The Animation
Well, this being a story with no organic life on-screen, I thought it
would be ideally suited to animation; and, indeed, this turns out to be
the case. I enjoyed this much more than the original comic.
Still, let's start with sound rather than vision. One minor annoyance is
the presence of some irritatingly slow Dalek voices, as there used to
be in some of the previous stories. I notice that this one is actually
an earlier release than The Pentaray Factor, where the problem didn't occur; so I'm hoping this is the last time we'll have to deal with it.
In contrast, the voice of the Brain Machine was fun; and the music and
sound effects from Empire 639 were great! The recording quality of all
the sound is as crisp as I could want, which hasn't always been true.
All of this really helps the experience.
Visually it's a strong release too. There's a lovely shot where the
camera is pointing through a sheet of metal, which is gradually eaten
away to reveal the scene behind. In fact, several of the rust attack
shots impress, as does a first-person view of the Black Dalek seen
through the eyestalk of a plague victim. The landscape of Skaro is also
pretty spectacular - it looks like it might be taken from photographs,
but if so I'm uncertain where on Earth they were snapped! The only
significant flaw is a glitch where the Emperor's saucer disappears
behind a strip of "sky", which is a shame.
Sound and vision also work together well to support the
characterisation. They really show how scared some of the Daleks are,
and I also found that the Black Dalek's personality comes through even
more strongly than in the comic.
Another aspect of the adaptation that raises this above the comic is the
pacing. Various events are compressed or expanded, creating more
tension and putting back some of the structure that was absent from the
comic. To be fair, this is taking advantage of the fact that there
doesn't have to be a cliffhanger every page; but regardless, it's a
carefully judged move which is a vast improvement.
There's not much humour here that wasn't present in the original comic
(scaredy-Daleks take a bow), but two moments are particularly worthy of
note. First, I loved the restrained and disarmed "volunteer" Dalek, poor
thing; and second, the moment when opposing Daleks are told "Do Not
Fight In Here!". I wonder if the Emperor's throne room is known as the
war room? It would certainly be appropriate.
VCD Extras
Surprisingly, there are no extras this time around. The disc didn't
really need them, but I was slightly disappointed. Ah well, I suppose
I'd better just cut this short and go drown me sorrows - or at least
listen to an Iris Wildthyme audio, which is pretty much the same
thing...
Rating:
Animation: 5/10.
Next Time:
The Menace of the Monstrons.
Monday, 30 October 2017
Monday, 23 October 2017
TV21 33-39: Plague of Death
The Comic
First, a note about the dates of publication. Mission to the Unknown went out on 9th October 1965, which means that the Dalek Chronicles (which began before The Chase was broadcast) are now overtaking the point I've reached in the TV strand of my marathon. And what's noticeable is that, in terms of tone, the TV series is only just catching up with the comic. Anyone who enjoyed Mission will have done so largely due to the sight of Daleks being both implacable and deadly, with additional variety provided by other alien threats. Basically, you have to possess a fascination with fear and death (as many humans do), a sense of horror that is at the heart of the comics' appeal as well. This, however, was almost entirely absent from The Chase, and to be honest not a major component of The Dalek Invasion of Earth after the first episode. No, you'd have to go all the way back to their debut as the title monsters of serial C to watch this mode of storytelling in action, and in that story the Daleks were confined to a single city and therefore in some way "safe". Like dinosaurs. Now they are out in the universe.
But enough of that - what of this serial? Structurally it's very interesting. Up until now the stories have been entirely linear, but most of this adventure takes place on Skaro while The Penta Ray Factor is happening elsewhere. What's more, the next serial begins before this one is fully resolved! It definitely adds something to the series.
[Spoilers all the way.]
Unfortunately I'm not so enamoured of the content. I'm not one to complain about dodgy science usually - oh, OK, I suppose that's the opposite of true, but generally I'll do so in passing and move on. Here, though, I find it particularly silly. The problems start with an explosion of dalatomic radiation, which fortunately exits in a column through a hole in the roof, leaving the laboratory area uncontaminated. Now, in a genre where we have energy beam weapons I can imagine that happening with a controlled process, but in an explosion? I mean, one of the things about radiation is that it, well, radiates. But it gets better. The beam strips the rust off the metal roof on the way out, creating a radioactive cloud of rust, the one thing Daleks fear.
(Incidentally, this leads to one of my favourite scenes, with Daleks running away from a wall while their leader yells at them to stop panicking. Very Monty Python and the Holy Grail...)
