Live Media UK's Clown of the Day

1. Max Clifford

Mr. Clifford, to you goes the dubious honour of Live Media UK's first ever Clown of the Day Award.

Mr Clifford has long been an annoyance, a depressing sign of what society has become. But his latest exploitation of Jade Goody’s illness has been the most disgusting act of his long and undistinguished career.

At first, I believed Jade herself was driving the bizarre publicity surrounding her terminal cancer.

It wasn’t that I felt unsympathetic towards Jade. Cancer is a vile, cowardly disease, which devastates families, and, in this case, deprives two young boys of their mother and a husband of the woman he loves.

But given the media circus that has shrouded her life over the past few years, it wasn’t absurd to think that she was milking it ever so slightly.

However, over the last week or so, as Jade’s condition deteriorates, it has become clear that the disgusting human being that is Max Clifford is behind all that is unnerving about this situation.

Since shortly after her wedding, Jade has been so heavily sedated that she is constantly slipping in and out of consciousness. Yet somehow, everything she says, everything she does, no matter how private it should be, is conducted in the public eye.

Photographers from a glossy magazine were present at the christening she had for herself and her children. Ostensibly, these photographers were there to record the event so that her children had a reminder of a happy day with their mummy.

Mr Clifford obviously thought the traditional photographs taken by family members wouldn’t suffice.

Then there are the daily newspaper headlines concerning private conversations between Jade and her children.

I find it highly unlikely that little Bobby went to the newspapers and told about how his mummy was going to be a star watching over him and his brother.

Some may argue that Max Clifford is merely doing his job. He is a publicist after all; he is paid to get Jade on the front pages every day.

Does this genuinely class as a job? When did making money out of people’s misery become an honourable profession?

Jade's life as a whole blurred the lines between private and public existence. Her career may have been the creation of Max Clifford, but he should now leave well alone and let her pass away with dignity

NOTE: This article was written before Jade Goody passed away on Mothers Day 2009. Our condolences are with her family.

Technical Difficulties

Apologies to our readers, but tight university deadlines and errors in Live Media UK's computer system has made posting impossible over the last week or so.

No fear, however, as Live Media UK is back with a number of new articles, starting with a critique of the behaviour of Max Clifford surrounding the life and death of Jade Goody.

Also, keep your eye out for a possible video update featuring Live Media UK's Tom Snee as presenter of a documentary on the popularity of darts. More news soon......

The Doctor Says.....

Best friends are a part of who we are, they are someone with whom you can always be yourself, the one person you can confide in when the rest of the world seems out of reach, a shoulder to cry on, they are honesty and trust, and we, as a best friend to them, will do everything we can to return their love. So, what better way to find a best friend than through reality TV...Paris Hilton’s desperation for fame never ceases to amaze me.

Paris Hilton’s British Best Friend is the latest reality TV show to desecrate our screens, and it follows the American ‘has-no-specific-job’ star in her search for a new best friend. The series was filmed no sooner than a year after the US version, Paris Hilton’s My New BFF, was aired. It seems one new best friend just wasn’t enough for Paris.

Some may say that the show is purely a publicity stunt. But surely putting complete strangers through random tasks, voting off the ones who fail, and having filmed interactions with them is a genuine attempt at finding friendship?

As wise as Paris’ knowledge of human interaction is, I think I’ll stick to the old-fashioned way of finding my friends.

By Dr. Haras Yeprat, Live Media UK

The Damned United

The most eagarly anticipated football film of the century is out on general release from March 27th.

The film, based on the David Peace book of the same name, follows the life of Brian Clough - in particular his ill-fated 44 day tenure at Leeds United.

Criticism of the film and book has come thick and fast, and many sports fans will be waiting with baited breath to see how the film is received.

These Things I Believe...

Paul Musselwhite - Former Football League Goalkeeper

After a career spanning 700 appearances, former Port Vale and Scunthorpe goalkeeper Paul Musselwhite has decided to hang up his gloves at the end of the season. Now playing for Gateshead and coaching at Lincon City, Musselwhite spoke to Tom Snee about his 20 years in football

Leaving home was the hardest thing I have ever done. Portsmouth were my hometown club and I had been there since I was thirteen. To be told by the club you love that they don’t want you anymore; there can’t be many worse feelings in football.

Finding your level is important. When I left Pompey, we had just had a season in the top-flight. Even though I was only on the bench for them, the old First Division was very different to playing in the old Third Division. I found my level in the mid-nineties when I had six seasons with Port Vale in what is now the Championship - I felt comfortable with that standard.

