THE WAR AGAINST CRAP….In the LA Times today, Guardian columnist Lucy Mangan tells us about the latest front in the culture wars over in the UK:
Law lecturer James Anstice…smashed up a nativity scene at Madame Tussaud’s in London that featured David and Victoria Beckham (soccer star and former Spice Girl, respectively) as Joseph and Mary, and President Bush as one of the three wise men. He was charged with criminal damage for his efforts to render a cultural service to the nation. After his court appearance, Anstice said: “I have done my bit for the war against crap, but I do not think I am going to get involved in any more protests.”
A war against crap! Let’s all join in!
Mangan’s target of choice, which actually comes from outside the field of culture, is phony food allergies: she suggests that about 2% of the population actually have them while 45% claim to have them. This takes a rather broader view of “crap” than Anstice’s, but perhaps the modern world makes that necessary. (Although this whole peanut allergy thing, which appears to be quite real, sure is perplexing. Isn’t anyone ever going to figure out why so many kids have become allergic to peanuts?)
Do I get to choose something too? Hmmm. Let me think about that. In the meantime, comments are open.
