Friday, May 01, 2009

Any subject but football will do

Last night Reidski and I went to the National Theatre and saw England People Very Nice.

Fair to say it has had mixed reviews with some people saying they were uncomfortable with people around them laughing at racism, but having seen it I think the audience laughs at the stupidity of racism.

Anyway, blatant plagiarism coming up now as I repeat here a particularly poignant moment from the play.

This particular scene takes part during the Blitz. Our Cockney barmaid is mourning the loss of her lover, killed as he was by a bomb. She stands at the graveside and announces she had intended to read a poem, but had instead decided to say a word for Hitler. And that word was............

'Cunt!'

There was a time when I would have found that word, used in such a context as totally offensive to women, but these days I tend to think that if anyone has a better word for Hitler, I have yet to hear it.

3 comments:

Karen said...

I don't really like the use of that word, but I do use it on "special" occasions for people who deserve it. I would say that Hitler is certainly one of those times.

naldo said...

My wife used to cross the street to argue with people who used that word but she has totally mellowed ahout it in recent years. I like to think that may have something to do with our (as in my male friends and i) frequent use of it in a stricly ironic stylee like, "Aye that Scottie's a right good cunt." Bit i'm sure her reasons for coping with the word are more complex than that.

We also use it as our wee in-phrase "Awkuntzbarry!" which means everyone is fine and can be abbreviated to AKB when in polite company (kids about).

But i agree with Karen, Hitler was a cunt. No irony intended.

J.J said...

Karen - appropriate use there alright.

Naldo - maybe it is a Scottish thing cos Reidski does that too - as in 'so and so is a great cunt'. Thinking about it - it is probably since we have been together that I have downgraded the word from beyond the pale to everyday abuse - His fault!