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August 26, 2008
Un-bloody-breakable
A reminder not only of what we have gained but what we have lost, an example to those of us still capable of discriminating between right and wrong and perhaps - just perhaps - a hope for civilization to come to its senses before a new Dark Age. My hero: Gene Hunt.
Also popular with the ladies.
And how can you fail to warm to a man who doesn't care what he looks like? How different from our shallow, image-obsessed times in which politicians and policemen spend hours thinking about the colour of their suit, and whether they should touch up their hair colour. In fact when Hunt's accused of being an "overweight, over-the-hill, nicotine-stained, borderline-alcoholic homophobe with a superiority complex and an unhealthy obsession with male bonding", he retorts: "You make that sound like a bad thing."
Life on Mars, quite possibly the most important television of our time and a starter course for anyone in need of insensitivity training.* Life on Mars suggests there are many, many people who want to recover our sense of duty, our common sense and our capacity for the blindingly obvious.
Examples: The best insult of all time. And, from the final episode of Ashes to Ashes, something better than a speech on St. Crispin's Day. There is still an England. Though if you are like me and don't like even tangential spoilers, you might want to save that last link until you have watched the show(s) from beginning to end.
The other show** being Ashes to Ashes, only slightly less awe inspiring than Life on Mars - the '80s being slightly less unreconstructed that the '70s - but with Keeley Hawes ("Bollinger knickers") the spin-off has its obvious compensations. Though it is depressing Keeley does not remember the '80s per se.
Directly related case study: Tim Priest is old school police. His essay addresses the failure of multiculturalism (Australian edition), Muslim racism against non-Muslim - and especially white - Australians and what happens when the police stop knocking heads (via Small Dead Animals).
Must have this: The Rules of Modern Policing - 1973 Edition.
* Enormously grateful to Kathy Shaidle for this concept.
** The other, other show being the American remake. I cannot imagine it is any good.
Posted by Ghost of a flea at August 26, 2008 06:24 AM
Comments
Great Britain is ripe for a strongman. When he comes (and he will) and wreaks havoc, no one will think to blame the petty fascists in power now who cleared the road for him.
Posted by: Occam's Carbuncle ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.ghostofaflea.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 26, 2008 10:16 AM
I watched a few episodes of Life on Mars, but got discouraged. Too dark and humorless for us living a happy life in the country. Or in Horace's terms--too much utile, not enough dolce.
We should be mindful of 'what we've lost.' And also that we live in the most perfect of all possible worlds. So the balance of 'what we've gained' is always tipped in our favor.
Posted by: HelenW at August 26, 2008 01:16 PM
Just watched ep1 with the missus. We are still picking our jaws off the floor.
Even as midwestern and southern Americans, we see Gene Hunt as one of us.
I am told by the Great She that "if this ends like 'The Prisoner', I'm killing you." Tell me, Prof. Dr. Packwood: do I only have a week to live?
Posted by: Clayton Barnett at August 26, 2008 10:49 PM
Any smart remark I could make would not possibly do it justice. I tried to watch other television this evening and it was like ashes. Now I have finished I feel like I did when Deadwood was done. At least there is another season of Ashes to Ashes to come.
Posted by: Ghost of a flea at August 26, 2008 11:32 PM
