Gritting my teeth this morning at the histrionic noise that the BBC's Business Editor Robert Peston makes while trying to explain stagflation or whatever, I was suddenly reminded of the actor Jay Robinson as Caligula in the Jesus propaganda movie The Robe (1953). Click here (if you can also bear the sound of Richard Burton rumbling velvetily). Note the sand-papery screeching, the shrill italics, the demented changes of key. Now listen to Caligula ...
3 comments:
Is he the worst Business Editor ever? He sounds so unnatural
He's quite unsuited to audio that's for sure - and I'm surprised the BBC appointed someone with such a stupid way of speaking - a symptom of affectation at the very least, or too much practising on his dictaphone. He is the verbal equivalent of Mark Mardell who once annoyed with his "Latin" propeller hand movements. These days the fool is bisected by his production crew so that we only have to tolerate the top half of his forced enthusiasm - we can only imagine what his hands are now doing out of sight below.
I agree totally. It's reached the stage where I have to switch off when Peston starts up. I just can't focus on what he's saying because of the dreadful caterwaul.
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