A limerick a week #129

A Devine Presence 

I wasn’t over-enamoured with the ‘yoof TV’ movement of the 1980s and 90s, partly due to its progenitor’s ‘Marmite’ personality (although in fairness to Marmite, quite a lot of people like it, but did/does anyone actually like Janet Street-Porter? This guy certainly didn’t) and partly because, as with each generation, it sought to take aim at the earlier cohorts’ mores and extinguish them before clapping itself on the back for being the only radical generation ever.

Punk rock was certainly like that as well. Its commentators look back on it as mould-breaking, but, to be honest, it was only the decadal equivalent of the 1950s Teddy Boys or the Mods and Rockers of the 1960s or even the androgynous Glam-rockers of the early and mid-70s.

And what did punk rock’s mould-breaking lead to? The bl**dy New Romantics, that’s what! Oh, and 20-something years later, a middle-aged ‘Johnny Rotten’ advertising Country Life Butter on TV. Some revolution that was!

It’s obvious then that I don’t think that Street-Porter’s yoof TV movement was as radical as I suspect she thinks it was, but, as with all generational torrents, something washes up that is, indeed, memorable. So, from Street-Porter’s yoof TV era, what or who was it?

Kim Taylor, that’s who.

“Who?” you ask.

Kim Taylor, you know, the TV presenter who fronted the Rough Guide shows and was something of a style icon. The lass that wore sunglasses all the time and was a bit sardonic.

Remember her now? The former presenter who’s just died.

“Oh”, you say, “Magenta Devine. I quite liked her on the Rough Guide. I wonder what happened to her after that?”

Hmmm! So do I.

A lass changed her name by design
And wore sunglasses all of the time,
But I’ve heard now she’s died
So could front a Rough Guide
To the Heavenly Kingdom Devine!

 

Published by

LanterneRouge

😎 Former scientist, now graduated to a life of leisure; Family man (which may surprise the family - it certainly surprises him); Likes cycling and old-fashioned B&W film photography; Dislikes greasy-pole-climbing 'yes men'; Thinks Afterlife (previously known as Thea Gilmore) should be much better known than she is; Values decency over achievement.

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