Now, this rust voraciously destroys any metal it touches, including desert stations and Dalek casings. What's more, when fired upon, it climbs the energy beams to contaminate the attackers. Fortunately the brain machine (remember that?) gives them the answer, and the cloud is stopped using static electromagnets. David Whitaker does love his static electricity, doesn't he? Though I can't see how it can create an electromagnet, which produces a magnetic field with an electric current. Perhaps my school just didn't teach me enough physics.
Anyway, this is when things get really weird. The rust turns into a plague, and Daleks start shooting each other to prevent their fellows getting close enough to pass it on. The Emperor returns to find that it isn't being spread between members of the general population, but only from one carrier Dalek - who just happens to be the Black Dalek, the one whose role means that he comes into contact with more of the populace than anyone else. The poor guy should have learned to delegate. He tries to sacrifice himself, but the Emperor refuses, saying they will build him a new casing. So, a happy ending, after a fashion.
I suppose the problem isn't really that the science is dodgy per se, but rather that each twist feels like a completely random magic-wand way of extending the story. There is no logic to it, and no story progression: each page or two a new way for the Daleks to be threatened by the rust appears. This is the serial, episode by episode: (1) create the cloud, (2) show the effects, (3) now it can climb energy beams, (4) the wind blows it towards the city, (5) it turns into a plague, (6) the Black Dalek is the carrier, (7) conclusion, but an alien ship lands. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam.
I take it back. Regardless of the way it overlaps with the stories on either side, this serial has no structure whatsoever.
Rating:
Comic: 2.5/10.
Published:
Dates: 4th September to 16th October 1965
Next Time:
Altered Vistas' take on Plague of Death.
First, a note about the dates of publication. Mission to the Unknown went out on 9th October 1965, which means that the Dalek Chronicles (which began before The Chase was broadcast) are now overtaking the point I've reached in the TV strand of my marathon. And what's noticeable is that, in terms of tone, the TV series is only just catching up with the comic. Anyone who enjoyed Mission will have done so largely due to the sight of Daleks being both implacable and deadly, with additional variety provided by other alien threats. Basically, you have to possess a fascination with fear and death (as many humans do), a sense of horror that is at the heart of the comics' appeal as well. This, however, was almost entirely absent from The Chase, and to be honest not a major component of The Dalek Invasion of Earth after the first episode. No, you'd have to go all the way back to their debut as the title monsters of serial C to watch this mode of storytelling in action, and in that story the Daleks were confined to a single city and therefore in some way "safe". Like dinosaurs. Now they are out in the universe.
But enough of that - what of this serial? Structurally it's very interesting. Up until now the stories have been entirely linear, but most of this adventure takes place on Skaro while The Penta Ray Factor is happening elsewhere. What's more, the next serial begins before this one is fully resolved! It definitely adds something to the series.
[Spoilers all the way.]
Unfortunately I'm not so enamoured of the content. I'm not one to complain about dodgy science usually - oh, OK, I suppose that's the opposite of true, but generally I'll do so in passing and move on. Here, though, I find it particularly silly. The problems start with an explosion of dalatomic radiation, which fortunately exits in a column through a hole in the roof, leaving the laboratory area uncontaminated. Now, in a genre where we have energy beam weapons I can imagine that happening with a controlled process, but in an explosion? I mean, one of the things about radiation is that it, well, radiates. But it gets better. The beam strips the rust off the metal roof on the way out, creating a radioactive cloud of rust, the one thing Daleks fear.
(Incidentally, this leads to one of my favourite scenes, with Daleks running away from a wall while their leader yells at them to stop panicking. Very Monty Python and the Holy Grail...)
Now, this rust voraciously destroys any metal it touches, including desert stations and Dalek casings. What's more, when fired upon, it climbs the energy beams to contaminate the attackers. Fortunately the brain machine (remember that?) gives them the answer, and the cloud is stopped using static electromagnets. David Whitaker does love his static electricity, doesn't he? Though I can't see how it can create an electromagnet, which produces a magnetic field with an electric current. Perhaps my school just didn't teach me enough physics.
Anyway, this is when things get really weird. The rust turns into a plague, and Daleks start shooting each other to prevent their fellows getting close enough to pass it on. The Emperor returns to find that it isn't being spread between members of the general population, but only from one carrier Dalek - who just happens to be the Black Dalek, the one whose role means that he comes into contact with more of the populace than anyone else. The poor guy should have learned to delegate. He tries to sacrifice himself, but the Emperor refuses, saying they will build him a new casing. So, a happy ending, after a fashion.
