Friday, February 24, 2012

I know it’s hard to believe, but...

...once upon a time the leaders of Her Majesty’s gubmint were real people with crooked teeth, pot bellies, fallen arches, and the like. They looked like this:


and this:


and, yes, even this:


But all of them looked like actual, living, breathing members of the species homo sapiens. People like you and me. People with aches and pains. People with flaws.

Here are two more of fairly recent vintage:












Ordinary-looking blokes, both of them. People you might pass on the street or with whom you might share a pint at the local pub or beside whom you might sit at a soccer match.

But something very strange has happened. The current leaders over there across the pond in you-know-where look more like Hollywood actors. They are pretty boys, perfect specimens stamped out with a cookie cutter, almost artificial in their sameness. The effect is Stepford-wives-ish.

Here, for example, are random British leader #1:


















random British leader #2:



and random British leader #3:


...all of whom just happen to have ascended to the highest, most powerful political offices in the land.

Uncanny, isn’t it?

And more than a little bit scary.

Because if the mannequins have already taken over, can the robots be far behind?

I have realized just this minute where I have seen their like before. It was the sinister children in the 1960 film, Village of the Damned.

Let me just say in closing, dear reader, that in this world of ordinary people, extraordinary people, I’m glad there is you.
Yes, in this world of overrated treasures and underrated pleasures, I’m so glad there is you.

[Editor’s note. I would like to thank, in the order of their appearance in this post, Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Harold Macmillan, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, George Osborne, Nick Clegg, David Cameron, the sinister children in Village of the Damned, and the lyrics of Jimmy Dorsey and Paul Madeira. --RWP]

10 comments:

  1. Funny you should say that RWP - I'm quite glad there is me, too... LOL :)

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  2. Jinksy! Glad you're back in Blogworld again.

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  3. But she isn't paying attention, because I'm pretty sure 'your' David Cameron isn't David Cameron. I even think that your David Cameron is actually Nick Clegg. And I think the person in photo 2 is Nick Clegg too. But I could be mistaken of course. I'm not British, like Jinksy ;-) Perhaps Lord Pudding will put things right.

    Furthermore, you are not judging people by their appearance, are you? For that would be very superficial.

    And I've seen the birthplace of Winston Churchill and can assure you that he's not like me at all. He was quite a posh bloke :-)

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  4. Carolina's right - you've got two Nick Cleggs there which is guaranteed to raise Mr Pudding's temperature.

    But you theory is credible. I pointed out some years ago the uncanny similarity between David Cameron and Data from Star Trek.

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  5. Thank you, sharp-eyed readers, one and all, for pointing out my teensy-weensy little photographic faux pas, which has now been corrected.

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  6. How scary. You seem to be correct. Hollywood's insidious influence, no doubt.

    Waves to Jinksy.

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  7. Ha! Ha! I love your American take on our esteemed leaders but I would not have gone out for a drink with any of them! Mind you, if that nice man Mr Obama called round I would happily take him down to my local for a few pints.

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  8. We don't seem to have quite the same problem with out politicians here as one of the top three is a woman and a red head and so quite easy to distinguish from the rest!!
    Cheers
    PS. Thanks for the kind comment on our travel tips blog!

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<b>Always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion</b>

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