Driven to distractions

Quite some time ago, Superquark contended that homeopathy was "unscientific". Inevitably, this comment drove Italian homeopaths, specifically the Catania-based Italian Association of Medical Homeopathy, to file a lawsuit in the autumn of 2001 - which they have now lost.

The whole story was reported in the September/October issue of Skeptical Inquirer, with journalist Massimo Polidoro reporting:

"...the court presented a 59-page, highly detailed judgment confirming that homeopathy has no scientific validity. What was said on the show, the judgment states, 'falls within the right to fair comment and criticism and cannot in any way be considered offensive or defamatory, as it merely gives an account of a situation which is perfectly true'."

Now people who have tried homeopathy on their beloved - including pets - who did not know about it, swear that treatments worked nonetheless. Besides, I wonder what impact a negative court judgment will have on people who know that 'like cures like'.

However, to coin a phrase, this could have been the acid test case for all that is said and done on television - how long will people remain gullible enough to be hypnotised by whatever the person with the flashiest smile, the most motor-mouthed rhetoric, the largest slice of time-band audience, or the vastest cornucopia of prizes, chose to transmit?

How long ago is it since the Front Maltin Inqumu had written to the Broadcasting Authority threatening that, unless it changed its modus operandi, it would ask the people not to pay licences, collect the money itself, and form a co-operative with a view to proving the Great Unwashed with an alternative?

Come to think of it, we had never discovered who would bell the cat, or at least who would have been at the helm of the new body.

And now we hear that, after all, Sylvana Cristina has not (yet?) accepted the post of head of news, for reasons unknown. The merry-go-round is further spun, faster and faster so as to blur before our eyes, since Andrew Psaila's term as chief executive officer is coming to an end, Andrew Agius Muscat and Fr Joe Borg (finally deciding to heed His Grace Archbishop Joseph Mercieca's fatherly advice) to resign, and Minister Austin Gatt to maintain that he still plumps for Vanessa Macdonald as the ideal person to step into the head of news position.

As an aside, one cannot help commenting that, whereas Fr Borg has said that his resignation was not prompted by any one else's, it remains to be seen whether his will prompt that of anyone else. And please let's leave out the adage about sinking ships.

Inevitably, the name-dropping has started again, with names appearing in the press, and others being whispered into ears... just as it was when the post of head of news was just a simple Sit. Vac.

We think we know it all, and then some. When the local film company Drunken Angel had been chosen to be a part of Visions of Europe, certain sections of the press went to town about it; but if another company shows any inkling of making it abroad, well, then, all cannons are primed and ready to salvo.

When Stephanie Spiteri interviews Alfred Mifsud in what are presumably the Crystal Finance offices about matters financial on Ghada Nibda' Zgur, one cannot help noticing, writ as it is larger than life, that the word for "Shares" has been spelt incorrectly, with a 'h' instead of an 'h'. The two people, at times, appear uncertain as to whether they ought to sound the "h" or not.

However, when the clip advertising Ekonomija comes on, the word is written properly.

Meanwhile, we are informed that Vileda allows you to clean fil-kantunieri l-iktar difficli (a task which is certainly not as tough as cleaning l-irkejjen).

Ironically, in Malta, people once avoided living in the top floors of apartment blocks because they were likened to "washrooms". Gradually, however, the highest storeys gained cachet and became "penthouses". In America, however luxurious they may be, these residences are still referred to as "lofts". What's in a word?

On Thursday, there was a bit of a discussion on Kontra l-Hin (Net) about whether replies in English would be accepted; and the conclusion was that "inasmuch as it is possible, Maltese ought to be used" - and by Friday, both the contestants and the presenter were peppering their comments with English expressions - but since this was not a part of the "replies", one assumes it did not count.

To be fair, on Thursday morning, Carlo Borg Bonaci corrected his sports correspondent (XFM) when he said ikkancellat, and made him say thassret.

Another succinct bit of information is that L-Ispjun has been edited "to show the best bits" - heaven protect us, then, from what the worst parts could have been.

Some time ago, in Britain, a woman was fined a hefty sum for appearing in one of those reality shows and drawing the dole at the same time, since British contestants are paid for their stints. In this show, apparently, the winner (except the eponymous mole) takes it all, except for the obligatory 15 minutes of fame of all the other contestants.

It is weird to meet the people "inside the house" back in their ordinary life, while we are being asked to give an opinion that will certainly have no bearing on the outcome of the show. This is as daft as having to watch people masticating sweets or chewing gum, chatting, all but asleep, or surreptitiously answering a mobile phone call or message, while standing behind someone doing the talking in a political conference, news conference, or social gathering.

Or, perhaps, listening to someone "call" a programme and then obviously proceed to read a paper in a stilted manner - or reeling it off by rote if it happens to be a television programme.

Ditto for the dancers, the singers, and all other artistes who appear on different programmes on different stations. It's either because of the way the cameras are positioned, or because the camerapersons are so directed, but one cannot help noticing that some performers, even when in an act with others, grab most of the attention.

It is, besides, ridiculous to assume that everyone has access to a mobile phone with which to send text messages as donations. How about a temporary bank account or a postal address?

Why is it that for Arena, footage had to be taken from RAI and not from PBS archives?