Nelson Mandela/ITV

[flip_flop]

Why are ITV holding a 90th birthday celebration of Mandela?

I've never seen them do it for any other politician!

No, really. Why? I know many people have elevated him to demi-god status, and perhaps, perhaps, it is an achievement to reach this age with some of the adversity he faced, but does it really warrant a toe-curlingly embarrasing display of sycophancy by our second TV station?

[Gromit]

anotheoldgit

The anti-apartheid movement and Rock music became bedfellows in the seventies when a number of 'Rock Against Racism' concerts were held. West Indian music was an influence on the punk and ska bands at the time, and the link was established.

The focus for the anti-apartheid movement was the continued imprisonment of Nelson Mandela. The band Special AKA wrote a song, Free Nelson Mandela, and to everybody's surprise, they did. It was the leader of the Special AKA who started the now ten yearly birthday Mandelafest when he help organised the 1988 event.

Ever since, Mandela has been a cause c�l�bre for trendy leftie musicians.

[Gromit]

BTW

The 70th birthday concert had 72,000 people at the Wembley Stadium and more than 600 million television viewers from 60 countries watched the broadcast ranking it as one of the most successful televised musical events of the 1980s.

That is why ITV will televise the 2008 one.

[flip_flop]

So there's no altruism on ITVs part, it is merely a way of raising revenue from advertising income.

Fair enough - don't generally have a problem with that.

Needless to say I won't be watching it, because whilst ITV may be using Mandela as a cynical way to raise revenue, I won't be able to stand the vomit inducing platitiutes from the performers.

AOG - I felt language like referring to De Klerk as an appeaser demonstrated biased writing - although the reports further down the link are much more balanced.

If we are to believe that Mandela was a terrorist as described, I find it even more difficult to understand why he is feted so.