Sunday, October 24, 2004

Blokey bloke bloke

When scanning the television guide for stuff to watch on Friday night, I chose not to view this. Thinking it might be something like this; I found that it is actually more like this. Of course, my reasons for not watching this program are obvious: such blatant disregard for the proper use of apostrophes should not be rewarded. And why do they have to take the lovely word 'bloke' and turn it into something so undesirable? Bill Bailey made it sound so nice in Bewilderness (2001).
Are there any men in? [No response.] Any women? [YES - the women respond.] Ah, you see, there's this crisis in masculine identity at the moment. Women are totally at home with their sexuality. I am woman, wo-man. I woman, wo-man. Men: ehh ahh er. Someone else will shout out. Alright, is there any blokes in? [YEAH - the blokes respond.] You see, there's a term that men feel more comfortable with. Bloke, blokey bloke bloke bloke. It's a kind of friendly term. Ah, he's a lovely bloke, he's a nice bloke, blokey bloke bloke. I'm a bloke, you're a bloke, blokey bloke. It doesn't impose any unnecessary demands on us as men. Bloke; that's basically - carry stuff, don't get in the way. Blokey bloke bloke. Man; that's all kinds of other things isn't it? That's nobility, gallantry, wisdom. That conjures up some image of a bloke in a cardigan and a pipe saying, "cover up those table legs mother, they're inflaming my sexual ardour. For I am a man! Ha ha ha!" You can't live up to that . . . When a woman says no, she means no. When a man says yes, it means he probably hasn't understood the question.