Scribblings of Robs

18 Oct 2011

Gareth Cliff on Everything

A copy of Gareth Cliff’s book: Gareth Cliff on Everything landed in my paws. I like Gareth Cliff. Yes, he’s loud and opinionated but let’s be honest, people without opinions are about as interesting as bits of drying paint. He keeps me sane in traffic and I don’t find him offensive or see him as an arrogant egomaniac.

To me he is a blunt, 5FM DJ who doesn’t put up with crap at 7am, won’t tolerate stupidity and knows exactly how to bait most South Africans. And his book is certainly going to achieve the latter.

Almost everyone who has seen me with this book has passed a sarky remark and then expressed shock at the absolute cheek of a man filling a book with his own opinons… and then publishing it. I mean how dare he!   The irony is that most of them have never heard Gareth on air [I asked them] but along with the Parlotones and Bryce Lawrence, it seems Cliff has been added to the SA Haters list of things to Hate on.

I’m about halfway through, I’m enjoying it and I actually agree with several of his points… some of them have had me in stitches. The chapters are short, it’s a light read and he doesn’t sugar-coat anything. But be warned, if you’re easily offended, highly sensitive or incredibly pretentious, then this book is definitely not for you.