My housemate and I have spent the evening listing who we think are undeniable national institutions, here's the top 5 we've come to, men and women
1 David Attenborough
2 Terry Wogan
3 David Jason
4 Michael Parkinson
5 Gary Lineker
1 The Queen
2 Delia Smith
3 Dawn French
4 Barbara Windsor
5 Victoria Wood
also, we were discussing potential NI's from the future, Myleene Klass anyone?
anyway
my point was, anyone agree or disagree with the above list? any more names to be added?
^
do they have to be alive?
good point
i would be tempted to put richard whitley if they dont, but if they dont that opens it up somewhat. john peel for ex.
im not sure gary lineker deserves such recognition yet. how about patrick moore?
iv no comment on the women as i disagree with all bar the queen, but i cant think of any to replace them..
i would take exception
to dawn french(?!)
and also i would like to throw stephen fry into the mix, probably at the extent of lineker (he's not earned it yet)
Dawn French is not funny.
And Wogan should be No.1. If not for "that" incident last month.
I don't think Dawn French
is funny, but she has all the traits of a national institution. Longevity in her career, very popular with French and Saunders and vicar of Dibley, kind hearted, does a lot of charity work with Comic Relief - few people actively dislike her, she's safely at the heart of the nation i'd say
safely at the heart of the nation?
what does that even mean? This idea of "national treasures" is sickening and makes no sense at all
^thinly veiled bamos thread?
it makes me sick :)
?
yes they have to be alive
else dianas ass would be all over it
a bit like the dashboard of the merc....
*abandon reply*
in that case
where's Des Lynam?
Des Lynam
good point, Ronnie corbett? Michael Palin maybe?
...
victoria wood?! seriously???
i think you should add
steven fry to that list. if that man is not an institution i don't know who is
erm...
1 David Attenborough
2 Terry Wogan
3 David Jason
4 Michael Parkinson
5 Gary Lineker
6. Coolio
you wasted your evening
who in their right mind would consider Gary Lineker, Victoria Wood or Myleene Klass to be "institutions"? "People on TV a lot" maybe. Is this similar to "national treasures" (ugh)?
I'd like you to come up with
A woman who is inarguably more of a national institution than Victoria Wood and isn't on that list.
judi dench
and i don't even like her.
what is a national institution?
other than the natural history museum or Keele University or whatever.
Who cares/thinks about Victoria Wood?
Where the hell is STEPHEN FRY!!?
agreed
in years to come Lineker should be there but not yet. replace with Fry and the lists a winner.
1. Stephen Fry
2. Michael Palin
3. David Attenborough
4. Jeremy Paxman
5. Keith Richards
^Better!
But in an ideal world, that list would read
1. Stephen Fry
2. Chris Morris
3. Brian Blessed
4. Justin K Broadrick
5. Peter Duncan
I prefer this list
apart from Fry at number 1. What is the root of people's fascination with him? I don't get it. Is it because he does Twinings adverts and knows lots of words?
It's because he's a very very clever man
yet not at all patronising. And very funny. You don't get that combination often. I'm the only other one like him that I can think of you fucking idiot.
Damn
put yourself in there then?
then get this list:
1. thewarn off drownedinsound.com / Jocky Wilson
2. Chris Morris / Ronnie O Sullivan
3. Brian Blessed / Frank Spencer
4. Justin K Broadrick / Jerry Sadowitz
5. Peter Duncan / Simon Groom / Janet Ellis
^ this with stephen fry
he's like oscar wilde without the edge and bumming scandals. he's really posh and sexless.
he seems very nice though, but so does esther rantzen.
It's because he comes across as extremely kind, clever and funny
and he's been around for a while,
okay
yes, he is all of those things. agreed.
i suppose i just object to the term 'national treasure' as it castrates people that are otherwise quite interesting
Wogan's Irish though.
And Gary Lineker... hmm, on second thoughts I don't want to say anything libelous.
Chris Langham
was
The phrase 'national institution' makes me think of compulsory fun, and liking.
Wogan is ours now
gaaargh can't remember the name of that dame woman. what's she called. actress. everyone loves her.
Dame Edna Everidge
Judi Dench!
I was going LITERALLY mental for a while there.
:D
1. Johnny Borrell
2. Jodie Marsh
3. Richard Littlejohn
4. Jeremy Kyle
5. Spoony
Maybe.
Littlejohn is a good shout
if the criteria are being quite visible and being around for quite a while, as they seem to be
Jon Snow,
the rest can fuck off.