Lawrence Donegan was feeling old recently after what sounds like a typical major championship press room conversation.
Kids today, they just don't know their mildly successful 1980s indie bands. More worryingly for the folks over at the Sun, 31-year-olds don't either. Which brings me to the headline above yesterday's story about Cheryl Cole's controversial – some might say "tone deaf" – decision to send Cher Lloyd into X Factor finals. Lloyd, Cole and the Commotion, it read. Geddit? You know: big(ish) in the 1980s, singer looked like a young Elvis, bass player looked like Paul Simonon, only uglier.
I have a colleague. She is 31. "Never heard of him,'' she says.
"I was the bass player,'' I say.
She is mortified. "I was eight at the time."
I try to console her. "Don't worry."
She's distraught. Almost. "Sorry."
I'm sorry, too – but only for the poor sub-editor whose creative genius went unappreciated by 99% of those who read it.
Speaking of Lloyd, he has a splendid new album out that has deservedly received rave reviews.