Yawn

Chuckles finally rose to prominence yesterday as the subject of this letter to the Independent. Unfortunately, it wasn't printed. I have, however, acquired a copy and reproduce it here for your perusal.

Sir,

It was with great satisfaction that I received news this morning that the widely unread weblog Chuckles is to finish, and not before time. I mean, it was just getting worse and worse, wasn't it? And it was never terribly good to begin with. The posts were too long, the humour (if you can call it that) increasingly puerile, and the ridiculous stylistic conceit which the author insisted on - well, he was always going to paint himself into a corner with that, wasn't he?

But what went wrong? Anyone would've thought that our new government, Tory in all but name, would breathe fresh life into this bloated corpse of a blog. Maybe, but allow me to put forward my own theory.

Let's look at the blog's main thrust in its supposed 'heyday'. Started proper in the final, dying years of the Labour government, its apparent aim was to draw attention to the doublespeak and duplicities of a party that was supposed to be the 'good guy' in the old Westminster duopoly. Where bad things were done in the name of good, Chuckles was there to suggest less noble motives.

But then control was seized by a party which is not only quite self-evidently callous and dishonourable, perhaps even psychopathic, but which appears to revel in the fact. Well, then, what was there for Chuckles to do? Of course, there were a few weak, half-hearted posts saying things like: "ooh, cuts! Bad!" But who needed to be made aware of that? What, frankly, was the point?

So, after watching it limp heartbreakingly through its final few months, the author decided it was time to let go. And I doubt it was an easy decision to make, but I can assure him that it was the kindest thing to do.

I expect he wishes to thank you, you few who actually made the effort to read his drivel. And how very indulgent you all are. You must be saints.

For those of you seeking further punishment - perhaps you're trying to atone for some terrible doing in a former life: a drowned childhood pet, a drunken dalliance with a sibling - he continues to post, under the name of Gainsbourg, at the otherwise excellent spEak You're bRanes, and he's also recently embarked on what will doubtless prove to be another ill-starred attempt at a blog of his own: Scurferens.


Yours sincerely,

Buzz's Dad

Bye.