Latest Bill: Banksy & the BBC

Banksy is to my mind one of the UK’s greatest living artists. I don’t care whether he’s seen as a street artist or a serious artist, whether he paints on walls, paper or canvas – it’s the work that counts, and he has, surely again, come up trumps.

According to theneedleblog (to whom I am indebted for pretty much all this story) Banksy painted on the wall of BBC Television Centre in Central London, the poignant image of a young boy dropping his Jim’ll Fix It medal into a drain. Allegedly the BBC sent the workmen in to scrub it away.

As theneedleblog says: “All great art speaks and stimulates thought. From Giotto via Manet’s ‘Olympia’ and beyond, Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ to the present day, art has been provocative.”

“Banksy’s picture is every bit as important as the greatest Alan Yentob documentary”

My point is this: Banksy’s picture is every bit as important as the greatest Alan Yentob documentary and indeed theneedleblog is a lot more vociferous on the subject. Protest/decadent art is what the Nazis banned; protest music wasn’t particularly liked by the LBJ government in ’60s America. We mustn’t go down that route. I realise it’s more to do with the BBC being ashamed of itself than trying to stifle art but I’ve got a simple message: bring back the Banksy!

Tooma’s Manifesto

I have a friend who lives down the street from me. Her name is Tooma, she’s 16 and she thinks she should have a say. So, in true Channel 4 style, here’s her top five things she would like to happen this year:
• I would get rid of David Cameron and replace him with someone responsible and by that I mean me, Tooma aged 16.
• Seriously let’s get Barack Obama to move here as he’s a far better person at his job.
• Get rid of Latest TV (I am joking!)
• Teenagers pay so much on car insurance it’s unbelievable. Just ‘cos they’re newcomers it doesn’t mean they don’t know what they’re doing.
• Make the government share out money equally to everyone that needs it.

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