Re: Defend your choice

1

Cemetery Gates, surely, for the line, "Ere thrice the sun done salutation to the dawn." I mean, I don't know how English that is exactly, but it sure doesn't sound like something an American would say.


Posted by: jms | Link to this comment | 01-12-16 9:05 PM
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2

Strong choice. A Keats/Yeats vs Wilde showdown is also pretty English.


Posted by: FL | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 5:19 AM
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3

Depends. How many DJs are actually hung.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 5:27 AM
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4

I don't mean to be overly literal-minded, but: 'Panic'.


Posted by: Adam Roberts | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 5:27 AM
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5

Strong choice. A Keats/Yeats vs Wilde showdown is also pretty English.

Maybe I'm missing the point, but only one of them was English.


Posted by: Ginger Yellow | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 5:36 AM
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6

There's nothing more English than random Irishmen fighting each other in public places.


Posted by: ajay | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 5:42 AM
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7

Nothing's more English than the Anglo-Irish.


Posted by: dalriata | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 6:11 AM
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8

Nothing's more English than the phrase "Nothing's more English". Except warm beer, maybe? I'm not au courant with modern-day Englishosity.


Posted by: Walt Someguy | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 6:40 AM
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9

"Paddy Solemn and the Stochastic Irishman."


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 6:42 AM
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10

The Queen Is Dead

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/smiths/thequeenisdead.html


Posted by: cleek | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 7:03 AM
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11

Vicar in a tutu is a classic English character. In America we'd demand he give up his tutu or his parish.


Posted by: Criminally Bulgur | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 7:45 AM
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12

Last night, Hokey Pokey called Messily's meal 'British'. We're not sure what he meant - it was apparently a very funny joke - but it had something to do with the British character from Planes, Bulldog. He liked the meal a lot, though.


Posted by: heebie-geebie | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 7:47 AM
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13

We were having bangers and mash and meat pies. It was a mystery.


Posted by: heebie-geebie | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 7:48 AM
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14

It's not a mystery. It's a kidney.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 7:55 AM
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15

My own vote goes to "Handsome Devil".


Posted by: nosflow | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 7:55 AM
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16

"Meat is Murder" because England has a proud tradition of principled vegetarianism.


Posted by: peep | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 8:16 AM
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17

I mean, I don't know how English that is exactly
That's not English, that's just Morrissey, and that goes for a surprising number of Smiths songs.

Still Ill, maybe?


Posted by: foolishmortal | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 9:08 AM
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18

"Panic" or "The Queen is Dead" are the obvious choices for most English (on account of the supreme English-ness of having it occur to one to build songs around either London or the Queen to begin with). I'm tempted to argue that "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is the most British, though.


Posted by: Lord Castock | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 11:29 AM
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19

No, that's the most Mexican.


Posted by: nosflow | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 11:40 AM
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20

Given my extremely limited knowledge of the Smiths repertoire, "Headmaster Ritual" was the one that immediately came to mind.


Posted by: lurid keyaki | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 11:43 AM
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21

No, that's the most Mexican.

Huh, very interesting article. Thanks.

Call the song "Mexican Sangre, American Corazón," change no other part of the story, and you have the Chicano experience in a 3-minute rager, of the push-and-pull that a colonized people have toward their Yankee overlords...or something like that.

Posted by: NickS | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 11:55 AM
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22

21: you might enjoy its longer predecessor.


Posted by: nosflow | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 12:03 PM
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23

19: Only if one concedes that comparing it to the Cuco Sanchez love song is accurate (that will be one People's Eyebrow for Gustavo Arellano).


Posted by: Lord Castock | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 2:38 PM
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24

(Although I suppose it could simultaneously be both.)


Posted by: Lord Castock | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 2:39 PM
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25

There is a Latin music festival in Austin that had a Smiths en espanol cover band. There were also a lot of Hispanic goths in early 90s South Florida who loved the Smiths (though not as much as the Cure). The phenomenon seems of relatively long standing.


Posted by: Criminally Bulgur | Link to this comment | 01-13-16 3:20 PM
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There were also a lot of Hispanic goths in early 90s South Florida

I've long wondered at the fact that the people I know who seem most drawn to the Goth subculture are always those people least physically suited to it. The entire point of the Goth look is to be tall, thin, pale, glum, and sickly-looking. You are a short, round, robust, red-haired woman with freckles and a big grin. Nature did not intend you for a Goth any more than she intended you for a basketball player. Off you go to a folk music festival and have some real ale.

Being a Hispanic Goth in the sunniest part of the United States must require even more commitment to fight the dictates of nature.


Posted by: ajay | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 3:10 AM
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27

That's kind of the state theme.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 3:16 AM
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28

Compared to Disney or the sugar industry, it's organic groats from a spoon that gives you joy.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 3:25 AM
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29

I'm boarding a Southwest flight at a not-Southwest gate. I have to imagine the numbered pillars.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 3:34 AM
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30

27: so I am informed.
http://fafblog.blogspot.co.uk/2004/09/stand-tall-florida-florida-has-been-in.html

Yes Californians get an earthquake now and then, yes it snows up north. But only you have decided to shuffle off to an enormous foul poisonous bog afflicted with giant man-eating lizards which is routinely punched from the sky by storm titans who seek to blot it from the very sight of God!