Playing abroad is something I regret not doing. I had offers in 1996 and 2000 to play overseas, but I didn’t take them. The first one was after I was named in the Football League Team of the Season - Las Palmas were in touch and I even flew to the Canary Islands to have a chat with them. But something just wasn’t right, so I stayed put. Hibernians of Malta offered me a trial after I left Vale in 2000, but I had a young family and had settled in Lincolnshire. Otherwise I could be Gary Neville’s next door neighbour!

Always follow your heart. People say you should never fall in love with a club - I was lucky enough to do it twice! I rejoined Scunthorpe in 2004 and we won promotion, which is probably the highlight of my career.

You are a long time retired. I was forty last Christmas, and I think that that is long enough. Time catches up with everyone, and I have to build up my coaching career. I have had a great career with lots of highs and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Paul Musselwhite was in conversation with Tom Snee
Abridged from Sticky Wicket

Winston and Lose Some

'Why should I throw fifteen million euro away when it is already mine? At the moment I signed it was in fact my money, my contract'

Winston Bogarde

Craig Gordon has hit the headlines this week by asking for a chance to play in Sunderland's reserves, after being displaced in goal by Martin Fulop.

At £9million, Gordon is the most expensive British goalkeeper in history. However, if you think playing him in the reserves is a waste of money, I refer you back to the curious case of Winston Bogarde.

Back in the day, Winston was part of the 1995 Ajax team which won the UEFA Champions League, starring alongside players such as Edwin Van Der Sar, Mark Overmars, Clarence Seedorf and the de Boer twins.

So when Chelsea decided to pick him up on a Bosman after an unsuccessful spell at Barcelona, it didn't seem to be too bad a piece of business.

Bogarde signed a four year contract, worth £40,000 a week, with the Blues. One problem, however. Manager Gianluca Vialli had no idea that Bogarde was joining his team. Chairman Ken Bates was the sole reason behind the capture of Bogarde, and the subsequent departure of Emerson Thome.

This incident was the straw that broke the camel's back for Vialli. He left just days later, but his replacement Claudio Ranieri wasn't too keen of Mr. Bogarde either.

Yet Bogarde stayed firm. What more would you expect from a man whose autobiography was entitled "This Negro Bows for No One".

He decided that if Chelsea were daft enough to offer him £40,000 a week, why shouldn't he milk the cash cow dry.

The most surprising aspect of the scenario was that Bates offered him such a salary in the first place.

Bogarde's value had depreciated massively after a poor spell in Catalunia, and, despite Ranieri wanting him out, he wasn't going to get paid anywhere near as much as Chelsea were handing out.
With this in mind, Bogarde stayed put. The club management tried everything to get rid of him; they dropped him from the reserves, made him train with the youth team, even tried to buy his house and evict him.

Whatever the club tried, Winston continued to get what was rightfully his. He turned up to whichever place he was told, smiled, got on with it and watched the zeroes increase on his bank account.

He got slated by the press for being money-grabbing, greedy and other negative stereotypes at the height of the Footballer's Wives era.

But Bogarde himeslf summed it up; "This world is about money, so when you are offered those millions you take them. Few people will ever earn so many. I am one of the few fortunates who do. I may be one of the worst buys in the history of the Premiership, but I don't care."

While Bogarde didn't do himself any favours by saying it, what he did say was pretty much on the money. His wages were almost directly linked to the club's debt in the pre-Abramovic era and an illustration of the splurge mentality many clubs had at the time.

What Bogarde did may not have been morally right, but it serves as a cautionary tale for many clubs who continue to throw money at free agents.

The Credit Crunch may have stopped such silly money being thrown around, but while Fabricio Coloccini has a job, there is always the concern that one day, another Winston Bogarde will pop up

By Tom Snee, Live Media UK

My Heroes

# 1. Jim Brown

Love, and indeed hero worship, is blind. My admiration of Jim Brown, former running-back for the Cleveland Browns in the NFL, was born before I had seen him play - for me the legend was enough.

I first heard about Brown while watching American Football with my dad in the mid-1990s. Barry Sanders, another legendary back, was having the best season in his long and distinguished career, and the commentary team were discussing how good Sanders ranked in terms of the greatest ever. Both analysts agreed; Sanders was good, the best of his generation. But he was no Jim Brown. Sanders’ own father told his son exactly that when he was getting a little big for his boots.

