Obama Girl

Discuss anything you like about chess related matters in this forum.
Paul McKeown
Posts: 3732
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:01 pm
Location: Hayes (Middx)

Obama Girl

Post by Paul McKeown » Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:39 pm

I have the feeling that were Obama Girl to declare her undying lust in a scantily clad R&B number for Nigel Short, chess would still be regarded in Britain as boring. Am I unnecessarily pessimistic?

Matthew Turner
Posts: 3600
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 11:54 am

Re: Obama Girl

Post by Matthew Turner » Tue Nov 11, 2008 10:20 am

First of all I would like to point out that Mr. Nigel Short is a very happily married man and he would I'm sure have no interest in Michelle Obama however scantily dressed she might be :lol:

Onto a more serious note, be preapred for a random rant. It is very difficult to see chess (or maths or physics) becoming more popular in the current climate. There is a strong theme of 'anti-intellectualism' throughout Anglo Saxon countries. Who are young people's role models at the moment? Jay-Z, Paris Hilton? The latest film release 'W' seems to take pride in the lack of knowledge of the leader of the free world. Last night I watched Argumental, a seemingly intellectual comedy show which spent half it's time debating whether Boris Johnson was as daft as he looked, which concluded the hair was a give away.

Is 'anti-intellectualism' just a fact of modern life? Well it doesn't have to be. I was fortunate enough this Summer to travel to Norway. At a nightspot in the City centre, the bar had lots of magazines and newspapers, a chess board, backgammon and scrabble. I was embarrassed at one point when one of the Norwegian I was with started talking about the works of Thomas Hardy, not only was I unable to respond with my views on famous Norwegian authors, but I also had to admit that I knew nothing about Hardy.

Also in Norway, I played Simen Agdestein. He used to be the highest rated U16 chess player in the world and he went on to be an International footballer for Norway. With these talents he could have had a very successful career at either chess or football - so what did he do? Well he went to University for seven years, because Education is important! I cannot see this happening in England.

So, I guess that you are not being unduly pessimistic Paul, but this is part of a wider question for society, let's hope Michelle's husband can move us in the right direction.

David Robertson

Re: Obama Girl

Post by David Robertson » Tue Nov 11, 2008 10:48 am

Oh dear, Grandmaster. I think you need to get out more and (ahem) 'get with it'.

Obama Girl has nothing to do with Michelle Obama nor her daughters.

Somehow though, when you find out who Obama Girl is, I don't think your take on things will be greatly uplifted :lol:

David
Atticus CC

ps you can be sure of absolutely nothing with regard to Nigel Short and scantily clad women. Of that, I am absolutely certain :wink:

User avatar
JustinHorton
Posts: 10364
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:06 am
Location: Somewhere you're not

Re: Obama Girl

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Nov 11, 2008 10:58 am

Without disagreeing with the general thrust of your argument...
Matthew Turner wrote: The latest film release 'W' seems to take pride in the lack of knowledge of the leader of the free world.
...isn't W a film generally hostile to its subject?

Re: Hardy, I'd recommend you start at Far From The Madding Crowd and go from there.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Matthew Turner
Posts: 3600
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 11:54 am

Re: Obama Girl

Post by Matthew Turner » Tue Nov 11, 2008 11:24 am

David, You've caught me out, but I think I will get over it this time.
Justin, It might be the aim of the director to show Bush in an unfavourable light, but I doubt it will have that effect. I suspect he might emerge as a rather lovable buffoon, OK he might be a bit unsure about the difference between Iran and Iraq, but this just makes him a man of the people, unlike those Harvard Illuminati. Palin for 2012 I say.

User avatar
Ben Purton
Posts: 1631
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:53 am
Location: Berks

Re: Obama Girl

Post by Ben Purton » Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:28 pm

Ill happily say I didnt know who Obama girl was. And I get out more than You Dave. Isnt she like the "Myspace girls" , I didnt have a clue about them really either. I dont tend to follow the ***********, even if they get mentioned on the news.
Last edited by Carl Hibbard on Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Some wording has been removed
I love sleep, I need 8 hours a day and about 10 at night - Bill Hicks
I would die happy if I beat Wood Green in the Eastman Cup final - Richmond LL captain.
Hating the Yankees since 2002. Hating the Jets since 2001.

Simon Spivack
Posts: 600
Joined: Wed May 14, 2008 4:06 pm

Re: Obama Girl

Post by Simon Spivack » Tue Nov 11, 2008 6:54 pm

Matthew Turner wrote: unable to respond with my views on famous Norwegian authors
Do playwrights count?

