Author Topic: A random thread for small entertainment things not warranting their own thread..  (Read 284501 times)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
When they come to doing an adaptation of Dambusters, will the squadron mascot be renamed to Dog of Colour?
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

ian

Digger, I believe.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Someone on Brain of Britain, in response to the question "Brian Gamlin of Bury was alleged to have designed the numbering system for which game?" answered "Numberwang".  Unfortunately he didn't get a point for it.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

Digger, I believe.

Disappointing.

Not sure if serious, but this is an issue that gets a disproportionate amount of outrage when it's suggested that it be changed, especially from the DM 'political correctness gone mad' gammon brigade. Any film, indeed any work of history, is going to involve choices about things to leave out or streamline; the dog itself is dramatically important, in that its death provides an ominous note of foreshadowing, and its name was the codeword for a successful mission, but the name is now so charged (and even then it wasn't exactly neutral, even if it was more commonplace) that to use it would overshadow the plot. I went to see the 1955 film in the Peckham multiplex back when it had a limited release about a decade ago, and the scene where Barnes Wallis is jumping around with joy shouting the name after the dams have been breached made me wince. Yes, it might be historically correct, but unless you want to raise (historically accurate) issues about British and Empire racism*, you probably just want to change the name.

*You never see the 'but it's historically accurate!' crowd calling for the film to better discuss the nature and morality of Bomber Command's campaign...

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Not sure if serious...

 ;)

Quote
Yes, it might be historically correct, but unless you want to raise (historically accurate) issues about British and Empire racism*, you probably just want to change the name.

I find it amusing/perplexing that some people like to tie themselves in knots to defend the name, claiming it refers to a type of paint or something, as if that somehow justifies it. I'm entirely with you on this matter.

Going back to Titty/Tatty, I remember being one of a classful of teenage boys reading Mansfield Park and finding much amusement in some of the unintended innuendo arising from the main character's name. It's a shame to deny kids these small pleasures but the work isn't diminished by changing the name to something less distracting.

Mind you, I haven't grown up at all since those days. In the Archers yesterday evening, Kate and Jennifer Aldridge were discussing Alastair Lloyd being seen making an early morning departure from the home of Lavinia Rafferty. When Jennifer said "Perhaps he was attending to her Schnauzer" I nearly choked.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

ian

I'm mixed. I can see why for the dog and it's probably not worth the argument, as for Titty, whatever. It's historical and Swallows and Amazons is of its time and place and it's probably better to understand that than try to go back and airbrush history. I mean look at all the health and safety rules those kids break. They'd need to wear life jackets, be supervised by the correct ratio of adults who have passed exhaustive background checks, have a signed waiver from their parents and guardians, and clad head to toe in high-viz at all times.

And people of all ages should be allowed the pleasure of unintentional innuendo.

I first read the books aged 6 or 7 and though I was aware of the Titty name implications I just ignored it and carried on with the story. I wasn't aware of the Tatty mouse side of it. If the film and TV producers were worried about it they could have just called her Mavis which was the originals real name (Although the fictional Walker family and the real life Altounyans were very different in backgrounds).

Coming full circle my first encounter with the word nigger in print was in another of the Swallows and Amazons books where it is used to describe some pearls and Uncle Jim helpfully explains the derivation from the Spanish for black.
“There is no point in using the word 'impossible' to describe something that has clearly happened.”
― Douglas Adams

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
I'm mixed. I can see why for the dog and it's probably not worth the argument, as for Titty, whatever. It's historical and Swallows and Amazons is of its time and place and it's probably better to understand that than try to go back and airbrush history. I mean look at all the health and safety rules those kids break. They'd need to wear life jackets, be supervised by the correct ratio of adults who have passed exhaustive background checks, have a signed waiver from their parents and guardians, and clad head to toe in high-viz at all times.

And people of all ages should be allowed the pleasure of unintentional innuendo.

What is "BETTER DROWNED THAN DUFFERS IF NOT DUFFERS WON'T DROWN" if it's not a rock solid waiver?

All my Scout risk assessments follow the same model. (no they, don't, I'm joshing)
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

Still my favourite piece of wisdom from the books nearly three decades after I first read them; for some reason my wife seems less convinced when she asks me whether my girls are OK and I quote it at her...

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
I still want to tickle trout.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
I still want to tickle trout.

Don't they call it "guddling"?
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
On Radio 4 Extra every day this week is On Your Bike, a series about the history of the bicycle. First two episodes are available on iplayer:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yqg3z

(NB if it sounds familiar that’s because it was first broadcast in 2011.)
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

This made me smile.

http://www.openculture.com/2018/05/hip-hop-fan-freaks-out-when-he-hears-rage-against-the-machines-debut-album-for-the-very-first-time.html

The DJ at the rock night at the sadly-departed Bowes in Darlington always finished with Killing in the Name, and it became traditional to shout "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me" back at the bar staff when they called last orders.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
That's unreasonably cute.  And a new item on the list of things that people shouldn't do while driving.

Yeah, I was quite concerned by that. But he didn't show any footage of him running into errant pedestrians..

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
His car has a tape deck?  How frightfully twee!
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
The Inlaw Paw's first car played 78s.

(lie)
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather


Someone didn't check their working...

(click to show/hide)
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
...and I'd love to meet the bloke who had the bright idea: Jodie Kidd, anchorwoman
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
ITV4's coverage of the TT has gone badly downhill this year.  The new colemantator is terrible, Cameron Donald is not much better and the aforementioned Ms Kidd is so wooden she makes TV's D Friebe look like Antoine de Caunes.  And stop nodding, woman!  It's bad enough when Simon Schama does it, but at least you can close your eyes and find him interesting.  And there's no Steve Parrish.

But the real criminal was whoever was responsible for the foul slowed-down twee jangly acoustic cover of Iron Maiden's "The Number Of The Beast" played over last night's closing credits.  I want them found, I want them killed and I want it done yesterday.  It's a show about mad people on insanely fast motorcycles and the use of loud and high tempo guitar-based rock is mandatory.  RTFM >:(
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
"Box set". It grates. I feel it should be "Boxed set", which makes more sense grammatically I think.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
"Box set". It grates. I feel it should be "Boxed set", which makes more sense grammatically I think.

+1

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Even worse when they leave out the space.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight