Worst Cantabrigian – Vote Now

by The Tab
on 23rd November 2009
Image Post #5269

After Isaac Newton was crowned Best Cantabrigian by Varsity, The Tab wants YOU to decide who is the Worst Cantabrigian of all time. Competition has been fierce, and there have been some surprise inclusions on the shortlist.

Any suggestions that this is anything more than a crude rip-off of Varsity's Best Cantab are wide of the mark – we even copied their format. Below are the final 9, you can vote at the bottom of the page. The winner will be announced on Saturday 28th November at 2am.

Vanessa Feltzfeltz
Broadcaster, Journalist, Z-lister, Unsuccessful fat fighter
1962-
Trinity College

Pros: Got a first in English; lost six stone for her wedding day
Cons: Gained the six stone straight back again; wrote a sex book entitled, "What Are These Strawberries Doing on My Nipples? I Need Them For The Fruit Salad!" No one wants to imagine Vanessa Feltz's nipples. Now you are.

We've watched her wobble across our screens on Celebrity Big Brother, try and lose the blubber on Celebrity Fit Club (reports that those who watched this abomination of a television programme in which Feltz pranced about in sports gear actually gouged their eyes out with safety pins are unconfirmed but expected to be true), and she's just shacked up with a 36-year old toyboy lover.

 

Oliver Cromwell cromwell
Lord Protector, Puritan, Regicidal hypocrite
1599-1658
Sidney Sussex College

Pros: Defeated the Royalists in the English Civil War, abolished the monarchy and the House of Lords. Didn't take no shit from the man.
Cons: Hypocritically took up the position of king and just called himself "Lord Protector" as a cover. Committed genocide against Irish Catholics.  Left Cambridge without a degree.

Oliver Cromwell was an exceptionally gifted social climber. Rising from middle gentry to MP, and then finally to the most powerful position in the Commonwealth, he was the best schmoozer Britain has ever seen. Having fathered nine children he was probably pretty hot between the sheets too.

 

Nick Griffingriffin
Politician, Racist, Entertainer
1959-
Downing College

Pros: Good to have on side in brawling situations, his remarkable ability to make the disgusting seem palatable to large numbers of people could come in handy when trying to organise orgies at the old people's home; wears nice ties.
Cons: Funny eye, lives in Wales, probably has semen breath.

Glass-eyed weirdo Nick Griffin did us all proud by beating Oxford in Varsity Boxing for two out of his three years at Cambridge. On the flip side, he's also a convicted racist, but Obama took cocaine and that never stopped him becoming president, the big silly lefty. His appearance on Question Time this year prompted crowds of adoring fans to surround Television Centre and his practical, no-nonsense approach to the complex issue of multiculturalism — "drop them out of a plane somewhere over Africa, I don't care" — has led to him being elected as one of Britain's Members of the European Parliament. If you're a fucking idiot and live in Yorkshire you probably agree with the start of this paragraph but luckily otherwise you probably already know why he's a tool and don't need it explained here.

 

Jimmy Carrcarr
Comedian, TV personality, Pudgy-faced twat.
1972-
Caius College

Pros: Pisses off Daily Mail readership. Gives hope to aspiring comedians with little discernible talent.
Cons: Purveyor of formulaic shit. Face like a hamster soiling itself. Presents everything but the news on Channel 4.

Jimmy Carr shot to fame on the back of his 'deadpan' style (deadpan here meaning reciting every joke in the same monotone with the requisite two second pause before the supposedly controversial punch-line) and is noted for being too fucking unoriginal to actually construct any links between his jokes. For what feels likes the past two hundred years he has been the face of every single Channel 4 comedy vehicle ever, his self-congratulatory banter and smug expression the constant scourge of Friday night television.

 

Natalie Szarekszarek
Politician, freedom fighter, Meddling woman
1987-
Newnham College

Pros: Expresses opinions forcefully; she’s been published in the Guardian; keeps a tidy home.
Cons: tendency to natter and dilly-dally; can’t park a car or read maps; can’t go to the bathroom alone; takes hours to get ready before going out.

Favourite colour: pink. Darling Natalie has served as CUSU Head Girl for two years now. Aside from taking independent newspapers to task for their vulgar views, Szarek has embarked on a radical programme of reform, which has seen her run no less than 15 campaigns. Don't worry your little head about it, love. According to CUSU Women's Council minutes, Natalie is currently planning a "big attack" on The Tab. Here's some ammo for your arsenal, sweetheart.

