On Monday I watched the final of University Challenge. Corpus Christi College, Oxford, edged out Manchester University to win. I'm a general knowledge geek, so like pitting myself against the contestants. Except that the star of the Corpus Christi team, and in fact the whole series, has been one Miss Gail Trimble.
She was far and away the most knowledgeable, and (crucially for this quiz show) speedy in her responses on everything from biology to Shakespeare, central Asia to Latin aphorisms, and single-handedly amassing scored 825 of Corpus Christi's 1,235 points. Gail is no supermodel - I'd describe her appearance as sweet - but having a stellar brain just pushes a woman several notches higher up in the desirability stakes. A lady who can demonstrate depth of knowledge, learning, culture and an understanding of the world automatically becomes that little bit hotter. For me, anyway.
Unfortunately poor Gail has been engulfed in a maelstrom of publicity, much of it emanating from angry bloggers, furious at her supposed arrogance, smugness and poshness. Jesus, give the girl a break.
I watched her in the final (and semi-final the previous week) where she was lightening quick on the buzzer and displayed a formidable general knowledge. Bloggers and Facebook cretins are apparently infuriated that she smiled after each question answered correctly, or said "well done" or "quite!" to her colleagues when they got something right. (She could have won it all by herself).
We all know what it really is, don't we? It's inverted snobbery, envy, and class prejudice - plain as the nose on your face. So what if she smiled when she got things right? If you were on telly in front of millions you'd grin a little too. If you didn't people would say you were moody, arrogant etc etc. I noticed she had a habit of flicking back her long mane of hair rather imperiously after every answer was again rewarded by a clearly smitten Paxman with an affirmative. But again, so what? Everyone has their little ticks, habits and idiosyncrasies. Put yourself on TV, bigmouth, and we'll see how you look.
Funny how the nation fawns over Jade Goody, the uber-chav and ignoramus supreme. I feel sorry for her now she has cancer, but I'm referring to her lionising by the media before her illness. Isn't it safer to gawp at someone when they're so obviously dumber than you? But take a uber-smart woman, who is successful, and whom you could never emulate and suddenly the women of Britain (and is mostly the women) are venting their rage at her. Too bad the sisters missed the chance to take to the blogosphere to defend one of their own when she does quite well in, you know, the male power-structures. Oh wait, they don't actually like her being a bit brainy. Sorry Gail, back to the kitchen, love.
Then there's her class. Maybe it's because she single-handedly (almost) smacked the arse off those northerners from Manchester. But really it's because she's vaguely posh, goes to Oxford, has a 'cut-glass' accent (whatever that is) and - this is the clincher - she went to a private school.
The Sun jumped on the bandwagon and wasted no time in applying a bit of inverse snobbery. In a spectacular display of vulgarity and crassness trumpeted the fact that Gail failed to answer a single question - a single question! - of their own "pub quiz". Sample question: "Who won the most recent series of Celebrity Big Brother?" Well I bet that makes the Einsteins who read The Sun feel a lot better about themselves.
I've been a fan of this show since the 1980s, when Bamber Gascoigne presided over this general knowledge inter-university quiz. Even with the inferior, sneering little twerp Jeremy Paxman in the role of host (or 'inquisitor' as some people refer to him) it's still compelling. I've never got over missing out on the chance to represent my alma mater, The University of Warwick, while I was a student there between 1992 and 1995. Inexplicably, the BBC axed Bamber Gascoigne and the show between 1992 and 1997 (I think), only resurrecting it when it was too late for me to even apply. I did see someone I recognised on the Warwick team a little later.
As for my own performance, I did get a few of Gail's questions in the semis and final myself, especially the history and Latin ones ("Carpe Diem" - that's "seize the day" by Homer! Hooray!). But she would still have trounced me, and most other people. And that's what the cyberspace bullies don't like.
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