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mallorys_cameraToward the end of a lengthy dream—most of which I don’t remember—my mother and my aunt Annie were either returning from a trip or about to embark upon a trip. My mother and I were arguing about Annie’s sleeping arrangements.
“She should sleep with you,” my mother said.
“No way!” said I. “She takes up too much room. And anyway, you both smoke!”
(This is not actually true. Annie does not smoke.)
“Stop it, stop it!” Annie said. “I’ll sleep here.”
And she sank down upon the floor.
Well. She does look comfortable there, I thought.
But felt guilty just the same.
###
I lasted through four episodes of The Crown before I got…
Well.
Not exactly bored.
More frustrated.
Who are these fucking idiots, and why should I care about them? I wondered.
I mean, I do care about them. I’ve been culturally programmed to care about them. And it’s not as though I look down upon the phenomenon of celebrity. I think celebrities play a vitally important role in the collective consciousness: They are iterations of the ancient archetypes, retrofitted for modern times. Kim Kardashian is the Venus of Willendorf Creative Suite.
But the British royal family?
British nobility in general?
Come on.
Debrett’s Peerage is a lot less interesting than the pedigrees of the first three runners-up at the Westminster Kennel Club Show.
The only interesting member of the British royal family is Philip.
I kind of resented the heavy-handed way show attempted to pluck my heartstrings on behalf of poor, tormented Diana. Although I did enjoy the visual of lonesome Diana roller-skating through the painting-lined galleries, I don’t believe for a single moment that Diana would have been so isolated when she stayed in Buckingham Palace—she had two very well-connected sisters living in London at that time; one of them was actually married to the Queen’s secretary. They would have been with her every moment of the day!
Anyway, I gave up on The Crown and got dressed around one o’clock.
Pajama Day!
I will never partake of its divine nature till I ascend to heaven where everybody wears a nightgown.
###
Not much other news to report. I see that China has formed a new free trade organization, The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP.). It’s the world’s largest. Members include China, S. Korea, Japan and all the nations of southeast Asia but not the United States.
I think the creation of this agency signals the end of American economic hegemony. When future historians try to date the Beginning of the End for the U.S., today’s date will prove a convenient marker.
Naturally, the story is getting practically no coverage in the American press.
“She should sleep with you,” my mother said.
“No way!” said I. “She takes up too much room. And anyway, you both smoke!”
(This is not actually true. Annie does not smoke.)
“Stop it, stop it!” Annie said. “I’ll sleep here.”
And she sank down upon the floor.
Well. She does look comfortable there, I thought.
But felt guilty just the same.
###
I lasted through four episodes of The Crown before I got…
Well.
Not exactly bored.
More frustrated.
Who are these fucking idiots, and why should I care about them? I wondered.
I mean, I do care about them. I’ve been culturally programmed to care about them. And it’s not as though I look down upon the phenomenon of celebrity. I think celebrities play a vitally important role in the collective consciousness: They are iterations of the ancient archetypes, retrofitted for modern times. Kim Kardashian is the Venus of Willendorf Creative Suite.
But the British royal family?
British nobility in general?
Come on.
Debrett’s Peerage is a lot less interesting than the pedigrees of the first three runners-up at the Westminster Kennel Club Show.
The only interesting member of the British royal family is Philip.
I kind of resented the heavy-handed way show attempted to pluck my heartstrings on behalf of poor, tormented Diana. Although I did enjoy the visual of lonesome Diana roller-skating through the painting-lined galleries, I don’t believe for a single moment that Diana would have been so isolated when she stayed in Buckingham Palace—she had two very well-connected sisters living in London at that time; one of them was actually married to the Queen’s secretary. They would have been with her every moment of the day!
Anyway, I gave up on The Crown and got dressed around one o’clock.
Pajama Day!
I will never partake of its divine nature till I ascend to heaven where everybody wears a nightgown.
###
Not much other news to report. I see that China has formed a new free trade organization, The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP.). It’s the world’s largest. Members include China, S. Korea, Japan and all the nations of southeast Asia but not the United States.
I think the creation of this agency signals the end of American economic hegemony. When future historians try to date the Beginning of the End for the U.S., today’s date will prove a convenient marker.
Naturally, the story is getting practically no coverage in the American press.
no subject
Date: 2020-11-16 11:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-11-17 10:18 am (UTC)Oh, yeah, I just loved that! And her dancing alone to Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film” and lots of other clips with bits of 80s songs, which I’ve just now found:
https://www.smoothradio.com/news/entertainment/the-crown-season-4-soundtrack-music-songs/
no subject
Date: 2020-11-17 03:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-11-17 03:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-11-17 10:57 pm (UTC)I have tried 3 times to watch The Crown, twice starting from season 1 episode 1, the last cutting to the chase and trying to get absorbed by the Diana years. I just can't get there. A pity, because Gillian Anderson sounds gloriously over the top as Thatcher, and it's well known (in so much as these things ever are 'well known,') that the Queen felt Thatcher lorded it over her. I wouldn't be surprised. For all I think Thatcher was quite dreadful in many ways, she got to the top through hard work and was not the kind to be awed by anything less.
no subject
Date: 2020-11-17 11:33 pm (UTC)The fourth season, which just came out, is the weakest in my never humble opinion. 😊. Although I will say Gillian Anderson is quite fun to watch! I don't know how accurate her portrayal of Thatcher is, but it's very entertaining.
And the actress who play Diana does an uncanny imitation.
The first two seasons of the show were pretty good, I thought, but highly selective in the events portrayed to the advantage of the royals. Like it doesn't show how in 1947, the coldest winter on record, the royal family took off for South Africa—which brands them once and forever as scuzzballs so far as I'm concerned.
I'm not opposed to separating the Head of State from the Head of Government. In fact, I think the 70 million Americans who just cast their ballots for Trump only wanted him for Head of State and would have been perfectly happy to vote for the Democrat to do the boring governance stuff had they had that option. But the British royals are. neither attractive, intelligent, nor charismatic. Do I give a shit if they can trace their ancestry back to the first Cro Magnon Man with a big club? I do not. None of us sprang from spontaneous generation, which means we all had ancestors.
no subject
Date: 2020-11-18 08:23 am (UTC)And in any case, there are at least 2 breaks in the royal line, we can thank Richard III for that snippet of information. I like to think of it as a teeny vengeful slap in the face of Tudors from beyond the grave. Brits seldom want to think about the reality of royals; even my more rational friends make excuses for it. Habit trumps!
And speaking of him, I recall a friend quoting that the US 'chooses a king every 4 years.' Certainly Trump does have similarities with medieval monarchs. It's a good thing that he's not a man for armies, or I'd be worried for my US friends.
no subject
Date: 2020-11-18 03:06 pm (UTC)I wonder if the separation of Head of State from Head of Government would work if the Head of State position was not hereditary?