I suppose the problem isn't really that the science is dodgy per se, but rather that each twist feels like a completely random magic-wand way of extending the story. There is no logic to it, and no story progression: each page or two a new way for the Daleks to be threatened by the rust appears. This is the serial, episode by episode: (1) create the cloud, (2) show the effects, (3) now it can climb energy beams, (4) the wind blows it towards the city, (5) it turns into a plague, (6) the Black Dalek is the carrier, (7) conclusion, but an alien ship lands. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam.
I take it back. Regardless of the way it overlaps with the stories on either side, this serial has no structure whatsoever.
Rating:
Comic: 2.5/10.
Published:
Dates: 4th September to 16th October 1965
Next Time:
Altered Vistas' take on Plague of Death.
Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Episode CC9.03b: Founding Father
This episode is actually called The Founding Fathers, of course
(see my previous review). There is more than one founding father figure
in the story, once the frame is taken into account; but I think the
singular form still works, just utilising ambiguity rather than
inclusivity. Hence I am adopting it as a minimal change.
Big Finish have this to say about CC9.03, The Founding Fathers:
Let's talk about characterisation. Most writers seem to "get" Vicki, and Simon Guerrier is, of course, no exception: he has her mannerisms down pat. Cleverer is where he shows us Vicki as seen through Steven's eyes, when he describes her as seeing the world in black and white (another nod to the TV show?) - which is almost true, but with a world-weary twist that is slightly dismissive of youthful idealism.
Steven is a harder character to get a handle on, partly because of the circumstances of Peter Purves' time on the show (which forced him to take on whatever role the plot required, to a greater extent even than William Russell). Here, his finding work as a boatman reminded me very much of Ian in The Library of Alexandria. His anger and sense of justice do come through strongly, but moreso in the frame.
Right, on to the plot. Minor spoilers coming up!
If last time was mainly about the Doctor and Benjamin Franklin, then this one is more about Steven, Vicki, and Abigail (with the Franklin/TARDIS thread dealt with briskly, and mostly offstage). Abigail's story holds echoes of Clara's in The Snowmen (it's obvious when you hear it, so I won't go into detail), but holds up well on its own merits. My favourite moment this time around is a scene where she is picked up by a cab, which is seen from Steven's viewpoint - he is already there. It provides an elegant twist on the classic "heroes get into a vehicle to find their enemy waiting " trope.
(Incidentally, I found listening to this episode to be a particularly visual experience. I pictured a lot of the action in my head in low-definition black and white, and with a definite difference between the outside location shoots and the inside sets.)
Of course, Abigail was never in the history books, and her story is left frustratingly incomplete. That's something which doesn't happen often, because we're dealing with fiction here. Usually, by the time the TARDIS leaves, the main guest cast are either dead or at the end of one chapter of their lives (perhaps journey completed, danger averted, about to start work on rebuilding their world; or thwarted and imprisoned or on the run). Indeed, there's often a "who was that masked man?" moment to underline the end of the story so that we aren't left hanging. There's nothing like that here.
But then, that's kind of the point - in two ways. For one thing, the Doctor and his companions are intruders into other people's lives, and their stories generally begin before the TARDIS arrives and continue after its departure. The Doctor is a transformative force, certainly, but there's no reason that the chapter breaks in the various tales should always match up neatly.
Plus, of course, this isn't the end of the story anyway. The adventure in the past is over, but - moreso than almost any Companion Chronicle not written by Guerrier - that is just one part of a larger tale.
Normally, I'd add a post on the story as a whole next. Instead I'm going to leave that until the framing sequence fits, after Steven's parting from the Doctor, and link back to these.
Huh. Guess I had more to talk about than I thought.
Rating:
3.5/10.
Next Time:
Plague of Death.
Big Finish have this to say about CC9.03, The Founding Fathers:
The TARDIS lands in Leicester Square in the summer of 1762. When the Doctor, Steven and Vicki find themselves locked out of the TARDIS, only one man can possibly help them. But the American, Benjamin Franklin, has problems of his own...Well, the framed story in this episode is, if anything, even sparser than last time, with most of the drama residing in the frame. That doesn't leave me much to talk about, and rather than pad it out I'll leave this as a short review.
Let's talk about characterisation. Most writers seem to "get" Vicki, and Simon Guerrier is, of course, no exception: he has her mannerisms down pat. Cleverer is where he shows us Vicki as seen through Steven's eyes, when he describes her as seeing the world in black and white (another nod to the TV show?) - which is almost true, but with a world-weary twist that is slightly dismissive of youthful idealism.
