All that Glitters

Shark has also returned to Five, and, since the last series of Damages ended, contains one of the best central performances from an American star - the splendidly strange James Woods. The rest of it is pure dross, unfortunately, all those gorgeous young DAs straight from modelling agencies solving all sorts of crimes - and why the hell can't the wonderful Jeri Ryan (aka 7of9) get better work than this?

There's also been Earth Day to consider (big Stateside) as blog matter and all sorts of other madness - renting out pet dogs for a day, the extraordinary story of the priest who tried to cross the ocean attached to a bunch of party balloons and lots more.

But it's all come down to Gary Glitter. Blame fellow blogger Sarah Gee.

She did an interesting piece about pictures at the Barber Institute normally seen only in private collections and asked if anyone had a picture they would like to hang at home and could live with. I thought about lots, finally plumping (a verb normally only seen in restaurant review) for a Mondrian.

Afterwards it dawned on me that, much as I like his work, I know nothing about the chap. Ditto Vermeer, another possible choice (and that's despite reading Girl with a Pearl Earring, and NOT seeing the movie).

Then there was a lot of fuss about this VS Naipul character, a right nasty piece of work as far as the women in his life have been concerned, by all accounts, but a brilliant writer. So the question is - and this is where Mr Glitter (pictured) comes in - can we like the work while disliking the person behind it?

Glitter, like The Rubettes, Sweet and many others, is one of pop's guilty pleasures from the point of view of his recorded output. But does anyone listen to him after the nastiness in Thailand? George Michael seemed to have redeemed himself - indeed made a career move out of his incident in the loo - and Hugh Grant seems not to have suffered from his vice girl disgrace. Could you enjoy a book, painting or piece of music if you found out something about the person behind it that revolted you?

PS: I know the real quote is 'All that glisters', you smartarses ...