Will Self destroys Jamie Oliver

[Prettyboyshaw]

Will Self could be twins with Jamie Oliver they are both massive *****

 

[beorhthelm]

hmm, but what has Will Self done to try and help anyone? seems a bit churlish and playing the knock-success card to have ago at someone who has tried to make meaningful difference for people, rather than merely talk about social ideals.

 

[Steve in Japan]

I am not a big fan of Oliver either, but Self just comes across as plain nasty

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

If will Self and Jamie Oliver were stranded on a desert island with only enough food to support one man and each were given a revolver with a single bullet...now THAT would be a reality show worth watching. Self would probably figure out first that dwindling resources would require Oliver to die but would want to scratch his intent to kill Jamie onto the cave wall in his own faeces which would alert even the idiot Oliver to Selfs plan... Oliver would then start working on a pop up restaurant called " I need Too Kil will" with a menu stacked with poisonous fruit and mushrooms in an attempt to lure an increasingly slender left wing wordsmith to his death...


Marvellous scenes ensue.

 

[Spider]

As far as I can see, Self hasn't 'destroyed' Oliver at all, since his article makes little to no sense. I'm no fan of Oliver as a personality (though I think his cookery books are excellent), but I'm also not sure what his other projects have to do with the restaurant Self is supposed to reviewing.

Self's writing always seems to be of the sort that sounds good, and appears to set the world to rights, but actually, behind all the linguistic acrobatics, doesn't really skewer anything at all. He sneers at Oliver's Fifteen campaign (and there's plenty to be cynical about), but doesn't actually explain what the problem is - it's just a gap left for sympathetic readers to fill in blanks that Self can't. The best bit is when he mentions poor people having to borrow against their equity to buy bruschetta - as far as I'm aware, Bruschetta is toasted bread with perhaps tomatoes and garlic on it, and a good way of using up stale bread, so it's this kind of food which would be the very opposite of the point he's making - the fact it 'sounds' impressive is more important,

Oliver is simply guilty of becoming too big for his own good, believing his own ego, and having too many people around him who say yes. The furore over his comments on release of Save With Jamie are a case in point - the book is actually very good, but someone at some point should have pointed out to Oliver that believing it was aimed at the very poorest in society was foolish, and if he thinks those people can be transformed by this kind of cooking he's got very limited knowledge of the real world.

 

[BadFish]

Maybe we should care less about what celebrities have to say, to us or each other.

 

[TheJasperCo]

I don't see what there is to dislike about Jamie Oliver. He's a lot nicer and comes across a hell of a lot better on TV than many other so-called "celebrities". This Will Self person just seems like an uptight douchebag. I flicked through the article and he hasn't given a single convincing reason for why anyone should loathe Oliver. Just plain nasty, but seems there are equally rude nobs out there who agree with him.

 

[W.C.]

As far as I can see, Self hasn't 'destroyed' Oliver at all, since his article makes little to no sense. I'm no fan of Oliver as a personality (though I think his cookery books are excellent), but I'm also not sure what his other projects have to do with the restaurant Self is supposed to reviewing.

Self's writing always seems to be of the sort that sounds good, and appears to set the world to rights, but actually, behind all the linguistic acrobatics, doesn't really skewer anything at all. He sneers at Oliver's Fifteen campaign (and there's plenty to be cynical about), but doesn't actually explain what the problem is - it's just a gap left for sympathetic readers to fill in blanks that Self can't. The best bit is when he mentions poor people having to borrow against their equity to buy bruschetta - as far as I'm aware, Bruschetta is toasted bread with perhaps tomatoes and garlic on it, and a good way of using up stale bread, so it's this kind of food which would be the very opposite of the point he's making - the fact it 'sounds' impressive is more important,

Oliver is simply guilty of becoming too big for his own good, believing his own ego, and having too many people around him who say yes. The furore over his comments on release of Save With Jamie are a case in point - the book is actually very good, but someone at some point should have pointed out to Oliver that believing it was aimed at the very poorest in society was foolish, and if he thinks those people can be transformed by this kind of cooking he's got very limited knowledge of the real world.

This post destroys Will Self

 

[Doc Lynam]

That has done absolutely nothing to enhance the low opinion I already hold on Will Self.

 

[Pevenseagull]

The name NewStatesman always put me off, scared me in the sense that it would fizz over my head. Only when a chap, in the year above me at school, started writing for them, did I read it and I'm glad I did.

Seems to be the season for Celeb vs Celeb.

I read an open letter from Robert Webb to Russell Brand on there this very morning.

http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/10/russell-choosing-vote-most-british-kind-revolution-there

I enjoyed reading the link, thanks for posting it.

 

[BadFish]

I don't see what there is to dislike about Jamie Oliver. He's a lot nicer and comes across a hell of a lot better on TV than many other so-called "celebrities". This Will Self person just seems like an uptight douchebag. I flicked through the article and he hasn't given a single convincing reason for why anyone should loathe Oliver. Just plain nasty, but seems there are equally rude nobs out there who agree with him.

i like Jamie Oliver and think he has done wonders to improve eating habits and health. I got bored of the article after a couple of paragraphs of Will Self not really saying anything so I gave up.

I also don't really understand people's problem with Oliver apart from he is a little annoying.

 

[W.C.]

I haven't read a lot of Will Self so don't really know what to make of him. I did enjoy when he owned Richard Littlejohn but that's hardly difficult. That article just comes across as snobby to me.

As said, Jamie Oliver might be a bit annoying but his heart seems in the right place and the British do a need a kick up the arse with their food habits sometimes. Fussiest eaters in the world.

 

[The Spanish]

oliver may call his nan tiger and slide down the bannisters with his vacuous mates but seems a nice bloke. will self must be very hard work - but he set a book in saltdean. thats pretty cool.

 

[The Spanish]

Quite the most interesting restaurant review I've ever read because it isn't one really. Will Self analyses class, politics and modern Britain and, in doing so, puts the fat tongued Mockney in his place.

http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/10...-pious-harmony-new-outpost-jamie-olivers-army

will self was a regular restaurant reviewer to the point of publishing a volume of his reviews for the observer. this is just him revisiting his old haunt. he was an interesting and funny reviewer 15 years ago this is just tedious.

 

[rcf0712]

tall poppy syndrome we call it here, what an arrogant dickhead, surely the world (and the UK in particular) is a better place for Jamie Oliver's existence?

 

[jevs]

I think Will Self needs to lighten up, it's just a bit of lunch. Oliver isn't everyone's cup of tea, but by Christ he makes things happen.

^^^This

That has done absolutely nothing to enhance the low opinion I already hold on Will Self.

^^^And this

 

[KZNSeagull]

The "fat-tongued Mockney" may be annoying and not everybody's cup of tea, but at least he is trying to get certain things done. Not sure what Will Self was trying to achieve with this review - it just comes across as rather bitter.

Destroyed? No. Having a rant for no other reason than because he can? Yes

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Self always looks like he's sucking a lemon

 

[life on mars 73]

Like so many middle-class socialists, Self actually despises the ordinary working people of this country. I particularly didn't like his cheap sneer about the Fifteen initiative - if you're down and out and desperate, then it seems to me like a thoroughly constructive and positive thing to do. What's wrong with being a sous-chef, anyway ?

I'm also curious about the "fat-tongued" remark. What are you getting at, exactly ? Hmmm ?

 

[Frutos]

Whether or not you like Jamie Oliver as a person, he has achieved far more positive and beneficial things in his life than Will Self ever has or will.