Seth Meyers asked this anti-royalist for his reaction to the news coverage of the funeral. Oliver describes an innocuous but wry comment he made that was censored by Sky TV that broadcasts his show in the UK. He also says that a supermarket chain there muted the beeps that its scanners make as a mark of respect. He was pretty funny.
Incidentally, whenever I ridicule the absurd extent of the coverage and its hagiographic nature of non-news like Queen Elizabeth’s death and funeral, I inevitably get comments to the effect that by writing thus, I am contributing to the coverage, implying that I am being inconsistent. This puzzles me. Of course I am referring to the same event. That is obvious. But there is a difference between covering an event and making fun of that coverage. The point of making fun is to try and ridicule such coverage out of existence. It may or may not work but staying silent will definitely not bring about any change.
When confronted with pompous nonsense, the best thing to do is laugh at it.
When confronted with pompous nonsense, the best thing to do is laugh at it.
Or, maybe, not let it distract us from all those other issues we think are more important, and stay focused on them all the way through. Like, for example, what’s their new PM been doing while we’re all busy mourning (or laughing) at the big state funeral/circus?
“But there is a difference between covering an event and making fun of that coverage.”
Some people don’t care for the use/mention distinction.
Mocking something is not ignoring something; mocking something for being ubiquitous does not diminish the ubiquity of that which is mocked, but rather increases it. I reckon ‘ironic’ is more applicable than “inconsistent”.
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Incidentally, I came across the featured clip when it first manifested, and gave up before the end. Basically two people stroking each other. Bait’n’switch.
Bah.
@ Raging Bee
I find it quite possible to be concerned about the damage Truss is doing and also to be disgusted by the whole spectacle of the monarchy. I mean who else gets to pass on an estate worth £1 billion to his son with no tax liability at all?
There has obviously been a lot of peformative grieving over Elizabeth, to some rediculous extents. I read an opinion by somone who suggested it’s the result of her simple length of… tenure?
Few know exactly how much is enough so are being excessive just to be sure they’re seen to do enough.
Point : Sarah Palin
Counter Point : Donald Trump