Today in Pop Culture: God Save Bill Grundy

By Jeffery X Martin

Picture this.

You’re a television talk show host, what they call in Britain a “presenter.” It’s a good gig if you can get it. You’re a celebrity. You get recognized on the street. Pretty girls want your phone number. Life is good.

One day, you walk into the studio. You’re scheduled to do an interview with a rock band. Why not? You’ve done a million of them. Fluff pieces. This is the kind of thing you can do drunk. In fact, that’s the only way you can get through the day half the time, just loaded. No one notices. No one cares. It’s only afternoon television.

Your name is Bill Grundy. It’s 1976. And you’re about to interview the Sex Pistols.

Congratulations, Bill Grundy. You’ve just committed career suicide. England is outraged that you and your guests have dirtied up the airwaves with such filth. That was a live show, Bill Grundy, in the afternoon! Grandmothers across Old Blighty just heard terrible language. By 1979, you’ll be reviewing books at five in the morning. Your alcoholism will spiral out of control in 1980 and you’ll finally pass away in 1993, doing small regional television.

You are the first victim of the punk movement, Bill Grundy, a martyr to Malcolm McLaren and Julien Temple. We take this moment to remember you on this day of your greatest ignominy, which was also your greatest success. You were the sharp table corner upon which punk broke, and we are eternally grateful to you, Bill Grundy.

You fucking rotter.