The Critical Commentator

  Ok. I've waited long enough. Where is it? I have just turned 52. Where, oh where, is my promised no-f**ks-to-give era that people have now been promising me for over a decade? When do I get this surge of self-confidence that allows me to shuck off social convention and expectation. [Has it ever occurred to you that you might be one of those people who just lack self-confidence. Perhaps you are also one of those people who just likes to accept social convention and expectation.] Merry Go Round Mark Gertler (1891-1939) Photo Credit: Tate [CC BY NC ND]  When I was in the throes of adolescence I was, like most of us, so acutely self-conscious I could barely walk down the street without suffering violent mental agonies. [So most of us were so acutely self-conscious and suffered violent mental agonies? Really?] Dealing with school discos, first nightclubs, parties was commensurately worse. [Uncomfortable, I can understand. So h ow violent were your mental agonies?]   But I to...

 Take Cristiano Ronaldo, Serena Williams and Taylor Swift, a triumphant trio for the ages. Each is blessed with the two things you need to reach the top: huge talent coupled with a ferocious work ethic. There's an awful lot to love - if only they didn't seem to love themselves so much. Swift's talent and generosity are as awesome as the wealth they've generated for her. Why, in a Disney + docuseries about her huge Eras tour, we saw her distributing envelopes to emotional crew members, sharing out some of the profits. Wonderful! Who does that? On the other hand, who has themselves filmed doing that. And now she's married, which is wonderful too. Millions shared her joy. But was it necessary to book for the purpose one of the world's  most celebrated venues, bringing New York City to a standstill? At the moment the deed was done, in the manner of smoke puffing out of the Vatican chimney, the billboards at Madison Square Garden flashed up the glad tidings for the w...