Steven is a harder character to get a handle on, partly because of the circumstances of Peter Purves' time on the show (which forced him to take on whatever role the plot required, to a greater extent even than William Russell). Here, his finding work as a boatman reminded me very much of Ian in The Library of Alexandria. His anger and sense of justice do come through strongly, but moreso in the frame.
Right, on to the plot. Minor spoilers coming up!
If last time was mainly about the Doctor and Benjamin Franklin, then this one is more about Steven, Vicki, and Abigail (with the Franklin/TARDIS thread dealt with briskly, and mostly offstage). Abigail's story holds echoes of Clara's in The Snowmen (it's obvious when you hear it, so I won't go into detail), but holds up well on its own merits. My favourite moment this time around is a scene where she is picked up by a cab, which is seen from Steven's viewpoint - he is already there. It provides an elegant twist on the classic "heroes get into a vehicle to find their enemy waiting " trope.
(Incidentally, I found listening to this episode to be a particularly visual experience. I pictured a lot of the action in my head in low-definition black and white, and with a definite difference between the outside location shoots and the inside sets.)
Of course, Abigail was never in the history books, and her story is left frustratingly incomplete. That's something which doesn't happen often, because we're dealing with fiction here. Usually, by the time the TARDIS leaves, the main guest cast are either dead or at the end of one chapter of their lives (perhaps journey completed, danger averted, about to start work on rebuilding their world; or thwarted and imprisoned or on the run). Indeed, there's often a "who was that masked man?" moment to underline the end of the story so that we aren't left hanging. There's nothing like that here.
But then, that's kind of the point - in two ways. For one thing, the Doctor and his companions are intruders into other people's lives, and their stories generally begin before the TARDIS arrives and continue after its departure. The Doctor is a transformative force, certainly, but there's no reason that the chapter breaks in the various tales should always match up neatly.
Plus, of course, this isn't the end of the story anyway. The adventure in the past is over, but - moreso than almost any Companion Chronicle not written by Guerrier - that is just one part of a larger tale.
Normally, I'd add a post on the story as a whole next. Instead I'm going to leave that until the framing sequence fits, after Steven's parting from the Doctor, and link back to these.
Huh. Guess I had more to talk about than I thought.
Rating:
3.5/10.
Next Time:
Plague of Death.
Tuesday, 17 October 2017
Who Is This Blog For? (redux)
Reading my last review, an unknown physician on Gallifrey Base pointed out that I hadn't explained what the audio was about!
Actually, it went further than that, since I'd also forgotten to say what the audio was called. The latter was a simple oversight, but the former was the result of a stylistic decision that has, perhaps, gone too far. Regardless, the question prompted me to think hard about the purpose of the blog, not for the first time.
Let's make one thing clear: this blog is mainly for my own benefit. That's true of all blogs, really, though the authors' benefit can be measured in different ways - money, egoboo, personal satisfaction, a sense of giving something to the community. In my case, it's primarily a writing prompt. It used to have a significant secondary purpose, which was to help me keep going with my marathon through the tricky bits; but that has stumbled anyway.
Still, having said that the blog is targeted at myself, it's a bonus if I can inform, educate, and entertain other people along the way. And I've probably paid too little attention to this lately. I think the solution is to make that part of the writing prompt from now on (and making it slightly more specific than "just write something" is no bad thing).
That doesn't mean it's going to be a review blog like, say, Doc Oho's or Styre's, which people might turn to when deciding which audio/dvd/book they are going to spend their hard-earned money on next. As I said in reply to the question, mine are more like "water cooler" discussions: more "hey, did you notice this interesting thing about last night's episode" than "I have analysed this release carefully and here's why I think you should/shouldn't buy it." It will also continue to avoid giving away much of the plot where possible, and post spoiler warnings where not (except in the case of the TV series, which I tend to assume people dedicated enough to read something like this have seen). And it will continue to include snippets of production info and items of personal importance where relevant.
I hope that this will continue to be of interest to some of you. If there are any suggestions for further refinements, please feel free to comment!
Next Time:
Founding Father
Actually, it went further than that, since I'd also forgotten to say what the audio was called. The latter was a simple oversight, but the former was the result of a stylistic decision that has, perhaps, gone too far. Regardless, the question prompted me to think hard about the purpose of the blog, not for the first time.
