PC MADNESS

[basil6345789]

Seen it all now. On tonight's tv talent show a choir performing Jerusalem repeatedly sand "Britain's green and pleasant land".?WTF - it's been "England's" for 200 years, ever since Blake's poem. What next?

[Imploding Turtle]

This is definitely something we should all care about. Many outrage. Much angry. Wow.

[ClaretAndJew]

I'll tell you what next, basil.

They are going to start arresting people just for saying you're English. And throwing you in jail.

In fact, I've heard you can actually get arrested just for saying you're English. And then thrown in jail.

Right?

How bad is that.

Arrested AND thrown in jail JUST FOR SAYING YOU'RE ENGLISH.

Just for saying you're English, you can get arrested and thrown in a jail.

You can. You can get arrested AND thrown IN JAIL JUST for saying you're English.

[Imploding Turtle]

I'm starting to really believe we're the same Stewart Lee fan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkCBhKs4faI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

See also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99s19HBs-6A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ClaretAndJew]

Don't forget to log out of your IT account C&J.

[basil6345789]

It was my School Hymn - should be sung properly, with the reeght words at all times - up yours, Turtle.

[ClaretAndJew]

My school hymns were all about god.

Times change, I wouldn't worry about it.

[Rowls]

Why on earth would any kind of imbecile change the words to this????

It's just moronic.

Utterly, utterly incomprehensibly moronic.

It doesn't achieve anything.

It's not even a "patriotic hymn" as many believe it to be. It's a poem about freedom of spirit and mind from conformity.

But the anger of the OP is justified - whoever thought they could "improve" the poetry of Blake almost certainly has as many screws loose as Blake himself did. If I ever meet the dim-witted goon who thought this was a good idea I'll give them a piece of my mind and bore them to insanity about what a stupid, pointless, mindless and witless thing they did.

[Imploding Turtle]

It was my School Hymn - should be sung properly, with the reeght words at all times - up yours, Turtle.

"with the reeght words"

"the reeght words"

[Imploding Turtle]

Why on earth would any kind of imbecile change the words to this????

It's just moronic.

Utterly, utterly incomprehensibly moronic.

It doesn't achieve anything.

******* right mate. They should do as the poem tells them, like the rest of us do and not change anything.

It's a poem about freedom of spirit and mind from conformity.

Oh. Errm.

[basil6345789]

You're a good lass, Turtle but so predictable.

[ksrclaret]

Kumbaya, my friend, kumbaya

[Rowls]

Here is a revised version of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18.

I've "updated" it to make it more relevant.

Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperature controlled
UK Gold doth show the Darling Buds of May
And this gives life to thee

Naturally, I've cut out a lot of the crappy part but we can all agree that by making it more relevant and, well, just better than it was before. It's certainly not arrogant to change an historical piece of literature that has been studied and loved for hundreds of years. In fact, it's essential that we do so.

For a more cohesive and caring, more tolerant and sharing society.

[Lancasterclaret]

You can't argue with some modern efforts though. I particularly like this one.

"when they came for Katy hopkins, I said nothing, because I'd been waiting ages for them to come for Katie Hopkins.

And when they came for Piers Morgan, I said" he's there, behind the sofa"

[martin_p]

The OP must be really conflicted about Tracey Ullman changing the lyrics of the Madness hit My Girl's Mad at Me to My Guy's Mad at Me. Which is worst, changing the words of the original or leaving them the same and then implying some sort of 'PC gone mad' lesbian relationship?

[basil6345789]

For me most updates, like cover versions of songs, very rarely work. Yet to see a film remake as good as the original, with some bordering on the embarassing. As for your bit about society, well, don't think those poor victims of last week will be too impressed. Everything thesedays seems to be more greedy and selfish, even the way people drive their cars.

[Rowls]

Here is a short list of poets whose work would benefit from me changing their words around a bit, adding in new ones and perhaps a handful of humorous rhyming couplets:

Shakespeare
Milton
Blake
Keats
Coleridge
Thomas
Tennyson
Hughes
Plath

Naturally this list is NOT exhaustive. My alterations and improvements to their poetry will echo through the ages like an added plusness. It will be like the cherry on top of a cake. It will be the bestest, bestest, bestest thing to ever happen to these poets' reputations.

On the other hand, here is an exhaustive list of the poets who other people (I'm not naming names but this applies to you ) could -possibly, but not definitely- improve upon:

William McGonnagal

[Rowls]

The OP must be really conflicted about Tracey Ullman changing the lyrics of the Madness hit My Girl's Mad at Me to My Guy's Mad at Me. Which is worst, changing the words of the original or leaving them the same and then implying some sort of 'PC gone mad' lesbian relationship?

