Abracadabra - BBC newsreader’s pen trick magicks up a new star

Nigh on 50,000 people have already viewed this video on YouTube. Evidence, as if it was needed, that all those late 1990s fears about “dumbing down” in the media have been well and truly realised.

No apologies for robbing you of four minutes to watch this clip, because as the man who made it might say (in a nasally, West Coast whine), it’s right funny by the way.

Nobody really cares about Robbo’s sleight of hand (sorry, sleight of hauns). But this guy’s bewilidered Weedgie act is priceless.

Especially since he pulls it off despite looking like he works for a trendy graphic design firm or ad agency and lives in a pretty swanky-looking flat with his pricey laptop, video camera and editing software.

So I wasn’t surprised when I checked out his website and discovered that he’s not actually some Glesca taxi driver or street patter merchant but actually a stand up comedian for the Web 2.0 generation.

Sure enough his website looks exactly like the portal for a so-trendy-it-hurts design agency or advertising firm. Until you try out the brilliant (if foul-mouthed) “Xylophone” or “Halloween” playthings.

For their next trick the powers that be at BBC Scotland want to get Limmy on the payroll. He’s funny, innovative and on current hits he’s getting more viewers than Reporting Scotland.

(thanks due to Stewart Kirkpatrick, since i first saw this video over on his blog)