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The longest running radio ‘music’ programme in the world is broadcast weekly here in Britain courtesy of the BBC and is entitled ‘Desert Island Discs‘. It was first broadcast on the 29th January 1942 and is still going strong. In that time it has had just 4 presenters which is really quite remarkable. Each week a famous or worthy person sits in the studio having selected the 8 pieces of music they would like to have with them should they ever find themselves stranded on a desert island. This is really just an excuse to have a little biographical chat with the presenter.
I have to assume that in 1942 it was expected that the castaway would be in possession of a wind up ‘gramophone’ and was restricted, of course, to old 78rpm recordings with just about 4 minutes a side. Today, the guests have to pretend that they wont want to have their Bose stereo or iPod with their huge collection of recordings. They still just get the 8.
I do not listen to this program – even though sometimes the guests can be most interesting – but I caught the end of it the other day when I turned on the radio in the car and realised I had forgotten part of the package. On top of your 8 musical choices you are also allowed one book and one luxury item (and no – the luxury item can not be a cruise ship). As to the books, you are not allowed to choose either the Bible or the works of Shakespeare because, apparently, these are already magically there on the island waiting for you to arrive.
Now speaking personally I have to admit that Shakespeare was quite good at what he did, the Bible does have the odd interesting bit and they both have the advantage of being extremely lengthy. I also realise that some people read one for entertainment and the other for, er, whatever it is they read it for. But in both cases, I am not one of them. I am not even sure if the abundance of paper these two books would give me would be at all helpful with the possible exception of a long line of paper hats to help keep the sun out of my eyes while I read and re-read the third book.
The third book, as the only one to read, becomes a seriously difficult choice. I don’t know about anyone else but I think I’d want something uplifting. After the trauma of being marooned I wouldn’t want anything too literary or scholarly either – I would go for escapism. I’m seriously tempted to opt for an omnibus edition of ‘Biggles’ to be honest.
The one ‘luxury’ object is an even more difficult choice to make. Well – not difficult if it could be Keira Knightley but I suspect that wouldn’t be allowed and anyway, Keira probably wouldn’t agree to it. I think I have to be very sensible about this one and choose wisely so I am going to opt for my William Henry penknife. I think I’ll ask about Keira first though… just in case.
What I don’t understand about all of this is why it is referred to as a ‘Desert Island’. It might not be quite so catchy but should it not be ‘Deserted Island’? And if I have my Omnibus edition of ‘Biggles’ and Keira, will I actually want to be rescued?
I think I’d be ok as long as the island, desert or deserted, wasn’t the size of the one in your photo. I suspect I’d get a bit bored and even stir crazy after a day or more on that tiny bit of land. One half decent wave and I’d have to be up one of those trees faster than you could say tsunami.
As for a luxury item, I’d have to go for Pamela Anderson. Lets face it, once you’d run out of things to do with her you could just hop on and row to safety. Come on, she’d HAVE to float !!!
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Without the amusement being lost on me, I think it’s fair to say that the bible and the works of Shakespeare are probably only already on the island to prevent visiting Notable Persons from defaulting to such boring choices. It’s far more interesting to hear what kind of literature Politician #423 actually enjoys than it is to find that he’s the four-hundred-and-twenty-third politician to choose the bible, because he thinks it portrays him as an upstanding good-Christian type, or the Complete Works of Shakespeare, because it makes him look cultured and literate.
I presume that these days the luxury item is limited as well to exclude things like computers with internet connections and/or, you know, huge archives of books and music on their hard drives.
(And if it’s the island that’s pictured I think my luxury item would probably have to be a cyanide pill, ’cause there’s no way I want to die of thirst or hunger…)
In Robinson Crusoe, he has a bible, maybe that’s where they get it from, then Shakespeare as Jake said, to stop the ‘imaginative’ statesman/women.
Luxury item – failing the obvious – A Yacht, I’d ask for “Tanya Streeter”, for anybody that doesn’t know why – http://www.redefineyourlimits.com
When I get tired of Tanya, it’s time to end it all !!!
@Malc: I think the end would come quite quickly. As Jake pointed out – any small island is unlikely to have fresh water available. Well – not one the size of the one in the picture anyway.
I don’t think even Ms. Streeter will be able to help with that!
Would you want to be rescued?
You think you have a choice? You think I’d leave you there with the Bony One and Biggles? Trust me, you’d be rescued. Whether you liked it, or not!
MWAHAHAHA!!
@Mrs YSF: Oh go on… Give me a few days at least…
Mrs YSF
You’d have him back after he choose Keira ????
It’s always very illuminating, Desert Island Discs – - you get musicians who choose a piece that they composed, or that they’re playing in, for every single record and you get people showing off like mad for their book choice. I think you’re spot-on with something like Biggles – I don’t think I’d want something “worthy” – I’d want something cheering that makes me laugh.
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