The Gone With the Wind theme first suggested for a Cambridge University college ball was crass
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Version 0 of 1. Here's a question: how historically and culturally illiterate would you have to be not to realise that Gone With the Wind, with its themes of slavery and racial stereotypes, would be about as suitable a theme for a Cambridge University ball as a Lolita party thrown for mid-teens? How desperate would someone need to be to waft around, supping mint juleps, to ignore how astoundingly crass it is to choose a movie that subliminally (and not so subliminally) asserts: "Say what you like about slavery, but it had its moments."? It all sounds very crass and astoundingly dumb – a mistake only a bunch of particularly clueless students could make. Then again, is that all that's going on here? I was going along with the "idiotic student tarts who need to grow up" rationale until I read a bit deeper. The college, St Edmund's, admits graduates and mature undergraduates and reputedly is one of the most international and multi-ethnic colleges at Cambridge. The Gone With the Wind theme caused great offence from the start; when opposed, it was amended to "The Beautiful South" as a compromise (which of course was no compromise at all) and was finally changed to "Journey Through the Seasons". Just in case anyone thinks that this is an over-reaction to some over-zealous 1930s film buffs, it's reported that during discussions a group burst into a rendition of The south will rise again – a confederate redneck rallying cry to southerners following the American Civil War. How bizarre that these people even knew about this, let alone enough of the words to actually sing it. Let's pause for a moment to imagine that lost enchanted evening of which St Edmund's has been cruelly deprived. Would the decor have included ironic mocked-up lynchings? The invites might have trilled: "Black tie or blackface, the decision is yours". Would non-white guests have been both celebrated and segregated, as famously happened to Gone With the Wind actress Hattie McDaniel ("Mammy") on collecting her best supporting actress Oscar? More specifically, did those who repeatedly championed the southern motif convince themselves that underlying American-themed racism wasn't the same as underlying British-themed racism and thus acceptable? Did they think that, as the racism was, like, "totes yonks ago and not even in this country"? Was it was ripe for a knees-up and anyone who said otherwise was an uptight bore? As for those who burst into The south will rise again, creepily knowing all the words, did they feel they were being quite the radical provocateurs, a dangerous, sexy and thrilling antidote to omnipresent PC mores? Oxford has its own form for this kind of thing (one recalls a "Bring a fit Jew" party from a few years ago). It also bears mentioning again that, strangely, the supposedly unenlightened working classes have never really gone in for "partying" with a racist subtext, either in those ever-popular Nazi uniforms or, indeed, southern belle crinolines. You just don't hear of this kind of thing kicking off at the local tech college – it truly is the preserve of a certain kind of person whooping it up on a certain kind of night out. Moreover, the timing seems odd, coming around the same time as the high-profile photo campaign to highlight racial discrimination within Oxford and Cambridge. It's almost as if a certain bunch of folk wanted to rattle their swords, re-assert what they'd consider to be their rightful dominance, all under the guise of what Carmen Van Kerckhove once termed "hipster racism". The fact that it didn't work is a credit to the people who opposed it. As for those who indulged in the confederate singalong, shouldn't they do the decent thing and stay at home with a DVD and a box of Matchmakers? It would appear that they're not quite ready for the grown-up world of socialising. Viv's 'wisdom' leaves a bad taste There are times when vegetarians are deeply embarrassing to other vegetarians and sadly Vivienne Westwood's recent declarations on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals must be counted among them. Westwood, who is to appear in a Peta advert that shows her showering for World Water Day, has been quoted by the Sun newspaper as saying that vegetarianism cured rheumatism in her finger, and (becoming vague) "can cure all kinds of things". She said: "There are certain clinics where it is really strict vegetarian and there are people who have been in wheelchairs who have recovered from this diet." Now charities have expressed dismay, saying that there is no medical evidence and it gives people false hope. As someone with her own embarrassing vegetarian form, I understand (sort of) what Westwood is getting at. Cheap processed meat must count among the worst things anyone, never mind an ill person, could eat. I remain amazed that people regularly consume it and then have the nerve to whinge about smokers "bringing it on themselves" and not deserving NHS treatment. It's also worth noting that many people with serious illnesses opt to go vegetarian or vegan, to "cleanse" their systems. Others would counter-argue that small amounts of good quality fish and meat are fine and the key is to eat organic. Such nutritional theories are long standing, with the goal being to optimise health. However, this is a world away from "cures" and people rising, miraculously healed, from their wheelchairs, which is absurd and verging on offensive. I would imagine even Peta might be uneasy about Westwood's outburst, which drags vegetarianism straight back to the dotty-hippy stereotype. It's all very well attracting celebrity helpers, but they might have to start thinking of ways to stop them being quite so "free range" among the media. Running up a hill won't do it this time round, Kate The sublime Kate Bush has announced 15 concerts, her first for 35 years, all to be held at London's Eventim Apollo (Why? That's her business. Don't question anything Kate does ever again, OK?). The last time she toured was in 1979, when she was 20. She said later: "I felt that my sexuality – which in a way I hadn't really had a chance to explore myself – was being given to the world in a way which I found impersonal." Oh dear. Who's going to tell Ms Bush the bad news? Back in the day, Bush wasn't a stranger to a startlingly tight leotard. However, welcome to an era where a naked Miley Cyrus swings astride a wrecking ball, Rihanna pole dances four-fifths naked and even Kylie can be viewed grinding through her Sexercisevideo, like some dead-eyed (Let's Get) Physical for the selfie-generation. Obviously Bush will avoid all that. Still, how odd and innocent her remark about safeguarding her own sexuality seems now. Certainly it gives pause for thought that a woman who recoiled horrified from her own sexual objectification back then is returning to an entertainment arena where increasingly it's the only idea. • Comments will be turned on later this morning |