Folk Demon

[poliphilo]

Savile

He never shuts up. He's always performing. Always bouncing about. Always "on". Pushing a force field out into the world- a zone of zaniness. Jim's World. Anyone who has dealings with him is enveloped- drawn in- made complicit. Whatever you're doing you'll do it on his terms. You may be Prince Charles or you may be an altar girl- doesn't matter- because he's in charge- and he'll take you for whatever he can get.  An optometrist calls to deliver him his new pair of specs. He gives her a tonguey kiss, drops his tracksuit bottoms, goes "How's about that then?"  and asks her to be on his radio show. It's seamless. She hardly notices where the line has been crossed.

Because that's just Jim. Take him as you find him. Normal rules don't apply.

He's like a cobra, weaving, dancing, tongue flickering in and out. Testing for weakness...

And he always seems to be having so much fun...

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

We're still trying to work out how we let him get away with it.

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

Because no one wanted to question someone that was raising so much money for charity and self-promoting at such a level, gods forbid. I remember seeing him on the telly when I first visited the UK in about 1973 and could not believe that someone that scummy was some kind of hero, but nobody liked it when I said I thought he was repulsive.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't really remember what I thought of him back in the day. I suppose I accepted him as a part of the culture. He was very odd, but a lot of people were odd in the 60s and 70s. I heard the rumours, but they were unsubstantiated. Later I came to the conclusion he was probably asexual.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

I didn't like him when he was on Top of the Pops when I was a teen. I just thought he was odd in an off-putting kind of way.

However, he got a reputation for promoting charities right from the start. It was back in the late 60s when I remember my mum telling me that a couple of nuns from the local convent had been in our shop and they'd been bubbling with excitement because Savile was coming to open their fete or garden party or whatever.