If yes, then Matthew can now mention his close knowledge of Ibsen's "An enemy of the people"; which he picked up by following the "Chess for Schools" saga. In this new, updated, production there are two Dr. Stockmanns; Dr. Stockmann mit tournaments, and Dr. Stockmann mit-out: the mayor does distinguish between the two when responding. Of course there is less self-righteous certitude from either doctor. In place of dodgy water, we have mysterious chess equipment. We have high chess officials rather than town elders; furthermore, hoi poloi are more evenly divided in their allegiances. Will we have a different ending too? :-)

Kevin Thurlow
Posts: 5821
Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:28 pm

Re: Obama Girl

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Wed Nov 12, 2008 12:54 pm

Was this Norwegian so well-informed that he actually chose an author who wrote about Matthew's current approximate neck of the woods or was that a coincidence? Norwegians seem quite pleased if you have heard of Peer Gynt and can name a couple of pieces by Grieg!
I think we have to accept that "Scandinavian" (they hate the term) education is rather better than ours. Tiger Hillarp-Persson demonstrated a very deep knowledge of "Lord of the Rings" in the bar in Guernsey a couple of years ago. I was expecting Milne not Tolkien.....
"Kevin was the arbiter and was very patient. " Nick Grey

User avatar
IM Jack Rudd
Posts: 4818
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:13 am
Location: Bideford
Contact:

Re: Obama Girl

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Wed Nov 12, 2008 2:59 pm

Well, Tolkien was quite appreciative of Scandinavian culture in general. He was, I believe, on record as saying that the worst thing about the Norman Conquest was that it meant England ended up with no tradition of epic literature. (The Lord Of The Rings was written as an attempt to correct this.)

Paul McKeown
Posts: 3732
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:01 pm
Location: Hayes (Middx)

Re: Obama Girl

Post by Paul McKeown » Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:01 pm

Be respectful.
Amber Lee Ettinger is a successful model and has never prostituted herself. She was chosen for the role of Obama Girl - it wasn't some wannabe's last desperate shout for fifteen minutes of fame, but the creative brainchild of an advertising bureau prepared to invest eighteen months of hard graft into supporting the candidate they thought would most effectively represent the interest of the Democratic party.
Dismissing Obama Girl with such easy disdain is entirely to miss how effectively the Internet has been used by Barack Obama's campaign and by the broader mass of his popular support. (If the ECF could do the same, pigs would surely be cosmonautical heroes.)
And I would have thought the Official ECF Council Yoof Candidate would have had a better understanding of "cool".
Now come on.
Last edited by Carl Hibbard on Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Some editing after speaking to the poster

Paul McKeown
Posts: 3732
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:01 pm
Location: Hayes (Middx)

Re: Obama Girl

Post by Paul McKeown » Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:05 pm


User avatar
Carl Hibbard
Posts: 6028
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
Location: Evesham

Re: Obama Girl

Post by Carl Hibbard » Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:48 pm

Paul McKeown wrote: Be respectful.
Amber Lee Ettinger is a successful model and has never prostituted herself. She was chosen for the role of Obama Girl - it wasn't some wannabe's last desperate shout for fifteen minutes of fame, but the creative brainchild of an advertising bureau prepared to invest eighteen months of hard graft into supporting the candidate they thought would most effectively represent the interest of the Democratic party.
Dismissing Obama Girl with such easy disdain is entirely to miss how effectively the Internet has been used by Barack Obama's campaign and by the broader mass of his popular support. (If the ECF could do the same, pigs would surely be cosmonautical heroes.)
And I would have thought the Official ECF Council Yoof Candidate would have had a better understanding of "cool".
Now come on.
I am not keen on the tone of this one as it seems to me to be getting a little personal

Please keep to the point
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

User avatar
Administrator
Site Admin
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 7:45 pm
Location: Evesham
Contact:

Re: Obama Girl

Post by Administrator » Wed Nov 12, 2008 5:59 pm

Some editing of posts for obvious reasons :!:
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

User avatar
JustinHorton
Posts: 10364
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:06 am
Location: Somewhere you're not

Re: Obama Girl

Post by JustinHorton » Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:03 pm

FM Jack Rudd wrote:Well, Tolkien was quite appreciative of Scandinavian culture in general. He was, I believe, on record as saying that the worst thing about the Norman Conquest was that it meant England ended up with no tradition of epic literature. (The Lord Of The Rings was written as an attempt to correct this.)
Kevin Thurlow wrote: Tiger Hillarp-Persson demonstrated a very deep knowledge of "Lord of the Rings" in the bar in Guernsey a couple of years ago. I was expecting Milne not Tolkien.....
I reckon Milne's the better writer of the two.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Paul McKeown
Posts: 3732
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:01 pm
Location: Hayes (Middx)

Re: Obama Girl

Post by Paul McKeown » Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:02 pm

Anyway, after a welcome moderation by Carl, let's get this thread back on track.
What I'm searching for, is any good ideas to promote the popularity of chess in these isles?
Anyone?
Please!

Post Reply