 

Aleistair Crowleycrowley
Occultist, Poet, Racist, Hedonist
1875 – 1947
Trinity College

Pros: Founded his own system of sexual cosmology. Given the esteemed title “The wickedest man in the world”.
Cons: “The wickedest man in the world” is a label that doesn’t really leave much room for interpretation.

Crowley goes from strength to strength in the “fucked up nutter” category. Dabbled in almost every drug under the sun, changed his name, joined and left the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn before starting his own system of sexual majickal cosmology. Top marks for one of his greatest theories: “For the highest spiritual working one must choose that victim which contains the greatest and purest force; a male child of perfect innocence and high intelligence is the most satisfactory.” Virgin Mathmos were scared for decades.

 

Enoch Powellpowell
MBE, Poet, Brigadier and Racist
1912-98
Trinity College

Pros:
People used to call him Eunuch to take the piss. Minister of Health; Travelled all over in India in search of himself; Strong moustache.
Cons: Held extreme anti immigration views; Seen as the spiritual father to Nick Griffin. Looks a bit like Josef Fritzl

Eunuch was a scholar at Trinity. His famous 'Rivers of Blood' speech effectively ended his political career. Thereafter he concentrated on his Middle Eastern business – 'Eunuch's Harmonious Harems'.  Powell preached many of the ideas (free market and monetarism) that later became identified with Thatcherism.

 

Michael Howardhoward
Former Conservative Party leader, Vampire, anti-immigration campaigner, Second generation immigrant
1959-
Peterhouse College

Pros: bagged JFK’s gal completely against the odds, has turned out to be rather a nice guy since quitting front-line politics, famously provided the nation with brutal blood sport live on PMQs after cack-handedly calling a debate on the Kelly report despite having no argument prepared.  
Cons: responsible for the ‘Big Bang’ de-regulation of the financial sector which briefly caused the end of the world last year, used to vote in favour of the death penalty, instrumental in the introduction of the poll tax, managed to base a whole election campaign on anti-immigrant fear mongering despite being the son of an…immigrant.

Ann Widdecombe once said of Howard that he had “something of the night about him”. Spot on there Ann, although I can’t tell if it’s his vampiric countenance or the fact that at the 2005 general election his party’s slogan was “Are you thinking what we’re thinking?”. Well as it happens, yes we are Michael – we’re thinking that you’re about to lose this election big time, mainly because you’re a massive twat. Oh and just quickly, “did you threaten to overrule him?”

 

Alastair Campbellcampbell
Journalist, Spin Doctor, Dossier sexer upper
1957-
Gonville and Caius College

Pros: wrote for a porn magazine in his early career under the pseudonym “The Riviera Gigolo”; hilariously recreated as Malcom Tucker in comedy The Thick of It; overcame alcohol and depression to become Britain’s most powerful semi-ginger person.
Cons: Iraq.

‘Mad’ Ali Campbell served as the Goebbels of Blair’s Britain for 6 years. Notable achievements include the ‘sexing-up’ of the Dodgy Dossier. Asked about weapons of mass destruction in 2003, Campbell famously commented "Come on, you don't seriously think we won't find anything?” Whoops.

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  • outraged
    November 24, 2009

    Natalie has been a brilliant women's officer and as you twats are so utterly low as to do something like this then I personally would like to nominate you for this fine position.

  • poemz
    November 24, 2009

    outraged,

    why don't you consider the real victim in all of us this..oliver cromwell fought for what he believed in and was an excellent lord protector. I can't believe you royalist, anti-puritan bastards are trying to rewrite history and drag his name through the mud. Genocide? He only killed 50,000. get some perspective.

    I would like to join outraged in nominating the tab as worst cantab for their attempted destruction of cromwell's great legacy.

  • anon
    November 24, 2009

    Natalie is a hard working and wonderful women's officer -She also has a much better sense of humour than you lot do. Grow up.

  • THC
    November 24, 2009

    No Rishi Bajeva?!?!?!

  • Ken (more OUTRAGED)
    November 24, 2009

    I'm pretty outraged, no, infuriated, that Nick Griffin is described as 'probably having semen breath'. Has anyone even come close to smelling Nick Griffin? No. This is just an abhorrent use of probability. There is, of course, non-zero chance that his mouth whiffs of ejaculate, but with modern technology in terms of dental hygiene in the 21st Century, I'd lay 20-1 that his mouth odour contains no trace of seminal fluids if you were to approach him and lean in for a smooch.

    He does have a pretty funny eye though.

