Blog Tracker
02-09-2020, 23:00
Visit the Paul Bailey's Beer Blog site (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-glass-of-virtual-covid-19-anyone.html)
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CF4xAQ-7QO8/X1AN7QynjDI/AAAAAAAApFM/0KbIcGgWjrgPO-XTcZ4oN23x6F7DwhB-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h319/vGBBF-Logo-1C-smaller.png (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CF4xAQ-7QO8/X1AN7QynjDI/AAAAAAAApFM/0KbIcGgWjrgPO-XTcZ4oN23x6F7DwhB-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/vGBBF-Logo-1C-smaller.png)
Well dearie, dearie me, CAMRA – the Campaign for Real Ale, has scored yet another spectacular own goal, and this time they appear to have done so without even trying (if you’ll excuse the rugby pun).
The massive faux pas revolves around the design chosen for the glasses, that will be used for the group’s Virtual Great British Beer Festival 2020, (https://virtual.gbbf.org.uk/) which takes place between Friday 11th to Sunday 13thSeptember.
Now as far as I’m concerned, the whole concept of a “virtual festival” is absurd, but I’ll come onto that in a minute, but the glasses produced to mark this event are covered in pictograms that depict a virus. The organisers say the design represents Covid-19, which they claim is the defining event of 2020, but they have come in for some sharp criticism for their choice.
Irrespective of Covid-19 being one of the pivotal events of the year, the virus that has caused this global pandemic is something most people would rather forget. This especially applies to all those who have lost family and friends due to Covid-19, and everyone else whose life has been adversely affected by this disease.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OLfuwLAQ6m8/X1AOdHKBDUI/AAAAAAAApFU/6vNXnDA8xA8EnXNjZrc0Y6EPFmQ9eqBfgCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h311/CAMRA%2BCovid%2Bglasses.jpg (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OLfuwLAQ6m8/X1AOdHKBDUI/AAAAAAAApFU/6vNXnDA8xA8EnXNjZrc0Y6EPFmQ9eqBfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s634/CAMRA%2BCovid%2Bglasses.jpg)
Beer drinkers have taken to Twitter, and other forms of social media, to express their anger and distaste at such an insensitive choice of design. The festival organiser has issued an apology, whilst defending what is depicted on the glass. She claimed that because she personally suffered lung damage after contracting Covid-19, this somehow makes the design alright. Whilst she has my sympathy for the adverse effects brought on by this virus, I somehow don’t follow her logic, and neither does it appear, do many others. One critic responded, “Oh dear. It will make it look like you have Covid in your beer! Wonder who thought this was a good idea.” Another retorted, “So off the mark and insensitive. The official ‘apology’ is a joke as well. Acknowledge the mistake and make amends now.”
There were others of course, expressing their support for the glass, but whatever peoples’ views are, this was not a wise choice of design, and no amount of grovelling and back-pedalling is going to undo the damage this incident has done to the already flagging fortunes of the Campaign for Real Ale.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OryxrLGM5lE/X1AP4G_j_3I/AAAAAAAApFc/UdAOcOD4rcUCJmzl9TjYzE-12u0W9gB9gCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/20190809_121740.jpg (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OryxrLGM5lE/X1AP4G_j_3I/AAAAAAAApFc/UdAOcOD4rcUCJmzl9TjYzE-12u0W9gB9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20190809_121740.jpg)
As for the event itself, the very idea of a “virtual festival” is complete nonsense, and like all the other ridiculous “virtual”events that have sprung up over the course of the pandemic, is an absurdity. The event organisers say “visitors” can purchase a ticket to what they describe as a weekend of live beer tastings, a series of which will take place each day. The tastings will be led by an “expert panel” of CAMRA luvvies. Ticket holders will receive one of the aforementioned souvenir festival glasses, along with 11 beers to enable them to participate in two of the live tasting sessions. There are seven sets of beers to choose from, plus a cider & perry selection for those who prefer something a little different, but at £46 a set, this represents poor value for money – even if it does include packing and shipping costs.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-faTsvWUr9TU/X1AQRT-C4YI/AAAAAAAApFk/OadNTilpSqIS852WibTI3ZsmCJ4SOQs6QCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h248/Olympia%2Broof.jpg (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-faTsvWUr9TU/X1AQRT-C4YI/AAAAAAAApFk/OadNTilpSqIS852WibTI3ZsmCJ4SOQs6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Olympia%2Broof.jpg)
Rather surprisingly, tickets for all sessions have sold out, so perhaps I’m just being over-critical of the event but come-on people, the pubs are open, so why go to a “virtual” pub, when you can enjoy the real thing? Honestly, I really do find the whole concept of these on-line happenings, absurd. Where is the atmosphere, the vibes or the feel normally associated with a beer festival? What pleasure, and what thrill is there in sitting in front of a computer screen, sipping at a beer whilst some “expert” sniffs, swirls and waffles on about how great it is?
