Aural Syrup O' Figs

While discoursing amiably upon the illiterate strain that runs through most contemporary music, the late Frank Muir quips that popular quartet 'The Who' should really be called 'The Whom.'  It's an old joke, but a good one.
Every Sunday evening, sandwiched between nightly news bulletins, my local NPR station re-broadcasts an antique edition of BBC radio's quasi-literary game show "My Word!" featuring the clever clogs duo of Muir and his long time collaborator Dennis Norden. The other two participants are Dilys Powell - a late film critic famous for her grand apology to the film director Michael Powell (no relation) for savaging his film, the now classic "Peeping Tom" - and Anne Scott James, former editor of Harper's Bazaar, who married the genius Osbert Lancaster. Here is a picture of Anne in her younger days:

I don't know for sure, but I'd guess the BBC must have taped these shows in the late 1970's, and even back then listening to the shows must have seemed like tuning in to archived recordings from another Age entirely: audio fossils, as it were, unearthed and examined for their layers of wit, quaintness and charm: the sort of thing one listens to as one sips one's glass of vintage port in one's most baroquely upholstered leather armchair.

Meanwhile, setting our glass of port aside for the moment in favor of the spitoon, have you noticed how those priggish, dreary Social Affairs Knitting Circle  members - in the broadest sense of the term -  who wrist-slap the BBC for being too liberal ("smack its little pink botty" as they would say)  always seem to be consuming its content? If the broacasts enrage them so much, why not just switch off for good? Frank and Dennis would've make mincemint of these people. Mind you, intellectually speaking, so would Noddy

Comments

[rorosen]

mincemint? must be served at Rupert's Vegetarian xmas,..

[stephenesque.org]

I have always found Rupert to very weird for kids. He is too, too human. But on the whole I guess that's a good thing really.

[rorosen]

which is good, the weird for kids or his being human? The bookshelves above my head groan under my wife's Rupert and Enid Blyton collection stretching back into her unreal childhood. Don't make her choose between the two. But I suppose a bear's head jammed onto a boy's body is disturbing.

[stephenesque]

Surrealism is good for kids, makes 'em think!

[rorosen]

true, and employing them as interior decorators will lead to very interesting 'trips' to the midnight bathroom,.. who knows into what world the white rabbit of a wife will fall if you leave the dali seat up?

[Carter]

Regarding that Noddy link:

If you move your cursor over the various flags a delightful sound effect ensues.

[stephenesque]

Mr Rosen - I think you have the beginings of your own story for children there!

Carter - I know. I am already making the ring tone for my phone.