  • Ken (more OUTRAGED)
    November 24, 2009

    Although most people will find this act REALLY CREEPY.

  • tabfan
    November 24, 2009

    By being a women she automatically is going to have a shit sense of humour

  • M Raleigh
    November 24, 2009

    To whoever Outraged is, I'm sorry but her notes on the tab are bordering on the ridiculous and if the Tab thus wants to make a jab at her I think there well within their rights doing so. + its about time we got a men's officer, men have problems too, cancer, depression anorexia and annoyance with the world are not the sole preserve of women. Lets get rid of the 'weaker sex' epithet.

  • Trish
    November 24, 2009

    "probably has semen breath" is absolutely ridiculously homophobic, like the fortunately waning tendency to call something or someone you dislike "gay", as if "gay" denotes something to ridicule or detest. But you've gone a stage further and made it vulgar. Nick Griffin is an appalling person for his racist and homophobic views and actions – I don't see why this can't suffice as a reason for him being one of the worst Cantabrigians, without bringing in some emphatic homophobia of your own.

  • Ken
    November 24, 2009

    Don't forget that we are not allowed to hit a girl. What's that about?

  • Ken
    November 24, 2009

    Hi Natalie!

  • Jonny
    November 24, 2009

    It doesn't have to involve homosexual acts Trish!

    Do people's breath's that smell of shit eat poo for lunch? I don't think so.

    I know someone who's breath smells of glue but they don't eat glue either.

  • THC
    November 24, 2009

    'Probably has semen breath' is only homophobic if you consider fellatio the sole preserve of gay men.

    Once again I must ask: What? No Rishi Bajeva?!?!

  • Sim
    November 24, 2009

    What is more, I am fairly sure that most homosexuals have as good personal hygeine as the next man (if not better, with all that preening and whatnot!)..

    ..so the way in which Nick Griffin's breath smells of jizz is patently not the crux of the matter, it is the fact that he is enough of a shit not to notice. I suppose his general odour masks it somewhat.

  • Indifferent
    November 24, 2009

    As you point out, his homophobic view are abhorrant, however, unfortunately Trish, it seems so is your lack of a sense of irony.

  • anon
    November 24, 2009

    'a women'

  • dan
    November 24, 2009

    statistically straight women are probably more likely to have semen breath than gay men, given that they still just about outnumber them (despite the population of this country nowadays being almost entirely consistent of gays and blacks). so the tab was actually sticking to previous editorial lines of misogyny and hatred of women rather than this cheap shot you're taking. we bloody love gays, they always have SUCH soft hands!

  • Sort it out.
    November 24, 2009

    I resent people whose only imagery of ‘the North’ is somewhat reminiscent of a Monty Python/League of Gentlemen sketch.

    In a similar way I resent those people who assume that people from Yorkshire are all illiterate racists.

    I worry that the TAB, whilst being ‘tongue in cheek’ and obviously exceedingly banterous, does nothing to show the members of the general public, who are not in the Cambridge loop, that we have gone beyond our age old stereotype of being full of southern public school ponces.

  • Rob
    November 24, 2009

    http://cambridgetab.co.uk/features/society-spies-...

    This article deals with the North/South divide. Also I write for the Tab and according to the diagram in the article live above the real dividing line between north and south. I also went to a state comp. I see what you mean about the Cambridge loop, but they are our primary audience not the general public.

  • dan
    November 24, 2009

    The BNP picked up 10% of the vote in the Yorkshire and Humber region in the European Elections. So if you're a fucking idiot AND you live in yorkshire, there's probably a higher chance that you're a BNP voter than, say, fucking idiots in Cornwall, who probably vote for the Cornish National Liberation Army or just masturbate themselves with meat pastries. No slight was meant towards Yorkshiremen in general.

  • anon
    November 24, 2009

    Oh dear – Tab takes it too far. No previous issue with the paper but this is really quite harsh on Szarek. Let's not forget – Natalie has not – in CUSU Women's Council or otherwise – been offensive about individuals who write for the Tab, although she may disagree with what is published. It might all be in the name of banter but this isn't really what our student newspapers ought to be about. Did the Tab just make itself guilty of the (oh sooo 'ironic') sexism it was previously (wrongly) accused of? Whoops…

  • Chris Tianne
    November 24, 2009

    swearing doesn't make your article more "tabloidy" or funny for that matter. weak.

  • Jack Rivlin
    November 24, 2009

    when do they swear in tabloids??

