The Help

Last Friday, Bobby's thoughts on The Help were featured on BBC Radio Five Live's flagship film programme: Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo's Film Review. Upon hearing it, we jumped around Bobbysix Towers like schoolgirls dancing to Bros (that's a contemporary pop reference, right?). Here's an elongated review:

The Help tells the story of an aspiring author (played by the ever-amazing Emma Stone) during the civil rights movement of the 1960's, who decides to write a book from the perspective of the many African-American maids that work for white families in the neighbourhood.

While this story of daily hardship, oppression, racism, friendship and morality is overt in its audience manipulation and certainly has both eyes focused firmly on The Oscars, the performances are fantastic, pretty much across the board. Stone especially continues to establish herself as a really fine actor and, to be honest, if she simply read from the phone book for a couple of hours, it would probably still be enrapturing. There are also fine, utterly believable turns from Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer.

A little long at 146 minutes, and clearly Oscar fodder, The Help may tug on the heart strings with mathematical precision, but tug on them it undoubtedly does.

Review by Bobby Townsend.

Samuel Barber - Adagio for Strings

A good friend recently brought our attention to this video. We're don't often share with you much in the way of classical music here at Bobbysix.com, but we thought this was appropriate. You'll see why when you watch it, as it is accompanied by images from 9/11 that, no matter how many times you view them, will never fail to be haunting.

There will be many words written about what happened ten years ago that will be far more moving, coherent and emotive than anything we can tell you, so just check out the wonderful classical piece below and spare a thought for the families of those who never made it through what should have been just another day at the office. It's pretty scary to think that this was ten whole years ago. If anything, the speed with which a decade has passed should serve as a reminder that life is incredibly fleeting and that it is important to make the very most of every day.

Let’s beat the beautiful game into submission with a copy of Tony Pulis’ Big Book of Tactics.

Fans of Rob Townsend's weekly column in English newspaper The Argus will notice there is nothing from him this Thursday. Normal service will be resumed next week but, for now, here is a web-only special, exclusive to BobbySix.com:

Steve Claridge's comments on his video blog on the BBC football website really seem to get on people's nerves, don't they? Recently he waxed lyrical about how Brighton and Hove Albion's style of Total Football wouldn't work if the club competes in the Championship next season because teams would be fitter and better equipped to close down their passing game. I’ve never heard such nonsense in my life. Sure, the quality of opposition is going to be better - it is a higher division after all - but what does he propose they do? Start lumping it up to centre forward Glenn Murray? Hit the ball into the corners and try to score from set pieces and throw-ins? Good idea Steve. Let’s beat the beautiful game into submission with a copy of Tony Pulis’ Big Book of Tactics.

Aren't Swansea and QPR flying high in The Championship by playing fluid, passing football? Didn’t Brighton beat Watford and Portsmouth recently? I don’t think anyone expects a team like Brighton to march straight to the Premier League, but surely, with a few signings, they could hold their own and remain playing aesthetically pleasing stuff.

To be honest, football followers shouldn't be concerned about the rubbish Steve Claridge spouts. If you read the comments sections below his - quite awful - videos, he is berated pretty much universally by fans from all divisions. I have never been a fan of his viewpoint. On the BBC he pontificates with such arrogance that you would think he was the ultimate authority on football. In reality he is just another former player trying to make a buck.

In fairness though, while the words that tumble out of Claridge's mouth really grate on me, he is just a small fish in a massive pond of pointless punditry that blights my enjoyment of football. The problem is that there is just so much media coverage now that we are subjected to countless former players giving their ill-informed views just to fill air time and column inches. I fail to understand why Sky's live coverage starts an hour before kick-off. Do we really care what Scott Minto (for example) has to say? Not really. The pundits who are on constant rotation don't have an all-seeing knowledge of every team they cover, so it is little wonder they sometimes get things completely wrong.

I have no problem listening to pundits talk about things they are expert in. Alan Hanson's analysis of defending is genuinely interesting and I love listening to Guardian journalists discussing issues on the newspaper's excellent football podcast. I just can't be doing with the half-baked opinions of the likes of Claridge, who seem to talk purely for the sake of talking. If you don’t know what you’re going on about, how about just keeping your mouth shut?

BBC 6 Music saved

In news that will have music fans waving their cardigans above their bespectacled heads in delight, the BBC Trust has rejected the BBC's plan to close its station, 6 Music.

BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons - in a move that is sure to have lovers of indie music rushing to hug him like an especially emotional Morrissey fan - said that the case for the closure of 6 Music hadn't been made.

The initial decision in March to cut 6 Music - a station that plays alternative tunes and offers presenters such as Jarvis Cocker, Lauren Laverne, Andrew Collins, Richard Herring and Adam & Joe - was greeted with fury by marginalised music enthusiasts and led to a high-profile and well-organised protest campaign involving several bands, industry people and thousands of like-minded listeners. In announcing the decision to deny the closure of 6 music, Lyons admitted that, "There is no doubt there was a strong public response."

Today, Lauren Laverne posted on her Twitter, "6Music has been saved. Hooooorrrayyyyy!" Steve Lamacq's rather flamboyant use of exclamation marks ("Top work everyone!!!") suggested he was excited too, and Stuart Maconie was also keen to exclaim his happiness, "You did it kids!!"

Bobby Six headquarters is soundtracked by 6 music, so I would like to add my congratulations to all at the station, and add a big pat on the back to everyone involved in protesting. This is a victory for people who say no to being force-fed the latest auto-tuned, shiny and soulless dross that the commercial stations and the big labels constantly rotate. Simply, it is a victory for common sense and for good taste.