p.5 of linked PDF) - equated happy slapping with terrorism, shortly after my appearance. Makes a change from him dispensing advice on stalking, I suppose. This issue will run and run, so watch this space. For instance, it's clear that there's a bit of a 'frontlash' brewing against the ASBO movie Kidulthood (e.g. in the Times)*. Feel free to send in your annecdotes and evidence about how the issue is panning out it your town.
I was also pleased to see my contributor copy of Manmade Modular Megastructures (London: Wiley-Academy, ISBN: 047001623X) arrive in the post. My chapter is called 'Hollywood's Noir Detours: Unease in the Mental Megalopolis' and Amazon will sell you copy here.
[* See Kevin Maher, "It's proper sad, man: These 'authentic' films from the mean streets are simply middle-class voyeurism", The Times T2 Cinema, February 15, 2006.]
posted by Graham | 3:00 am
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