TV presenter’s 'common' remark also makes uncommon mistake

A Facebook comment by TV and radio presenter Jean-Claude Micallef – suggesting that attendees at this year’s Rockestra concert are ‘common’ – not only provoked a furious backlash this week, but also called on people to attend a 'special' Mellieha event... one week before the event was scheduled to take place.

“On Saturday you can either go to RockOrchestra [sic] and be common or visit Mellieha and be special,” Micallef posted on the popular social networking site last Thursday: referring to a choice between the annual charity concert held at MFCC, and an obscure event organized by the Mellieha local council.

It turns out however that he was actually referring to Iljieli Mellehin: an annual cultural festivity which will take place on Saturday 10 September, and not on the same day (today) as Rockestra.

So perhaps those who attend this evening instead of next Saturday will, in a sense, be 'special' after all.

It is also debatable whether Micallef intended the word ‘common’ in the same sense as Pulp’s hit single ‘Common People’ – i.e., the English equivalent of the Maltese ‘hamallu’. In later clarifications he explained that he only meant it in the sense that Rockestra attendees will be part of a 'majority'.

Nonetheless, several respondents interpreted the remark from a social angle, and within minutes his post was flooded with angry reactions.

“If attending Rockestra makes one common and attending Mellieha special, then may I humbly suggest for all commoners to give Mellieha a miss as Rockestra is an annual event whilst Mellieha can be visited all year round,” one of his Facebook ‘friends’ retorted. “I honestly never expected a pathetic statement from one who obviously seems to think he is uncommon…”

Others were quick to interpret Micallef’s dig at the popular variety show as an indirect political statement: Micallef being well-known for his affiliations with the Nationalist Party, while Rockestra’s conductor Maestro Sigmund Mifsud very recently announced his intention to contest the next election with Labour.

“It seems we heard something about Sig this week in the news,” another viewer commented. “There are a lot of other places to go on Saturdays, Jean… but you mentioned that show… let people be common if they want to be… after all it’s for charity.”

Even a few of Micallef’s political and media colleagues took issue with the post.

“Mixing politics with Rockestra is murder… both of free thinking and common sense,” Gordon Pace, a former PN councillor for Zabbar, chipped in. “I am attending Rockestra cos it’s a fun event which also allows me to help out.”

Elsewhere fellow TV presenter Carlo Borg Bonaci reminded Micallef that “there are other ways and means” to attract attention to oneself.

The political theme was separately taken up by an angry DJ Joe Tanti: “If this has anything to do with what was on Sunday’s papers shame on you. This is the only time in a year where rock and classic, learned and amateur, professional, semi-professional and simply talented get to work under one man, one roof and one dignity...”

To which John Bundy – former PN activist and now a mainstay on Labour TV and radio – added: “Everybody to Rockestra this Saturday 3 September…”

However it is unlikely that Micallef will be following John Bundy’s advice; nor for that matter Jarvis Cocker’s, to “sing along with the common people” at tonight’s Rockestra…