The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
James Delingpole ·
February 8, 2012 at 5:23pm
Watch this video. It's pure genius. You might have trouble deciphering the accent. It's known as Black Country, which is the part of the Midlands my mother's side of the family comes from. Anyway, while accent may not be so easily comprehensible, the sentiment certainly will.
You have entitlement culture on your side of the pond, we have it on ours. Two heads of the same Hydra.
The guy who made the film by the way is called David Tristram. I expect, given his politics, he's not likely to be invited to Hollywood any time soon.
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Jun '11
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
Didn't we already get this after 2008? "Obama's gonna pay for my gas and mortgage !".
Stephen Spicer: James, Pure genius!
It captures the entitlement sentiment perfectly. My hope is that it will inspire an american version so it can run in opposition to " Halftime in America" at next years Super Bowl. · 2 hours ago
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
It's true Diane and Troy, that there's a strain in English humor where we'd rather be misunderstood than ever have to explain that we're joking.
Mind you, that was the genius of Spinal Tap. Not for a second did it ever try to flag up that it was anything other than a serious Rockumentary.
Anyway, glad you guys found it as funny as I did.
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
Needs Jim Royle issuing a big braying laugh at the end. Otherwise, brilliant.
Edited on February 8, 2012 at 9:06pmJan '12
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
Brilliant!
Jan '11
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
Yes, pushed parody, and wouldn't it be funny if the actual welfare scenarios in Great Britain one reads about weren't even worse. Laughing at such as this is much more comfortable than the reality.
But, excepting the nose jewelery, she has a beautiful Modigliani face, particularly her nose. Only missing the pale blue eyes.
Aug '10
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
James Lileks: Needs Jim Royle issuing a big braying laugh at the end. Otherwise, brilliant. · 17 minutes ago
Edited 15 minutes ago
Pretty sure she said two weeks cruise in Barbados,all inclusive.
Maybe Lileks will have a chance to meet her !!
Sep '11
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
I am staggered beyond belief that those of you on the other side of the pond can understand any of this whatever. Besides the vast gulf that exists between English and American humour, the impenetrable Black Country accent combined with her tendency to drop her voice every few words would tend to obscure almost everything. Perhaps some tri-lingual benefactor might provide subtitles plus one of those drummers to plays a Boom-ching every time something funny is said - just as you have on Letterman and all of those other chat shows that I'm told you love so much.
Feb '11
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
And it had a happy ending: kids off to Barbados.
& much easier to understand than somebody from Glasgow.
Aug '10
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
I understand Niall Ferguson just fine! ;-)
Nov '11
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
Thank you, James! As one who is - reluctantly - part of the entitlement culture on this side of the pond, I find this hits the nail on the head. Brilliant...
Dec '10
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
Cor, stone the bl**dy crows, that took me back a bit. Now, thankfully, back to Downton Abbey . . . .
Aug '10
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
Takes You back ??, I saw that saying and remembered an album I have moldering in the basement.
This group featured Les Harvey, one of the very few guitarists to be electrocuted on stage by a live mic.
sorry-- back to poor auld england......
Edited on February 9, 2012 at 12:30amApr '11
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
Imagine my disappointment when, as I'm laughing at her with proper conservative disgust, I realize it's SUPPOSED to be funny.
But, the fact that it's a put-on gives me the tiniest glimmer of hope in humanity. Let the harshing of my mellow begin in 5...4....3...2...
Oct '10
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
That’s got to be Catherine Tate, no? The funniest Brit comedian alive today, IMHO.
BTW - while "cow" is only mildly derogatory in the US, for women in the UK it's a much stronger, more insulting term of derision. I've only ever heard women say it about other women, but I suppose men can/do too(?).
Aug '10
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
HVTs
That’s got to be Catherine Tate, no? The funniest Brit comedian alive today, IMHO.
I guess not, she is identified as Gill Jordan, real life mother of three, in this article.
May '10
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
I once ran a fairly major company in the Black Country. If those with a historical bent would like to understand the Luddite period, this is the perfect spot to do so. It is almost like a society frozen in the mind/value set of that time.
What tips it off as being phony is that she a) has looked for a job and b) braves the exhaustion of opening the check, rather than having someone else do it (Social Services?). c) isn't bitterly complaining about lack of adequate subsidies for kiddy vacations.
I had almost forgotten how impenetrable that accent can be. Actually worse than Yorkshire.
Oct '10
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
Instugator
HVTs
That’s got to be Catherine Tate, no? The funniest Brit comedian alive today, IMHO.
I guess not, she is identified as Gill Jordan, real life mother of three, in this article.
Thanks for the steer ... she even sounds like Tate and it is a very Tatesque sketch. Tate is quite the the Mistress of Disguise so I thought it just might be her lurking under there. Regardless, a brilliant piece of oh-so British satire.
Dec '10
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
The horrifying thing about this is that, like all exemplars of its kind, it could be true, and it almost is. I remember taking the train from Worcester to Shrewsbury (Wuster to Shrowsbry) several years ago in a carriage with half a dozen folks who moaned and groaned all the way there. What they were saying, idiomatically and philosophically, wasn't all that far away from 'Doreen's Story.'
I was sad that the England of my eccentric, but fiercely independent, elderly relatives had descended to this, and happy to get back Stateside.
Not sure where I'll go next. Maybe to one of Newt's moon colonies . . .
Dec '10
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
flownover
Takes You back ??, I saw that saying and remembered an album I have moldering in the basement.
This group featured Les Harvey, one of the very few guitarists to be electrocuted on stage by a live mic.
sorry-- back to poor auld england...... · 15 hours ago
Edited 15 hours ago
Well, strike me pink!
(Perhaps not exactly the right exclamation for these troubled times . . .)
Jan '12
Re: The Authentic Voice of Entitlement Culture
Reminds me of my past sojourns in the U.K. I was often embarrassed when someone spoke English to my face and I understood no more than if they had spoken Etruscan.