Last Saturday's episode of Dr Who, broadcast on BBC1, had a scene which portrayed the English as racists by using the phrase "England for the English" in the context of someone being sent to a labour camp.Dr Who is made by BBC Wales and they have been consistent in their use of “Britain” and “British”, until now. Rather than use the better known and older phrase "Britain for the British", they changed it somewhat. Why? And how did this come about?
I imagine a room somewhere in BBC Wales, two writers are working their way through their creative block...
...how about "British Jobs for British People"?
... No, that wouldn't work, the author is Scottish
...OK, how about "Britain for the British"? It was the title of a book written in 1902 by a socialist and was adopted as a theme by the then fledgling Labour Party. It was also a popular theme for the National Front in the 1970s and is commonly used by the BNP today.
...No, that wouldn't work either, because it includes Scots and Welsh. We've got to think of a way to slag off the English whilst leaving the Welsh and the Scots squeaky clean.
...I know, I know! How about we change the word "Britain" to "England" and then change "British" to "English"? So, "Britain for the British" becomes "England for the English"!
... Brilliant! That way we can liable the English and leave a subliminal message in the minds of the viewer
... Yes, but will it work? Surely people will realise that English national sentiment has only arisen since devolution and if anything they're the most tolerant nation in these islands.
... God no, they'll realise nothing! The tellie is often the only source of information for these plebs and we ARE THE TELLIE!
... are you sure they'll forget so easily?
... they're like bloody goldfish! Most are so dumb they won't remember the phrase "Britain for the British" was ever used by the time the programme has finished.
... Got it! So, if we say it often enough and no one complains, it'll become received knowledge and everyone will only associate such a negative phrase with England and English!
... EXACTLY!
... Well now we've put that one to bed, let's go and thump an English horse!
2 comments:
Dr Who has form... they had a character called "Harold Saxon" in one episode who turned out to be the arch baddy "the Master".
It seems trivial... but then it is primarily aimed at kids and forms part of the drip drip drip of anti English indoctrination issued forth from the British Brainwashing Corporation.
England for the English
Scotland for the Scottish
Wales for the Welsh
Is that what you want ?
Maybe Britain for the English, Scots and Welsh .
Do you really think that the BBC are deliberately discriminating against the English ?
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