TOTP on BBC4

[Jah Womble]

Seconded on that Lionel Richie video: even at the time - during which I was at art school, and something similar had happened - I thought it very questionable. It looks seriously clunky now, that’s for sure. (Number one for six bloody weeks, too…)

They look more or less exactly like you'd expect them to, surely?

I’m guessing that GO’s referring to the slightly odd Ruby Flipper dance routine that accompanied their hit? Was it Ruby Flipper? I’d lost track by then. (Just looked it up, and they were back with Pan’s People again.)

[Hot Orange]

The video for "Hello" is quite uncomfortable in today's day and age. Assuming she's a university student, then Lionel Ritchie is really crossing an ethical line that should lead to dismissal.

Indeed, there's a fair bit of stalking and harassment going on - walking behind her in corridors, ringing her up and not saying anything.

I was watching this with my daughter and her boyfriend last night, hoping that 1984 would throw up something decent for them, and had my head in my hands when "Hello" was revealed as number 1. But then I remembered the video and said to them "Have you seen this? You've got to see this." Three minutes of disbelief and hilarity followed. From 40 years' distance, it's incredible to think it wasn't a piss-take.

Anyway, we watched this and the vastly superior 1980 edition, and then watched a few more from the 90s on iplayer. It was a very enjoyable evening.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Ironic that Rush had a woman with them, seeing as most of their fans never have.

Ho ho.

[steveeeeeeeee]

I suppose the other seriously uncomfortable thing regarding the Hello video is that the lady in question is a very vulnerable young adult. You can just imagine the whistle blower talking to the Dean,

"I need to report Lionel Ritchie's predatory behaviour"
"Oh, is he at it again, stalking young girls in the corridors, nuisance calling them in the middle of the night? We told him, one more incident and you're out of here."
"Yes, Mr Dean. But this time he's gone a step too far. The girl in question is blind."

But Ritchie's predatory behaviour is excused, because the blind girl made a realistic clay bust. Permission to advance sexually is granted, Mr Ritchie, job saved.

[Gangster Octopus]

I’m guessing that GO’s referring to the slightly odd Ruby Flipper dance routine that accompanied their hit? Was it Ruby Flipper? I’d lost track by then. (Just looked it up, and they were back with Pan’s People again.)

Yup.

[elguapo4]

How come no-one noticed her making the sculpture? It's hardly portable, particularly for a blind person, and it's not something that you knock up in a single morning.

[G-Man]

I always thought it a bit thoughtless for Lionel to shout "is it me you're looking for?" at a blind woman. I wonder if the video makers failed to consider that, or they did and thought it didn't matter (or that it was funny).

[Jah Womble]

How come no-one noticed her making the sculpture? It's hardly portable, particularly for a blind person, and it's not something that you knock up in a single morning.

I think they did notice, but, 1984 being an Olympic year, perhaps assumed that it was meant to be Fatima Whitbread?

[Mumpo]

Ritchie's predatory behaviour is excused, because the blind girl made a realistic clay bust

Evidence. "Could you describe your attacker..?"
"No need. Check this."

[Jah Womble]

NYPD: 'Ummm...good grief! If he does look like that, then finding him should be a piece of cake...'

[hobbes]

The worst thing about that video is that it ruined theGreat Pottery Throw Down for me.
One week last series the challenge was to make a bust of one of your heroes. And none of them, not a single one of the fuckers did a Lionel.
That would have been the defining moment of my life.

[Gangster Octopus]

My god, I'd forgotten just how much we needed punk. And how much Mr. Blobby's best mate should never have been anywhere near either television or radio...

[Jah Womble]

Edmonds seemed to do no preparation whatsoever ahead of his TOTP stints, instead winging it and screwing up song titles as though getting such things right was no biggie. I can’t imagine the artists were too happy.