A A Gill on James Nesbitt playing Dr Jekyll, in the Sunday Times

[devi]

"I suspect the Irish accent has a lot to do with the success of his characterisation. It is a Jekyll-and-Hyde voice. He's blarney and craic and Terry Wogan, but also the voice from behind the balaclava, the code-word warning and sectarian bile."

Wait, what?

Comments

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah, and there are all those lazy cheap shots about dubious relationships with sheep. I'd still be surprised to see that in a supposedly serious Sunday paper, though, with the larcenous bit especially emphasised.

And OK, it's AA Gill, he has a reputation for being poisonous, but I thought he was usually poisonous at individuals rather than whole countries...

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

And OK, it's AA Gill, he has a reputation for being poisonous, but I thought he was usually poisonous at individuals rather than whole countries.

I have a suspicion that many of these writers who pretend to be unpleasant actually are unpleasant. Writing just gives them a socially accepted outlet for it.