Jonathan Meades :: On France ep1 (3/4)

Fragments of an Arbitrary Encyclopaedia
Jonathan Meades travels through Lorraine and explains why, although close to its eastern border, it has become the symbolic, or even mystical, heart of France and a stronghold of a romantic nationalism that is also expressed by such diverse means as typography, music, engineering, exquisite urbanism and, above all, a sensitivity to Germany's proximity

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• Jonathan
• Meades
• France

[peacepipe16]

Television at its best.

[MatthiasAletharch]

@Stereolabdream Totally agree with you. This short section of the film was stunning; a superbly concise statement of a truth that's got lost. Looking around the internet, I noticed a number of other people had drawn attention to this part too.

Another of his knock-outs is in the middle of On The Brandwagon, where he decries the vapid "fun art" that we're being peddled because the establishment have declared Shakespeare, Joyce, Mozart and Beethoven "elitist" and therefore "bad".

[ZOMBIEVONGHOULLIE]

Meades is Harvey Heitel armed with .45 cal wit and knowledge: just the sort I'd enjoy sitting with and drinking whilst making a mockery of the lunacy. I'll be in Salisbury soon....:)

[nelsano3]

@MatthiasAletharch Sadly, i think hes ahead of his time. Better than anybody i have come across, he reveals societys glaring conradictions. I don't think we can ever move forward in any positive way without facing up to the things he boldly and brilliantly aknowledges.We should build this kind of way of thinking and self analyzing into our school curriculems. It is a tired cliche, but without learning from the mistakes we have made we are doomed. Jonathan Meades is a great man. Amen!

[Stereolabdream]

1.55-2.32

brilliant.

Meades is to Social Commentary and Arts what Hitchens was to religion and politics-

With Meades however, we must accept the misquoted maxim of P.T Barnum to want more...hmmm...Hiram Maxim's machine gun...where more is more.