Spot the Logic Competition

Using your skill and judgement, see if you can find any traces of common sense or intelligence in this ‘Times’ editorial of 26/11/93.

Answer: well, I’m damned if I could find any. For a supposedly reputable publication to print such hypocrisy is astonishing. I say “hypocrisy” because, if I’m not mistaken, the same people who own The Times also have a large stake in BSkyB, a company which stopped submitting the movies it shows to the BBFC last year. I know I’m probably preaching to the converted with this, but it’s easy to forget there’s a sizeable minority who view genre fans as being barely above the level of child molesters. Perhaps what that editorial proves more than anything else is this:-

“Quality” journalism is just gutter journalism with longer words.

We now return you to your normal reading orientation…

Welcome to the Videodrome

They said it couldn’t be done – they were wrong. They said it wouldn’t be done – they were wrong (just). They said it shouldn’t be done – er, ok, maybe we’ll give them that one.

Theory stated you should be reading this just before Christmas; I did make a solid attempt to get it out in 1993, but in the end, for the second year in a row, this supposed quarterly has managed precisely one issue! But at least I’ve not been idle: flick through the three-figure page count; run your hands over the perfect binding; stroke the laminated, wipe-clean cover…

This monster is a one-off. Those who are aware of the teething pains this has gone through (especially those unlucky enough to get the infamous “TC has folded” letter) will know why. Not only had I to write TC, but also do the bulk of the layout too: Per’s simultaneous job- and house-change means his talents are restricted to the covers. While kinda fun – on a one-off basis! – future endeavours hinge on the supply of clip-art as much as anything else (when it comes to great inventions, CorelDraw on CD-Rom is definitely up there with The Wheel and Fire). But a round of TC applause for Kanji Bates, who is responsible for most of the non-Corelled sections! [as well, it must be said, for some of the delay!]

This is the Japanese issue, or at least, how-we-see-Japan-from-here issue, as for the main, the contents are less first-hand, and more Western reactions to various pieces of Japanese culture. We are less concerned with whether ‘The Ultimate Teacher’ is an accurate representation of Japanese high-school life than whether it is funny. The next fix, coming your way in mid- to late-1994 (provisional!), will have an American/French flavour. All contributions, as ever, are welcome: again, an excess of beauty over truth is not a problem.

This, of course, assumes I’m not in jail for thought crime. After the Bulger case, it’s now “Return of the Video Nasties”, as the government go “back to basics” – see opposite for a prime example of press hysteria, and as I write, David Alton has tabled an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill which would all but wipe out 18-rated vids. Well, I’ll sleep a lot safer knowing that no-one can rent films like “Jesus of Montreal”, “Heathers” and “Deathstalker 2”. I tried to interview Mr. Alton, but when it became clear that I was intending neither tabloid hysteria nor personal powder-puff, the MP’s diary became mysteriously full… More next issue on this one.

Just as worrying was the government move to outlaw “simulated child pornography”; this exhibits the sort of inability to differentiate between reality and fantasy which would get you or I locked up. How long till we see prosecutions of Streetfighter II owners for “simulated GBH”? I can hear it now; “M’lud, the accused was seen kicking and punching his victim, Mr. Honda, into unconsciousness. After this, he bounced up and down, yelling ‘Ya-taa!'”.

We’d better get going, it’s going to get worse… Thanks to all the Steves, Mikes and Peters, Kanji, Per, Jim, Paul, Lino/Tony/Cheryl/Damien/Dan/Greg/Mr.X, John, Helen, Darren, Dave, Max, Dan, Nicolas, Manga, Crusader, First Independent, Andy, Antony, Lorraine, Rick and Phil.

Contents

Trash City 14/15

Winter 1993

Ingredients

This issue of TC contains:%
Gutter journalism0.96
Cute (Miyazaki flavoured)8.65
Prague3.85
Japanese non-animation4.81
Lino6.73
Cute (Japanese-girls-without-horns flavoured)6.73
Live action anime3.85
Paranoia1.92
An obituary1.92
Japanese animation7.69
Not-so-fast cars2.88
An interview4.81
Cute (Japanese-girls-with-horns flavoured)2.88
Weirdness (fictional)1.92
Exploitative surgical movies1.92
Traci Lords1.92
Edward, er, the manually challenged3.85
Philosophy of sleaze3.85
Anne Parillaud4.81
Comics7.69
Weirdness (Tokyo-based)2.88

WARNING!

May contain editorial, letters, covers, an ingredients list, subliminal messages and miscellaneous slices of weirdness. Sold by weight not volume; contents may settle during transport. Editor under pressure: do not puncture, incinerate or expose to naked flame. Registered at the newspaper as a Post Office. Keep children out of reach. Product of more than one country. Outlook: cloudy with scattered showers. Contains assemblies and components sensitive to electrostatic discharge.

This issue of TC contains 50% extra free! [Mind you, you’re paying double for the other extra 50%] Texts, except where otherwise labelled, are a Jim McLennan joint – probably an elbow. Layout by an unholy alliance of Jim McL. & Kanji Bates. Covers by Per ‘Nomad’ Porter. Printed, for a change, by Juma Press, Sheffield. Subscriptions: four gets you four (in Britain: Europe, $8 gets you four, elsewhere, $12 gets you four). This is a price increase. All copyrights respected. Communication to: Jim McLennan, 34 Perran Road, Tulse Hill, London, SW2 3DL. Next issue: yes, Virginia, there WILL be one…