Insularity

[lizwilliams]

OK, you don't expect a lot of Radio 2 (at least, I don't), on which the car radio seems to be permanently stuck. But perhaps ever so slightly better than the following:

DJ: ...and I'm sure we're all really impressed by the politeness of the Latvians in learning the whole of the British national anthem for the Queen's visit! In fact, we have a real live Latvian on the phone from Manchester!

Latvian woman: Actually I live in Leicester.

DJ: So, we're all very impressed that you learned the whole of the national anthem...What about your President? What's his name?

LW: Actually her name is Vaira Vike-Freiberga.

DJ: ah, um, yes, slipped my mind for a moment...and will she be visiting the UK at any point?

LW: Actually she was here recently, in July, for big state visit.

0 out of 0, really. I probably wouldn't have done much better, in fairness, but these people are supposed to have researchers.

Comments

[acanthusleaf.livejournal.com]

Do you mean to tell me that the U.S. doesn't have a monopoly on the moronic radio personality? I'm astonished.

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately.....!

In my own car I usually listen to BBC R4, which is pretty intelligent most of the time. So I'm not used to this sort of thing, she said faintly.

British National Anthem

[(Anonymous)]

You can't use any of the British National Anthem except the first verse. It's actually the English national anthem so the next verses are all about crushing the Welsh, hammering the Irish and slaughtering the Scots. After that it takes a football hooligan's tour around Europe - thrash the French, kill the Dutch, maim the Spanish etc etc.

We are such a civilised people.

John Lambshead