Let's make one thing clear: this blog is mainly for my own benefit. That's true of all blogs, really, though the authors' benefit can be measured in different ways - money, egoboo, personal satisfaction, a sense of giving something to the community. In my case, it's primarily a writing prompt. It used to have a significant secondary purpose, which was to help me keep going with my marathon through the tricky bits; but that has stumbled anyway.
Still, having said that the blog is targeted at myself, it's a bonus if I can inform, educate, and entertain other people along the way. And I've probably paid too little attention to this lately. I think the solution is to make that part of the writing prompt from now on (and making it slightly more specific than "just write something" is no bad thing).
That doesn't mean it's going to be a review blog like, say, Doc Oho's or Styre's, which people might turn to when deciding which audio/dvd/book they are going to spend their hard-earned money on next. As I said in reply to the question, mine are more like "water cooler" discussions: more "hey, did you notice this interesting thing about last night's episode" than "I have analysed this release carefully and here's why I think you should/shouldn't buy it." It will also continue to avoid giving away much of the plot where possible, and post spoiler warnings where not (except in the case of the TV series, which I tend to assume people dedicated enough to read something like this have seen). And it will continue to include snippets of production info and items of personal importance where relevant.
I hope that this will continue to be of interest to some of you. If there are any suggestions for further refinements, please feel free to comment!
Next Time:
Founding Father
Wednesday, 11 October 2017
Episode CC9.03a: The Fire in the Sky
I hate Simon Guerrier.* He is in my opinion the best writer of the
Hartnell era, post-1966: other writers may have some stories of similar
quality, but they don't keep churning them out like Guerrier. Even Marc
Platt only has about half as many stories to his name, and their average
quality isn't quite so good (sorry Marc).
So why am I grumbling about him? Two reasons. The first (and most minor) is that he regularly uses the story title as an episode title, which is particularly galling in season 3 when the TV series had already stopped doing that.** I'm mostly going to be bloody-minded about this and change them, though I'll make the odd exception (I'll keep The First Wave, for instance, where changing the episode title would ruin a pattern).
The second, bigger reason is that he very often ties the frame very tightly to the inner story - which makes it hard for me to review without either jumping ahead of myself or waiting until the right position for the framing sequence. As a result, after listening to just this one episode I'm beginning to think my plan for the Sara Kingdom trilogy just isn't going to work.
Still, I'm going to give it a go, and The Founding Fathers - which suffers from both problems - provides a good trial run.
OK, let's get the boring stuff out of the way. As usual, Peter Purves gives a great performance (and I think his version of the Doctor just keeps getting better and better). The sound design is spot on - I was out walking when I heard this, and took my headphones off to see if the birds were in the woods or in my ears. Later, the thunderstorm made me want to hurry home. Oh, and whatever Lisa Bowerman does as director works.
I'm not going to talk about Alice Haig here since her part is restricted to the framing sequence, except to say that it is also a solid performance. However, there is a third actor present, since Bowerman steps in to provide the voice of Abigail Holt, the figure at the centre of the mystery which is set up to keep the travellers on their toes. She did the same when directing The Mahogany Murderers, playing a barmaid called Ellie; and Abigail has a similar accent. Or rather, she has a fake accent that sounds like Ellie's, so I was impressed to note that this did sound less realistic, somehow, without my being able to put my finger on why. A fine line to walk.
Speaking of accents, there's a moment in the framing story where Steven's listeners tease him about his American accent. I don't know if that was a reference to Morton Dill - the part Purves originally played in The Chase - but it amused me anyway.
There isn't an awful lot to the story, but it has a cliffhanger that you might think had been used before, but actually I think it's unique: someone's first introduction to the TARDIS.
* This is manifestly untrue.
** Yes, yes, the story titles aren't actually a TV thing in this period. You know what I mean: we don't have titles taken from the episodes after The Space Museum.
My Soapbox, part 1: A Few Thoughts on Class
There's a coffee shop in this story where people of all classes sit cheek-by-jowl and discuss matters such as politics. I admire the principle, but wonder how well it works in practise. You see, I am solidly Middle Class, and one of the delightful results of this is that I am utterly useless at talking to people of other classes. Unless I try really hard - which probably looks just as odd as it sounds - I end up subconsciously trying to modify my accent when with Working Class people so that I can fit in. Like that's going to work - I remember once being (gently) mocked for using the word 'datum' in a casual discussion about films we'd seen recently. No amount of accent-manipulation is going to obscure the fact that I naturally use words like 'modify' and 'obscure' where 'change' and 'hide' would do (note: not an artificial example, I simply glanced at what I'd just written). Similarly, with Upper Class people I tend to feel small and go very quiet.