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FGQz6lacu8w/X1ARIivrkVI/AAAAAAAApFs/H0ChwZ52Zr0he6M_qA_ZxA6YtAef8g4cgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h240/IMAG0800.jpg (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FGQz6lacu8w/X1ARIivrkVI/AAAAAAAApFs/H0ChwZ52Zr0he6M_qA_ZxA6YtAef8g4cgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMAG0800.jpg)
Now that the nations’ pubs have re-opened, I know where I’d rather be – enjoying a few beers, with friends amongst the banter of a local pub, mixing (at an acceptable distance, of course), with real people, necking drinks of my own choice. The final words go to CAMRA, who claim that membership of the organisation helps support a brewing and pub industry that has unusually hard-hit by the Covid-19 crisis. Oh, the irony, and the absurdity behind this statement, when the very same organisation is promoting an event that encourages people to stay at home and drink “virtually,” in front of a computer screen!
Follow Blog via EmailClick to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
More... (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-glass-of-virtual-covid-19-anyone.html)
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CF4xAQ-7QO8/X1AN7QynjDI/AAAAAAAApFM/0KbIcGgWjrgPO-XTcZ4oN23x6F7DwhB-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h319/vGBBF-Logo-1C-smaller.png (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CF4xAQ-7QO8/X1AN7QynjDI/AAAAAAAApFM/0KbIcGgWjrgPO-XTcZ4oN23x6F7DwhB-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/vGBBF-Logo-1C-smaller.png)
Well dearie, dearie me, CAMRA – the Campaign for Real Ale, has scored yet another spectacular own goal, and this time they appear to have done so without even trying (if you’ll excuse the rugby pun).
The massive faux pas revolves around the design chosen for the glasses, that will be used for the group’s Virtual Great British Beer Festival 2020, (https://virtual.gbbf.org.uk/) which takes place between Friday 11th to Sunday 13thSeptember.
Now as far as I’m concerned, the whole concept of a “virtual festival” is absurd, but I’ll come onto that in a minute, but the glasses produced to mark this event are covered in pictograms that depict a virus. The organisers say the design represents Covid-19, which they claim is the defining event of 2020, but they have come in for some sharp criticism for their choice.
Irrespective of Covid-19 being one of the pivotal events of the year, the virus that has caused this global pandemic is something most people would rather forget. This especially applies to all those who have lost family and friends due to Covid-19, and everyone else whose life has been adversely affected by this disease.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OLfuwLAQ6m8/X1AOdHKBDUI/AAAAAAAApFU/6vNXnDA8xA8EnXNjZrc0Y6EPFmQ9eqBfgCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h311/CAMRA%2BCovid%2Bglasses.jpg (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OLfuwLAQ6m8/X1AOdHKBDUI/AAAAAAAApFU/6vNXnDA8xA8EnXNjZrc0Y6EPFmQ9eqBfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s634/CAMRA%2BCovid%2Bglasses.jpg)
Beer drinkers have taken to Twitter, and other forms of social media, to express their anger and distaste at such an insensitive choice of design. The festival organiser has issued an apology, whilst defending what is depicted on the glass. She claimed that because she personally suffered lung damage after contracting Covid-19, this somehow makes the design alright. Whilst she has my sympathy for the adverse effects brought on by this virus, I somehow don’t follow her logic, and neither does it appear, do many others. One critic responded, “Oh dear. It will make it look like you have Covid in your beer! Wonder who thought this was a good idea.” Another retorted, “So off the mark and insensitive. The official ‘apology’ is a joke as well. Acknowledge the mistake and make amends now.”
