Fighting Talk

‘“D-DAY,” announces the Mirror: “73% of young people do NOT know what our soldiers died for.”

‘First East Angular, zen West Angular, North Angular, South Angular…the vorld!’

So? Most young people don’t know what their right arm’s for, or their arse from their elbow, or where Cambridge is (it’s abroad in East Angular, of course, as Jade Goody so memorably told us in the days when young people DID know a thing or two).

But the paper goes through the motions of asking “young people” (or, rather, students, advertising executives, and a few teenagers) a series of historical questions, and dutifully records their replies.

D-Day: “Is it something to do with Domination Day?”

Prime Minister: “Was it Tony Blair?”

German leader: “Was it a king?”

And so on. Of course, it should be pointed out that a recent survey of American newspaper journalists recorded similar levels of ignorance, and no doubt the British hacks who are currently compiling D-Day anniversary tributes are feverishly boning up on the historical basics.

And in any case, there’s no need for anyone to exist any longer in ignorant bliss, as the Mirror has helpfully enclosed a facsimile of its D-Day edition. And it all seems eerily familiar to 21st century eyes.

The government was involved in a prolonged and disastrous war, and was taking an obsessive interest in the national diet.

There was a major fuel shortage looming, thousands of aggressive Englishmen were preparing to invade the continent… and a London man was busy working away on an exciting new concept that would become a household word – Big Brother.

Plus ça change, as our D-Day hosts would no say.’

Posted: 1st, June 2004 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink