Rants and Ravings of a Shiny Key

“When you had too much fun at the beach”

Jeremy Corbyn is the ex leader of the Labour Party, in case you thought he tweeted something rude about Prince Philip, he didn't. This was the tweet in question:

Its simply not about Prince Philip. And it was posted after the news had broken, and that is the reason for said backlash. It has been reported in multiple national news papers that Jeremy Corbyn tweeted about something else after the Prince was already dead.

We have now entered into our 8 day mourning period, and the government will soon offer guidance as to how public bodies should proceed. Yes you heard that correctly we all need governmental guidance for dealing with the death of a 99 year old most have never met. The standard rules involve local governments ceasing operation during this time.

It is absolutely everywhere, every single radio station, news report, newspaper, magazine, television show HAS to be talking about it 24/7 right now. Went to watch BBC iplayer last night and every recommendation is about Prince Philip.

warning for racism, ableism, misogyny and general shittiness

Prince Philip is a museum piece – a living, breathing, mobile, jolly good fellow, smiling, handsome, charming great-grandpa who happily walks about, uttering obscenities while his entourage try to cover up for his “indiscretions.” But these are not “indiscretions” or “gaffes.” He means what he says and he says what he means. He is the living memory of an entire history of imperial hubris now being actively repressed to offer a more liberal, tolerant, cosmopolitan character for the British and, by extension, “the European.”

it's not just that he's wildly, flagrantly bigoted and utterly unapologetic. It's not even just that he's one of the most famous people in the world, continuing to platform these kinds of egregiously damaging, even dangerous, sentiments. It's everything he stands for. It's what he represents.

He says it out loud, and in doing so, makes it that much easier for the more cunning kinds of killers to fly under the radar and get away with acts of aggression that might otherwise be recognized as such. He says it out loud, and in some ways, that's a blessing.

but no amount of "barbarous truth" can negate the fact that the bigots who push the boundaries do so on purpose, to make it easier for the subtler racists and more patient oppressors that come after them. If we're used to hearing world leaders say things like "Oh yes, there's a lot of orphanges in Romania - they must breed them," how much harder will it be to name and recognize the racism of your employer when they say they just don't think you're ready for that promotion, but be sure to ask again next year?

If a prince can say it out loud, a teacher will mutter it to the students in the classroom. One more famous director will incorporate it into one more award-winning film. A politician will think it, and sign off on another pointless war.

Peter Pan Goes Wrong and A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong are now available on DVD in the UK!