I'm glad you've brought Tracey Ullman into this martin, I really am.

Because her canon of work reminds me of the work of Blake more than any other living artist. There is a real symmetry and synergy in the respected work of the two.

It would have been amiss if a thread about William Blake had not referenced Tracey Ullman.

Thank you. Thank you for bringing her up.

[basil6345789]

Martin_p - it's normal to change the gender in a cover version by the opposite - always was, that is until a recent tv add where the female singer stuck to "girl" when singing "Get Ready" - that sounded odd to me.

[Rowls]

Anyway, don't mind me chaps.

I'm just off to add a few extra turns and twists to the staid and predictable plot of Great Expectations.

What larks. Oh! What larks.

'Night all. x x x

[nil_desperandum]

I don't agree with changing the words, but as I now understand it, it was a totally dumb choice of song. (Whoever chose it? Not the choir I think).
Why would a Celtic Welsh choir sing a hymn about England?
It's not really a patriotic poem -as another poster correctly stated - , but it's been adopted as a sort of English Anthem.

[levraiclaret]

Seen it all now. On tonight's tv talent show a choir performing Jerusalem repeatedly sand "Britain's green and pleasant land".?WTF - it's been "England's" for 200 years, ever since Blake's poem. What next?

Should have watched "Later with" Haim, Maren Morris and Chronixx, its repeated on Friday.

[Woonderbah]

I'll tell you what next, basil.

They are going to start arresting people just for saying you're English. And throwing you in jail.

In fact, I've heard you can actually get arrested just for saying you're English. And then thrown in jail.

Right?

How bad is that.

Arrested AND thrown in jail JUST FOR SAYING YOU'RE ENGLISH.

Just for saying you're English, you can get arrested and thrown in a jail.

You can. You can get arrested AND thrown IN JAIL JUST for saying you're English.

Would explain why we haven't seen Johnny English on our screens for a while. .. been getting banged up the slammer.. poor soul

[JTClaret]

Was the tv talent show called Britain's got talent?

I regularly go to a place most of you have been to, and there we change the words of various songs just so we can say the word Burnley

[dsr]

Was the tv talent show called Britain's got talent?

I regularly go to a place most of you have been to, and there we change the words of various songs just so we can say the word Burnley

That's because the purpose of our singing is to praise Burnley (or to denigrate someone else, can't remember the name of who it is for the moment. Third division team, I think.)

The purpose of this choir was supposed to be to sing the song as well as they could; not to make a mildly political comment. I bet they wouldn't have sung "Britain the Brave", and I bet they wouldn't expect an English choir to sing "Land of My Fathers" with "Britain" replacing "Wales, Wales".

[Tinribs]

Interview before they sung.One lass gushing about how proud to be welsh they were.
Dont blame her at all.
But the phrase proud to be English is never heard.we cannot rejoice Englishness its frowned upon,we have to be British.

[ClaretAndJew]

Interview before they sung.One lass gushing about how proud to be welsh they were.
Dont blame her at all.
But the phrase proud to be English is never heard.we cannot rejoice Englishness its frowned upon,we have to be British.

Aye, thrown in jail for saying you're English.

[BennyD]

I'm ENGLISH, not British. That is all.

[Dazzler]

This still makes me smile...Admiral Nelson's Navy under PC restraints.
https://www.strategypage.com/humor/arti ... 782222.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Frenchclaret]

Loved that Dazzler, best laugh I've had in ages!

[nil_desperandum]

That's because the purpose of our singing is to praise Burnley (or to denigrate someone else, can't remember the name of who it is for the moment. Third division team, I think.)

The purpose of this choir was supposed to be to sing the song as well as they could; not to make a mildly political comment. I bet they wouldn't have sung "Britain the Brave", and I bet they wouldn't expect an English choir to sing "Land of My Fathers" with "Britain" replacing "Wales, Wales".

Think you're sort of missing the point here, though I don't blame you because you probably don't know how these things work.
There's no way this Celtic Welsh Choir would have selected this song. (I'll guarantee it's not in their usual repertoire).
Someone on Cowell's team will have decided it was a great idea, because they have a limited knowledge of choral repertoire. The Welsh choir will have expressed reservations, not because they're racist, or to be PC, but because it doesn't make sense for them to sing it.
Then someone at BGT, will have had the "fantastic" idea of changing it to "Britain" because that's the name of the programme.
It was an awful and inappropriate song choice, but I don't believe there was any deliberate slight to the English, nor was the decision taken on PC grounds. (Only my opinion, of course, but knowing how programmes like that are put together, I bet I'm right).