I saw Daniel Kitson at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival last night and very funny he was too. His rants against 'smokers rights' and Zoo magazine were highlights and in some places he hit comedy nirvana particuarly when he described someone as 'cunt cubed'. Exceptionally funny.

However, the whole premise of his narrative was that stuff that is 'alternative' gets shit as soon as it hits the mainstream and that success inevitably means that fuckwits will start to like it and therefore the appeal of it (whether it be a band, song, movie etc) becomes diminished.

Now, this is a perspective I have always had issue with.

I like ATB '9pm Till I Come' - the slightly cheesy tune that really launched the trance explosion in 1999. Now, this tune was loved by every Sharon and Tracey in the land, in Ritzy nightclubs from Aberdeen to Aylesbury but you know what, I still liked it and still like it to this day. The actual tune hasn't changed no matter how many Barrys in their Ben Sherman tops have oi oi'ed to it down Chasers. It's the same song. If you like the song for what it is then your love for it shouldn't have changed. If however, you liked it because at first it was a new 'in' thing and only known by a few people 'in the know' then I would say your love of that song was extremely shallow. Similarly, if a band you like gets big and they start playing to 5,000 people rather than 100 people then surely you should be happy for them that their success is reaping rewards? And yes, some of the 'great unwashed' may come along and see them but hey ignore them and concentrate on the reason you're meant to be there: the music.

The problem with a lot of well educated middle class people is that they really hate it when the working classes start to invade their turf. Whether it be in a cultural sense or an educational sense. For example, it's all very well for Tarquin to study Philosophy & Latin at Cambridge but dear god, look at those oiks studying Media Studies at Kingston University - surely they should be doing something worthwhile with their lives like carpentery or plumbing?

The argument Kitson and many of his ilk make is nothing but smug snoberry - he may be funny, but he's wrong.