You have recognized that it is Man's Great Destiny to colonize every inch of the planet even - no! especially! - those parts of the earth that are so comically inhospitable that the assembled forces of God and Nature lash out in a concerted attempt to destroy their aged, enfeebled residents on a regular basis! If you liked sunny weather you could have moved to Arizona. If you liked tourist traps you could have moved to Las Vegas. If you liked vast political corruption you could have moved to Chicago. But your Faustian striving for a ranch home in a noxious wind-battered wasteland has driven you to boldly live where no one else would ever want to before!


Posted by: ajay | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 3:39 AM
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31

Speaking of typically English, NMM to Alan Rickman. More of an icon to me than Bowie ever was.


Posted by: Ume | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 5:48 AM
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32

31: wow, that was unexpected.


Posted by: ajay | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 5:57 AM
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33

The acronym may be more apt than usual.

His sensational breakthrough came in 1986 as Valmont, the mordant seducer in Christopher Hampton's Les Liaisons Dangereuses. He was nominated for a Tony for the part; Lindsay Duncan memorably said of her co-star's sonorous performance that audiences would leave the theatre wanting to have sex "and preferably with Alan Rickman".

A friend and I queued for hours to get returns to the last performance of that production. It was absolutely worth it.


Posted by: Ume | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 6:03 AM
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34

This may be the first time "NMM" actually had reason to apply in my world.


Posted by: Di Kotimy | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 6:40 AM
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35

Hey, long time.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 6:42 AM
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36

35: As 34 makes perfectly clear, she has, until very recently, had other more important things to do.


Posted by: ajay | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 6:56 AM
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37

Stop dying!


Posted by: md 20/400 | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 6:56 AM
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38

Especially at 69. It's like an slow-acting, entertainment version of Logan's Run.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 7:08 AM
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39

||

Fury Road nominated for Best Picture. Feminism rulez, sexism drools.

|>


Posted by: Walt Someguy | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 7:14 AM
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40

35: I believe, in context, you mean : "After all this time?"


Posted by: Di Kotimy | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 7:23 AM
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41

31: By Grabthar's Hammer he will be avenged!


Posted by: togolosh | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 7:26 AM
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42

Love for 41. RIP.


Posted by: Barry Freed | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 7:29 AM
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43

40 pwns 41, sort of.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 7:45 AM
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44

My brother and I still quote "You ask for a miracle, I give you the F. B. I." to each other. It's the way he enunciates each letter that makes it extra hilarious.


Posted by: Walt Someguy | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 7:50 AM
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45

Is It Really So Strange. Constantly banging on about The North and The South, lives in a tiny house, kills things, and supremely passive aggressive. Also catchy.


Posted by: conflated | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 7:54 AM
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46

43 Galaxy Quest > Harry Potter


Posted by: Barry Freed | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 7:55 AM
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47

Nerd.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 7:57 AM
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48

Galaxy Quest really is a perfect movie, and Rickman is perfect in it.


Posted by: Walt Someguy | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 7:59 AM
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49

If you think that almost restarting Tim Allen's career is worth it, maybe.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 8:01 AM
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50

But I don't see how you can justify the risk.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 8:01 AM
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51

Did I get the alligator jaws right on that?


Posted by: Barry Freed | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 8:04 AM
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52

47 works regardless.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 8:05 AM
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53

Recommending Blow Dry with Rickman as broken hairdresser, Bill Nighy as the eeeevil competitor, Natasha Richardson as Rickman's ex-wife, and Rachel Griffiths as Richardson's current lover/partner and Rickman's ex-model. Written by Simon Beaufoy, between Full Monty and Slumdog Millionaire

Judas Kiss has Rickman and Emma Thompson trading witticisms, Gugino in an early part

RIP Rickman. Damn


Posted by: bob mcmanus | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 8:21 AM
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There was a period where it was a wonder he ever worked again, though. Since his modus operandi was to appear in a major Hollywood blockbuster as the villain, and then just completely steal every scene from the nominal star.

My own favourite, is the:

'YSheriff of Nottingham: [to a wench] You. My room. 10:30 tonight.
Sheriff of Nottingham: [to another wench] You. 10:45... And bring a friend."

sequence, from Robin Hood. Which apparently he added [with help from some friends he'd asked to help jazz up his lines].


Posted by: nattarGcM ttaM | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 9:19 AM
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55

39: and Rooney Mara for Best Actress in a Role That Isn't Top-Billed So I Guess It's "Supporting" Somehow.


Posted by: nosflow | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 9:22 AM
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56

But I don't see how you can justify the risk.

Well if it all went horribly wrong, you could just activate the Omega 13.


Posted by: Ginger Yellow | Link to this comment | 01-14-16 10:43 AM
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