  • fritzl
    November 25, 2009

    it does however play a role in language and in this case the use of a single swear word to describe fascists seems appropriate. swearing is also pretty much the preserve of the Guardian in terms of mainstream papers. if the word 'fuck' is the most offensive thing you've seen on the internet today you're in need of a wank

  • Guest
    November 25, 2009

    Get a grip people, if you actually take the tab seroiusly enough to get worked up about you clearly need a sense of humour and some fun in your life. Go out and find yourself a good shagging or read a book or whatever you do to relax…

  • Sensible
    November 25, 2009

    Who cares… it's the Tab. And obviously a personal vendetta. Get 'outraged' about something important.

  • guest
    November 25, 2009

    So you're "ironically" patronizing Szarek in a sexist fashion, just because she doesn't like your website? Juvenile, much?

    Keep it classy, Tab, keep it classy.

  • George
    November 25, 2009

    Probably best you don't read my Albums of the Year piece if it gets put up then……

  • Anon
    November 25, 2009

    The part on Natalie Szarek is reminiscent of something i've seen before.

    Jimmy Carr…[youtube 5JHnMyiWNk4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JHnMyiWNk4 youtube]

  • anonymous
    November 25, 2009

    What? When did she imply they were racist?

  • Anon
    November 25, 2009

    The difference being that Carr is not responding to a previous attack and is not parodying claims that he is sexist. Also I doubt the writer of the Szarek bit would claim it was good enough to appear on primetime BBC unlike Carr.

  • Anon
    November 25, 2009

    When has the Tab ever professed to be classy?

  • Nate
    November 25, 2009

    I'm very offended by your ill formed comment, I think you'll find nick griffin is the MEP for Lancashire not yorkshire, don't give the the steel workers the credit for our famlous choice of MEP

  • November 25, 2009

    [...] Tab. Warning: shameless plug approaching. Worst Cantabrigian; Downing Strips for Charity; Fit College; thousands of hits per day. Don’t even think about [...]

  • Guest
    November 25, 2009

    Reading the utter drivel in the minutes from the Women's Council Minutes destroyed the minor sympathy I might have felt for Szarek. The constant 'wait until they do something really bad and then we'll get them' attitude about the Tab makes them look like idiots and undermines any good work they do. I think The Tab response is pretty fair.

  • Nadia Jaglom
    November 25, 2009

    Enoch Powell: 'Looks a bit like Josef Fritzl'

    Sorry, how exactly is that a con?

  • geoff
    November 26, 2009

    got to love jimmy carr and hate the natalie girl, shes like the plague…

  • anon
    November 26, 2009

    Some of the comments in reply to this light-hearted piece of journalism represent everything that is worst about Cambridge. A bunch of people who get outraged over the slightest thing and are too caught up in their self-involved attempts to take the higher moral ground to just have a laugh over a joke based parody of serious journalism. I'd venture that the majority of our generations' view that we are a load of poncy twats has far more to do with claiming to be outraged over "semen breath" than a passing jibe at Yorkshire.

  • Simon
    November 26, 2009

    Enoch Powell, cons: looks like Joseph Fritzl.

    One of the funniest things I've read all day! Keep up the good work.

  • A Man
    November 26, 2009

    This is hilarious and you are wrong.

  • ToHellOrToConnacht
    November 27, 2009

    "Only 50,000"?

    You ignorant twat.

  • ToHellOrToConnacht
    November 27, 2009

    I must apologise for my previous comment; I now see that the Cromwell remark was in jest.

    It is early, I had just woken up. :)

  • geoff
    November 27, 2009

    like, if there was a like button

  • Taz
    November 27, 2009

    I swear 'The Tab' just tries and fails at ironic political incorrectness.

  • jcr president
    November 27, 2009

    natalie szarek's campaign has also seen such highlights as ticking off college's for having a christmas bop poster with a woman dressed as santa with a skirt ending just above the knee. our response was, of course, to give santa himself a fully exposed six pack and abs.

  • Dan
    November 27, 2009

    Dear Miss Outraged,

    I've just voted for Natalie, she definately deserved to be on there. However, had Germaine Greer been included, I'd have voted for her instead…
    The most "utterly low" thing had to be that Stephen Hawking was omitted from the Varsity poll for Germaine 'fat bumbling feminist' Greer.
    Take a leaf out of 'Sensible's' book. I mean here is a person who clearly feels above The Tab so much that she reads this article and comments on it.

  • November 28, 2009

    Very nice site!

  • Luke
    December 1, 2009

    I think semen breath sometimes smells quite nice, actually. lol