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A. A. Gill

A. A. Gill Quotes

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Famous A. A. Gill Quotes

“Television is a constant stream of fact, opinions, lies, moral dilemmas, plots: an infinitely complex and sophisticated torrent of information. How could it not make you cleverer? The only people who ever thought television rotted the brain and made kids dumb were those with a vested interest in other ways of learning, or those who were intellectually insecure, usually about books.”

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“Making a programme that appears to condone a positive stereotype actually enforces all the negative ones as well. It says that they all have a valid point. To assert that Americans are naive, Germans humourless and the French arrogant is one thing: they're big enough to take it. But to say that there's a conspiracy of Jewish bankers, that gypsies are thieves, Pakistanis are dirty and refugees are muggers is something quite else.”

WellsEnoughBigsOne ThingTelevisionNegativeDirtyConspiracyArrogantThievesStereotypeRefugeeNaiveBankersGypsyProgrammesMuggers
Author:A. A. Gill
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“Television in the 1960s & 70s had just as much dross and the programmes were a lot more tediously patronising than they are now. Memory truncates occasional gems into a glittering skein of brilliance. More television, more channels means more good television and, of course, more bad. The same equation applies to publishing, film and, I expect, sumo wrestling.”

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“An American has invented a remote control that will turn off any telly within a 20ft radius. What a marvellous device! What a splendid invention! What a really helpful and improving way of devoting your time to building something that turns off culture. Next week, I'm instigating Burn a Book Week, to encourage even more conversation. I've come up with a fantastic little device which I'll call a box of matches.”

WayLittlesBookTurnsCultureNextWeekTelevisionBuildingConversationCome UpBoxesInventionFantasticHelpfulDevicesImprovingSplendidTurn OffNext WeekMarvellousRadiusRemote ControlBuilding Something
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“Get up now and go and find Robert Kilroy-Silk. Smile in a warm, friendly sort of way, then punch him on the nose. Now go and find Robert on television, despite my best endeavours, this is still relatively easy to do. Wait for a close-up, same smile, and punch him on the nose. If you followed the instructions carefully, you will have noticed a distinct difference. On the one hand, you were suffused with a sense of public-spirited righteousness; on the other, you're probably dribbling blood. That's the difference between reality in life and reality on television.”

IfsWayStillsHandsRealityEasyWaitingDifferencesBloodTelevisionWarmDespiteGet UpNosesFriendlyRighteousnessInstructionSilkEndeavourSpirited
Author:A. A. Gill
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