Curb Your Enthusiasm - The British Disease?
(With apologies to Larry David)

While watching Dan Cruickshank's Adventures in Architecture (BBC2, Wednesday, 9PM), it ocurred to me that all of the people I pay attention to on TV and elsewhere all have something in common - enthusiasm. Real, honest to goodness enthusiasm and passion for their subject is what makes them interesting to read and / or watch. OK, ability and communication and presentation skills matter too but with a good dose of enthusiasm and command of your subject, you're most of the way there.

I can easily rhyme off a list of such people whose programmes or books I am happy to consume :

Dan Cruickshank (Of course)
Dr Iain Stewart
Ray Mears
James Burke
Henry Rollins
Dr Kathy Sykes
John Simpson
Derren Brown
Stephen Fry
Gordon Ramsay
Sir John Harvey Jones (RIP)

What this got me thinking though, is that, as a country (WARNING - Sweeping generalisation ahead), it seems this is something we often find quite irritating. Moreover, I think this is a big part of what we often find annoying about the US character. We seem to be a lot more pessimistic and this seems to make us desparate to suspect the motives of the enthusiastic proponent of some subject or other - what's he/she really up to? What are they trying to sell? Why are they so bloody enthusiastic??!!

Personally I blame that Jamie Oliver ; )