They always say you should respect your elders.

I say you should respect your elders, unless they are seriously taking the piss. For this, it’s maximum respect!  The only newspaper I ever buy is The Sunday Times, so I can read the lifestyle section. I have no interest in the news because it’s all a load of rubbish. Every newspaper in the world is about sensationalism, and I must be honest, I’m more chilled not reading the news.

So anyway I was reading the page on Wilbur Smith today entitled “My Cape Town”

Not too sure of the Panama Hat goes with running shoes

Now it’s clear that we are in a recession, not because I say so, but because I keep hearing people talk about it.

“Mmmmm had to sell off all my kids again. Yip, all gone. Little Timmy? Working on a rice paddy in Tibet. Little Johnny? Training to be a Navy Seal. Sarah? Oh she’s doing some “personal work” in Amsterdam”

And then there’s Wilbur Smith!

Check this question they posed to him:

If you inherited R100 million, what would you do with it?

His answer:

“Peanuts! It wouldn’t even buy a decent private jet. Let’s talk real money”

NOOOOOOOOOO! No come on Wilbur, please tell me you’re making a joke here?

I can get away with saying this, because clearly I don’t have R100 million, so if I was saying it, it would be funny in a sarcastic sort of way. People would laugh because clearly I would be taking the piss.

But we know you’re mega wealthy, I do just hope you’re having a light hearted poke at the recession.

You are aren’t you?

Because HONESTLY, who in their right mind speaks like that?!!

I mean come on, to even wealthy people, no one talks about money like that. Not in such a flamboyant sense. I’m all for vulgar displays of wealth, I really am, but this? Pushing it a touch.

The thing is, if you were my age, you could probably get away with this. If I had your wealth, I could get away with this, because the sheer awesomeness of speaking about money like that at 24 years old would be hilarious. But at your age it’s just starting to come off as a touch…shall we say…recession unaware?

Don’t get me wrong, I know all about arrogance. We’re all arrogant. All humans are. We all think that in some way, we are awesome. We all think the world wouldn’t go on were we not here.

Wait maybe that’s just me.

Anyway, I do hope you were drunk or high, or being sarcastic when you called R100 million “peanuts”

I’ll be honest, I haven’t read your books, or much on you. I tend to go for reading with unnecessary sexual references, and reading that requires very little brain power, such as my own writing. I also enjoyed My Booky Wook by Russell Brand for it’s decadent drug use and sex addiction (HERE)

So I don’t really know your humour or your vibe in general.

But I take it that this is some sort of in joke, speaking of R100 million like it’s a bag of coal.

Vulgar displays of arrogance like this are fine if you’re under 30, because they’re then just hilarious, but at your age? Pure arrogance. Nice! No but really I hope you’re joking, because R100 million is quite a bit of money.

If you’re load shedding your bank account, mine is “Power Down”, so any excess can slip into my account.

Sean Lloyd

Editor