Trafalgar Square on a cold and drizzly Saturday...

[patricklondon]

.. and what could more appropriate than those great English traditions, a demonstration about the vote - and Morris dancing?


The Morris dancing was obviously a festival for different teams or groups, or whatever they're called, and the demonstration had been rather hastily improved in the light of the inconclusive outcome of Thursday's election. Not much had been provided in the way of amplification for the speakers, who were competing with the jaunty jingles from the dancers and their concertina accompaniment, and some of the improvised banners looked a little less than revolutionary (I'm all in favour of the cause, but this was hardly Athens):

[bjd]

I love the signs -- so lacking in wishy-washiness: Down with this sort of thing!

Are they asking for proportional representation?

[patricklondon]

Yes, PR's become a hot issue again. "Down With This Sort of Thing" is a quote from the comedy show "Father Ted":

[Deleted]

That brings back memories! I used to work just up the road from there.

Yes, I like the straight forwardness about.

Did they manage to get rid of all the pigeons after all?

[patricklondon]

Mostly yes. Certainly no great flocks of them around most of the time.

[Deleted]

That's a shame really. My kids used to love feeding the pigeons there, and being able to have them perch on their hands. Magical.

[lola]

If you're for PR, Patrick, I'm for it, too. Would like to be in that crowd, Morris dancers and all.

[Deleted]

French politics has very little humour. This is great.

[spindrift]

I'm very much in favour of proportional representation. There's a lot going on in London at weekends. I ought to train up and join in.

[Deleted]

France had proportional representation for just one legislative election and the results so horrified the people in power that it was cancelled before the next election.

And yet, the proportional European parliament elections do not seem to pose a problem.

[spindrift]

I think the Swiss have it?

[Deleted]

Plenty of people have it according to the Wikipedia article.

[hwinpp]

Yes, plenty have it. Without looking at K2's list I'd say practically every country in Europe except Britain and France.

[imec]

Hahahahahhahahahahah - I thought "Down with this sort of thing" was directed at the Morris dancers! hahahahhahahahhahahahahahahahahha

[bixaorellana]

Oh, this is great, Patrick. What a juxtaposition! I love how the two different groups of spectators are standing back to back.

The signs are all so polite, although I see one small one that makes a "demand" for fair voting. Not knowing the source of "down with this sort of thing" didn't make it any the less amusing. Good to see chihuahuas -- the forgotten electorate -- nicely represented.

What's with the blackface make-up on the morris dancers and their squeezebox player? Also, I really want to know what's up with that horse's head right below the guy with the bullhorn.

Thanks!

[onlymark]

The Morris Dancers are probably from the area close to the Welsh/English border where it was traditional to blacken their faces. This was used as a disguise by people who wanted to try and earn extra money by dancing and/or begging during the 17th and 18th Centuries. It was also done by poachers to camouflage themselves at night, which a lot went off in that area.
Due to concern by the authorities of this practice they introduced the "Black Act" -
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Act

Unfortunately the black face has been jumped on by the politically correct factions who fail to appreciate its history and just are blinded by the need to see it as offensive in this day and age.
The jury is still out on that one.

[bixaorellana]

Whoo -- that is most interesting, Mark. Are the pc factions assuming it's a minstrel show black face rather than the older tradition from which it springs?

[Deleted]

Anybody who saw Mary Poppins would also know that blackface in European tradition often indicates the profession of chimneysweep.

[patricklondon]

Are the pc factions assuming it's a minstrel show black face

It did cross my mind. I've always assumed that was the case for some 19th century groups like the (get this name!) the Bacup Britannia Coconutters:

www.coconutters.co.uk/

[onlymark]

Not being one of them I would have no real idea what the PC people think. I know it is a theory that the black faces are influenced by the minstrel type show. But the detractors to that theory point out that no other part of the costume, songs or dances reflect anything from that so it'd be highly unusual just to blacken the faces and not take anything else.
I tend to agree that it's just something taken, as with the Bacup crew, from the mists of time, maybe a pagan ritual, maybe so that evil spirits don't recognise you, maybe so that the tax men don't come knocking.

I think the black face is objected to purely because it doesn't look right any more and somehow smacks of belittling certain races.
The origin of Morris dancing is probably 500 years old and judging by the costumes I'd posit that it was just started by Court jesters as another form of entertainment for the ruling classes. So unless there is a connection to the Moors, which has been thought of, then the black face pre-dates anything to do with anyone really.

[lola]

People belittle Morris dancers, and for that matter mimes, with impunity. What is the PC position on that?

[imec]

May 10, 2010 19:47:13 GMT lola said:

People belittle Morris dancers, and for that matter mimes, with impunity. What is the PC position on that?

Dunno - perhaps Uncyclopedia can shed some light...

Morris Dancing
From Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia.


“ I Morris Danced against Roger Daltry back in the day..... and won!”
~ Oscar Wilde

Morris Dancing is a vicious, compulsory sport played by all members of the British Isles except the Irish, Welsh and Scots (who have escaped on grounds of insanity; The scots are also too heterosexual to be involved in something like this) and a small minority of radical Islamist clerics. The aim of the game is to confuse your opponent with gaily-coloured apparel and various jangling instruments, e.g. bells, whistles, tassels, yaks. The players are all armed with a number of (usually two) small wooden sticks, with which they attempt (but never succeed) to hit their opponents. Indeed, it has been observed that a successful blow to the head may result in a breach of conduct and for this reason has happened only twice in recorded history.

See the complete entry here

[bixaorellana]

Hmm. Is Lola a closet clogger?

Imec, I am scandalized at your attitude. Isn't this noble form of dance part of your heritage?

Click on the pic for the real Wiki article     ------------------------->

I was tickled to see that picture, which shows a fake horse. As I googled further, I found more horses like the one in Patrick's first photo. (more here)

Several articles suggest "morris" is from "moors", and the origin of blackening the face.

I found a youtube with dancers dressed similarly to the ones in this thread. Hope it's okay with you, Patrick, if I post it.

What I really want is for someone to explain the whole thing about elections in the UK.

[onlymark]

"What I really want is for someone to explain the whole thing about elections in the UK."

Simple really.
We need a government and the way we get one is to vote every few years.
Bit better than the Saddam/Gaddafi/Amin method.

[tillystar]

Oh what a co_incidence, that lady in the right of the still on that YouTube clip with the squeezybox is my slightly crazy morris dancing godmother: I am going to her daughters wedding in a few weeks and no doubt there will be morris dancing I will take some pictures!

[Deleted]

May 12, 2010 5:42:29 GMT onlyMark said:

"What I really want is for someone to explain the whole thing about elections in the UK."

Simple really.
We need a government and the way we get one is to vote every few years.
Bit better than the Saddam/Gaddafi/Amin method.

Maybe even every year!

(I would like to point out that Iraq had elections under Saddam. I remember seeing a woman on TV who had marked her ballot with her own blood to show her support.)

[onlymark]

But to combine both topics - I'm sure Morris Dancers vote.

[spindrift]

Under our new Coalition our voting rules will change. We can explain after the change.

Perhaps we'll have a referendum first?

[tillystar]

Yes, The Lib-Dems managed to get agreement on a referendum and a 5 yr fixed term.

[patricklondon]

It might add to the gaiety of nations if instead of coalition negotiations the parties had to do a Morris dance together.

But then again, as old saying has it, you should try anything once, except incest. And morris dancing.