Best Comments

More of your best comments


Since our previous Best Comments article, you've really taken our plea to get involved to heart. As a result we have some cracking comments for you to enjoy:

We must start with the Durham Divas article. Although The One has done quite a few stereotypes this term, this one seemed to get the juices flowing:

Dunk· 1 week ago
a) 90% of John Snow is in either business school or medical school and, as such, will end up earning ten times more than whatever sorry little college and degree the author of this 'article' belongs to.

b) If this is 'news' then the Pope doesn't wear a silly hat.

c) Perhaps, if the author got off his or her white, middle-class, humourless, high horse and took the time to understand why other people actually have diverse interests that broaden their horizons, the author might actually learn something about other cultures, people and activities. Perhaps, *shock horror* the author might even be accepting of other people's interests.

d) "This is England. Not America." Seriously? I, for one, am sure glad that my forefathers were not as hideously narrow-minded as you. God forbid there is any cultural diversity in the UK. That would be a Nightmare…

e) Congratulations on making the Daily Mail look classy.
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5 replies · active 1 day ago

+14

Dismayed· 1 week ago
Aside from the staggering comments about Stockton superiority and the misguided complaint about this article attempting to be a news article (it is quite apparently in the sport section), it is your c, d and e that are most astounding. Attempting to infer from this harmless piece that the author is a high horseriding snob who hates other cultures is quite rich. I don't know the author but it seems that rather than being 'hideously narrow-minded' all that should be deduced from this vignette (if anything, it is rather charmingly silly) is an apparent disdain for cheerleading and American football. Obviously you disagree with this. However, the author's potential wish that this certain section of American culture should not permeate into our society (any further at least) is understandable. After all, Am football and cheerleading are the focal points of a warped American teenage culture that glorifies skin deep materialism and promotes an abhorrent idea that the pinnacle of human achievement can be found in noshing off the football captain behind the 'cafeteria' after 'home ec class'. In short, a culture that promotes being a 'diva', and all the self aggrandisement and entitlement complexes that entails. Having said all that though, the author probably didn't feel all that, they most likely just wanted to poke a bit of fun.

While the UK has many flaws, cultural diversity is an odd choice of criticism. I assume you yourself are American. This is self evident in the typically mawkish tripe you spouted about your 'forefathers' that doesn't stand up to historical scrutiny. Indeed, trying to derive any kind of serious analysis from this piece demonstrates that maybe. just maybe, you have perhaps had a bit of a sense of humour failure.
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-4

Open-minded Brit· 1 week ago
Though your comment is eloquent, it is also flawed. The assumption that being on either the cheerleading squad or the American football team is to live the life of an American High School or college student is ridiculous. The reason people join either society is not to look or act like someone from that culture, they do not think about "skin-deep materialism", rather, is it not possible that such people actually enjoy playing their sport? Has neither you or the author considered that they are doing it because the activity itself is enjoyable to them. I think both of you have been narrow-minded in thinking that the only reason that such people do the sports is because of the way they want to be viewed and the people they want to be seen with.

I will agree, it has been known that Am footballer have pulled, slept with, and even (I know it is shocking) went out with cheerleaders in the past. But this is no greater percentage then that of the rugby team with the netball team (or any other female). I think you have to look more closely at teams like the rugby team and the netball team, if you are going to comment on the image that the sport gives, and see how "skin-deep" THEY actually are.
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+5

Dwight K Shrute· 1 week ago
Also,

Youre an idiot.
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+3

Netball Slut· 1 day ago
The rugby team doesn't do netball girls…..but if they did…….they'd be the luckiest girls alive
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+9

Alan· 6 days ago
I am employer – I have a choice between a Stockton business grad (people who couldnt get in to Durham to economics) or a Durham economics grad/any other reputable degree. Who would I pick………..
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Anonymous· 1 week ago
I'm part of the Durham University Cheerleading Squad and frankly this article is ridiculous.

I joined cheer as at university we are encouraged to try something new, not to straddle a Saint (as lovely as they may be) or prance around at the Charity Rugby match (by the way that was Junior Varisty not the Varsity Squad).