There were others of course, expressing their support for the glass, but whatever peoples’ views are, this was not a wise choice of design, and no amount of grovelling and back-pedalling is going to undo the damage this incident has done to the already flagging fortunes of the Campaign for Real Ale.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OryxrLGM5lE/X1AP4G_j_3I/AAAAAAAApFc/UdAOcOD4rcUCJmzl9TjYzE-12u0W9gB9gCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/20190809_121740.jpg (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OryxrLGM5lE/X1AP4G_j_3I/AAAAAAAApFc/UdAOcOD4rcUCJmzl9TjYzE-12u0W9gB9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20190809_121740.jpg)
As for the event itself, the very idea of a “virtual festival” is complete nonsense, and like all the other ridiculous “virtual”events that have sprung up over the course of the pandemic, is an absurdity. The event organisers say “visitors” can purchase a ticket to what they describe as a weekend of live beer tastings, a series of which will take place each day. The tastings will be led by an “expert panel” of CAMRA luvvies. Ticket holders will receive one of the aforementioned souvenir festival glasses, along with 11 beers to enable them to participate in two of the live tasting sessions. There are seven sets of beers to choose from, plus a cider & perry selection for those who prefer something a little different, but at £46 a set, this represents poor value for money – even if it does include packing and shipping costs.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-faTsvWUr9TU/X1AQRT-C4YI/AAAAAAAApFk/OadNTilpSqIS852WibTI3ZsmCJ4SOQs6QCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h248/Olympia%2Broof.jpg (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-faTsvWUr9TU/X1AQRT-C4YI/AAAAAAAApFk/OadNTilpSqIS852WibTI3ZsmCJ4SOQs6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Olympia%2Broof.jpg)
Rather surprisingly, tickets for all sessions have sold out, so perhaps I’m just being over-critical of the event but come-on people, the pubs are open, so why go to a “virtual” pub, when you can enjoy the real thing? Honestly, I really do find the whole concept of these on-line happenings, absurd. Where is the atmosphere, the vibes or the feel normally associated with a beer festival? What pleasure, and what thrill is there in sitting in front of a computer screen, sipping at a beer whilst some “expert” sniffs, swirls and waffles on about how great it is?
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FGQz6lacu8w/X1ARIivrkVI/AAAAAAAApFs/H0ChwZ52Zr0he6M_qA_ZxA6YtAef8g4cgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h240/IMAG0800.jpg (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FGQz6lacu8w/X1ARIivrkVI/AAAAAAAApFs/H0ChwZ52Zr0he6M_qA_ZxA6YtAef8g4cgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMAG0800.jpg)
Now that the nations’ pubs have re-opened, I know where I’d rather be – enjoying a few beers, with friends amongst the banter of a local pub, mixing (at an acceptable distance, of course), with real people, necking drinks of my own choice. The final words go to CAMRA, who claim that membership of the organisation helps support a brewing and pub industry that has unusually hard-hit by the Covid-19 crisis. Oh, the irony, and the absurdity behind this statement, when the very same organisation is promoting an event that encourages people to stay at home and drink “virtually,” in front of a computer screen!
Follow Blog via EmailClick to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
More... (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-glass-of-virtual-covid-19-anyone.html)