One thing I find sad is that ever since I went to university I have lost my original accent. When reading out loud I can do a passable Mockney, Mummerset, et al, but I cannot even remember the voices I grew up with in Hampshire, let alone mimic them. And my current voice sounds stupidly posh to me.
As an aside, I realised during the election in May that it has become very obvious that the interests of the Middle Class - or at least the lower Middle Class, which is where I sit - now align with those of the Working Class. While there are still many differences - for instance, I have savings I can dip into in times of trouble, whereas my Working Class friends don't - the policies that support them are also the ones that support me. I would try to stand by them on principle anyway, but actually enlightened self-interest tells me to do so as well.
But that's quite enough of that.
Rating:
5/10.
Next Time:
Founding Father
So why am I grumbling about him? Two reasons. The first (and most minor) is that he regularly uses the story title as an episode title, which is particularly galling in season 3 when the TV series had already stopped doing that.** I'm mostly going to be bloody-minded about this and change them, though I'll make the odd exception (I'll keep The First Wave, for instance, where changing the episode title would ruin a pattern).
The second, bigger reason is that he very often ties the frame very tightly to the inner story - which makes it hard for me to review without either jumping ahead of myself or waiting until the right position for the framing sequence. As a result, after listening to just this one episode I'm beginning to think my plan for the Sara Kingdom trilogy just isn't going to work.
Still, I'm going to give it a go, and The Founding Fathers - which suffers from both problems - provides a good trial run.
OK, let's get the boring stuff out of the way. As usual, Peter Purves gives a great performance (and I think his version of the Doctor just keeps getting better and better). The sound design is spot on - I was out walking when I heard this, and took my headphones off to see if the birds were in the woods or in my ears. Later, the thunderstorm made me want to hurry home. Oh, and whatever Lisa Bowerman does as director works.
I'm not going to talk about Alice Haig here since her part is restricted to the framing sequence, except to say that it is also a solid performance. However, there is a third actor present, since Bowerman steps in to provide the voice of Abigail Holt, the figure at the centre of the mystery which is set up to keep the travellers on their toes. She did the same when directing The Mahogany Murderers, playing a barmaid called Ellie; and Abigail has a similar accent. Or rather, she has a fake accent that sounds like Ellie's, so I was impressed to note that this did sound less realistic, somehow, without my being able to put my finger on why. A fine line to walk.
Speaking of accents, there's a moment in the framing story where Steven's listeners tease him about his American accent. I don't know if that was a reference to Morton Dill - the part Purves originally played in The Chase - but it amused me anyway.
There isn't an awful lot to the story, but it has a cliffhanger that you might think had been used before, but actually I think it's unique: someone's first introduction to the TARDIS.
* This is manifestly untrue.
** Yes, yes, the story titles aren't actually a TV thing in this period. You know what I mean: we don't have titles taken from the episodes after The Space Museum.
My Soapbox, part 1: A Few Thoughts on Class
There's a coffee shop in this story where people of all classes sit cheek-by-jowl and discuss matters such as politics. I admire the principle, but wonder how well it works in practise. You see, I am solidly Middle Class, and one of the delightful results of this is that I am utterly useless at talking to people of other classes. Unless I try really hard - which probably looks just as odd as it sounds - I end up subconsciously trying to modify my accent when with Working Class people so that I can fit in. Like that's going to work - I remember once being (gently) mocked for using the word 'datum' in a casual discussion about films we'd seen recently. No amount of accent-manipulation is going to obscure the fact that I naturally use words like 'modify' and 'obscure' where 'change' and 'hide' would do (note: not an artificial example, I simply glanced at what I'd just written). Similarly, with Upper Class people I tend to feel small and go very quiet.
One thing I find sad is that ever since I went to university I have lost my original accent. When reading out loud I can do a passable Mockney, Mummerset, et al, but I cannot even remember the voices I grew up with in Hampshire, let alone mimic them. And my current voice sounds stupidly posh to me.
As an aside, I realised during the election in May that it has become very obvious that the interests of the Middle Class - or at least the lower Middle Class, which is where I sit - now align with those of the Working Class. While there are still many differences - for instance, I have savings I can dip into in times of trouble, whereas my Working Class friends don't - the policies that support them are also the ones that support me. I would try to stand by them on principle anyway, but actually enlightened self-interest tells me to do so as well.
But that's quite enough of that.
Rating:
5/10.
Next Time:
Founding Father
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