I would love to see the author of this do half of what we do but as they left no name I guess I can't raise that challenge. Oh well, I guess we will leave it up to the judges of our first competition which is a week on Saturday to decide. Or the Newcastle Falcon's who have specifically asked for us to cheer for them over two squads in their own city. Yup, straddling Saints is all we do.
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+32

Captain Obvious· 1 week ago
Judging from the comments, I think we can add one more stereotype for the Durham Divas

Most Likely not to have: A sense of humour
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Another article that got people talking was the review of Hild Bede's production of Animal Farm:

boxer the horse· 2 days ago
to the KNACKER'S yard they go
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-3

SoztobeTHATpersonbut· 2 days ago
Complaining the hall is too big, then criticising decisions to bring the action closer to the audience. Typical reviewer. Then using the fact you had to move your head as a criticism. Ridiculous. I have to commend HBT for attempting something original and encouraging audiences not to simply be passive viewers of uninteresting theatrical mush.
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4 replies · active 1 day ago

+4

Mike· 2 days ago
I think, if you read the article again, you'll find that her point with having to "crane her neck" is that there were problems with diction and projection, which is an extremely valid criticism. The audience must be able to hear the actors!!

Her point with the hall being too big is that big empty halls = bad acoustics ("Lines are lots into the depths of the hall from the very beginning"). This applied also to The Bacchae, which was set in Castle Great Hall, although in this production the actors projected enough for it not to be a constant problem. So again, a fair criticism.

And that leads me nicely to your final point – seeing as her hall comments were not about the size, her crowded stage comment is not contradicting it. So it is another perfectly valid point.

Whether you agree or disagree with her review is irrelevent, but please try to understand people's arguments before you start picking faults in them.
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+2

David· 2 days ago
I'll call the burns unit….
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-2

SoztobeTHATpersonbut· 2 days ago
Mike, I think, if you read the article again, you’ll find the comment about the audience having to ‘crane their necks’ is in relation to staging around the hall, a separate point to the previous one regarding difficulty with audibility of actors from the stage – And to clarify, I wasn’t talking about the ‘crowded stage’ comment when I referred to ‘decisions to bring the action closer to the audience’, but again to scenes occurring amongst the audience, which were all perfectly audible & only required looking at a different part of the hall, it may have made the audience feel slightly uneasy but I felt that only added to the production.

Perhaps I’m not the only one who needs to try to understand other people’s comments before criticising them.
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+3

Francis· 1 day ago
Mate, chill out! Something amazing has happened!! A play in Durham as finally got a poor review!! this is a day we should be proud of!! Credit to Caroline for being honest and telling the truth about (what I've heard) was a fairly mediocre production 🙂 xxx
Mark Edwards from Student Beans had a tough cameo to the One on an article about Durham's Drinkers ranked below average:

-13

Mark Edwards· 5 days ago
What do you mean, who's heard of Student Beans? We are one of the UK's biggest student sites, and by far the biggest student money-saving site, with over 500,000 visitors every month and over 250,000 registered members.

The "top lads" will have to try harder next year, though. Or you could be proud of being an abstemious bunch.
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2 replies · active 5 days ago

+3

Edward Marks· 5 days ago
Who are ya, who are ya, who are ya
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+5

Durham Lad· 5 days ago
I'm pretty sure I saw Student Beans last time i was sick
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+3

gangstaLAD· 5 days ago
mark edwards don' get no puss'
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The pheasant whisperer sent out a challenge:

+1

Pheasant Whisperer· 1 week ago
I am the 'pheasant whisperer'. You are a bunch of public school tossers.

If you have the balls, meet me outside the Durham Cathedral main entrance at 9pm on Friday 25th.

Brace yourselves.
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1 reply · active 1 week ago

+8

Bertie Wooster· 1 week ago
Bring it on… Mother-Plucker
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An awkward lovers' reunion:

+1

Rhod Williams· 2 days ago
I banged a bird for a bet
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3 replies · active 1 day ago

0

Woman Scorned· 1 day ago
And you thumbed in a cocktail sausage softie.

Hope it was BET-ter for you than it was for me.
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0

Rhod Williams· 1 day ago
When I said the burning sensation was due to the WELSH DRAGON I lied. You had bet-ter get that checked out. Sorry for the bet-rayal.
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0

Woman Scorned· 1 day ago
It seems as I'm stuck bet-ween a rock and a hard place here.

Except it wasn't hard… was it?

Prick.
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The Golden Rule of Fifa

+10

Captain Fifa· 2 days ago
Rule VII) If the opposing player scores a hatrick against you with Emile Heskey, you have two days to tidy your affairs and then you must kill yourself
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Keep up the good work…