Jim Brown left Syracuse College in 1956 having broken all of the school’s long standing rushing records, and was drafted to the Cleveland Browns. Ten years later, he retired. In the time in between, Brown broke every record there was. He garnered over 12,000 career yards, scored 126 touchdowns and averaged over 5 yards per carry and 100 yards per game over his career. But statistics tell only half of the story.

It was Brown’s style that earned the most plaudits. Often, he was simply impossible to bring down. He had the speed and the quick feet to befuddle a defender. If that didn’t work, he would drop his shoulder and run through the defender. He played by a simple philosophy - “If you are going to tackle me, I’m going to make sure it hurts you more than me.”

Another component to my adoration for Brown is that he simply didn’t give a flying fish. For that reason, Brown’s playing career only lasted nine years. After Art Model (owner of the Browns) refused Brown leave from training to finish filming The Dirty Dozen, Brown simply retired. Seventeen years later, he considered coming out of retirement when a player he didn’t like looked like breaking his all time rushing record. He played by his rules - I’ll play when I want, I’ll quit when I want and if I want to come back, I will.

I have now watched every piece of Jim Brown footage I can find. I know I will never be as good as him. I know I could never replicate his style. But I don’t care. There aren’t many people who can reduce me to flat out hero worship, but for Jim Brown, I would do anything!

By Tom Snee, Live Media UK

Live Media UK's 'Tasche of the Day

Fred "The Demon" Spofforth

In Ashes year, it seems wholly appropriate that the first winner of Live Media UK's 'Tasche of the Day is an Ashes hero.

Fred Spofforth destroyed England at the Oval in 1882, taking 14-90. The following day, The Times produced a mock obituary of English Cricket, with "it's ashes" to be returned to Australia.

Since that day, England against Australia gained even more significance, as the sides competed for the ownership of said "ashes".

And all of this with some of the finest upper-lip hair in history.

Fred Spofforth; the man, the legend, the 'tasche.

RL vs. RU - The American View

Rugby union, rugby league, can't we all just get along ?

With England's dismal Six Nations performances, the argument shouldn't be which code is superior but what they can learn from each other. Union could do well to follow league's example by looking to the US for innovation.

'The Greatest Game' being hammed up by cheerleaders is the most striking cross-reference. Licensing - 'franchising' as it's known across the pond - pitchside exercise bikes, even a member of the Giants squad sporting a Pittsburgh Steelers baseball cap while on the bench (has he no shame ?)

How long before Eddie and Stevo break away from analysing a knock-on to get 'a word from our sponsors' ?

While Americanization can be taken too far, moderation may give Rugby Union some of it's razzmatazz back.

By Tom Snee
Abridged from The Times Online Rugby League Blog

RL vs. RU - The Academic's View

A cup of tea and a mug of hot chocolate. Similar yet different, but I like them both equally. That's how I'd sum up my relationship with the two codes. It seems strange to me that, in the eyes of many, I'm commiting a crime for enjoying both rugby league and union.

Watching Rochdale thrash Barrow last season was my first real encounter with the league code. What grabbed me was the pace and unpredictability of the game. It certainly kept me on the edge of my seat. However, I had a parallel experience with rugby union during the 2007 World Cup, when my eyes never deviated from the hard-hitting action.

Friday night at the Galpharm did little to change my opinion. It was an exciting game and made me want to watch the Giants more often, whilst also making me want to go and see more live union matches as well.

By Dr Haras Yeprat
Abridged from The Times Online Rugby League Blog

Live Media UK announce major coup

Live Media UK are tonight pleased to announce the acquisition of a major academic personality.

Dr Haras Yeprat, formerly of the University of Pheonix, will be lending her talented hand to a number of articles on this site. The Isralei-born Professor of Media and Journalism has been writing on and off for the last nineteen years, and is keen to get back into regular contribution.

Speaking from her West Yorkshire penthouse, Yeprat said "After long conversations with Tom, I have decided to contribute to this blog. Tom is a very talented writer, and for me to be associated with his work is a great honour."

"I hope we can all bask in his reflected glory."

Expect regular contributions from Dr. Yeprat, starting with her opinions on the Rugby League vs. Rugby Union debate.

Welcome to Live Media UK

Live Media UK was set up to give student journalists a chance to showcase their skills online. This blog will offer a wide variety of news, interviews and opinion, and give an opportunity for you to have your say on the articles.

Enjoy!

Tom Snee
Live Media UK