While continental Europe displays a fully adult attitude towards sex, and America’s is distressingly teenage, the UK hovers in a zone where almost everything’s okay as long as it can be laughed at or hidden. How we got so delightfully messed up is the subject of ‘Crumpet’ - a recent documentary which traces British attitudes to sexuality from the end of World War II till the present day.
Emulating American culture on post-war budget, in a world when American and UK artists could have separate hits singing the same song simply because people didn’t know what was happening on the other side of the pond, Britons created a brand of glamour loved by people still eating rationed food into the 1950’s. Paired to a traditionally ribald national sense of humor, a then healthy home-grown film industry, and a pre-feminist outlook, which made it okay for women to exploit their assets, we developed a culture of naughtiness where the girl next door could, and should, be ogled not for art or beauty but simply for fun.
It’s a great show and a treasure trove of cleavage shots and sexy older women. I disagree with the host, the age of crumpet isn’t dead yet. Have you seen any Axe advertising lately?
I grew up watching reruns of Benny Hill, and I believe this Crumpetness, to coin a phrase or whatever, fully shaped the direction of my life and attitude towards copious amounts of women running around in lingerie with some yakety sax as a background.
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I had no point up there, but I would like to see this documentary.
Nice Dr. Strangelove reference
Chris - You can watch the documentary, just click. As for the attitude, it’s pretty healthy in retrospect - assuming you don’t view the women as horribly abused minions.
Inhibitor - You’re welcome
Ah, okay.
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58 minutes staring at something on the internet? I don’t have the attention span for that, haha. Maybe it’ll show up on BBC America or IFC, and I can want to but ultimately not watch it there
I didn’t know folks actually said “phwoaar!”
You learn something new everyday.
Chris - Download from Google and burn a DVD. It’s so 1999…
Al - Yeah. I also introduce myself to ladies with a long “Helloooooo”.