Precursor of "Marine & French Army Officer"
Bruce Tindall
army officer refuses to fight belligerent U.S. Marine who --
ha, ha, joke -- turns out at the end of the letter to be female)
could be thought of as a 21st century rewrite of the 19th
century Gilbert & Sullivan song "I Shipped, D'ye See, In A
Revenue Sloop" from their 1887 show "Ruddigore," in which
British sailors make fun of their French counterparts. They
boast of having refused to return a French ship's fire,
because "to fight a French fal-lal, -- it's like hittin'
of a gal -- it's a lubberly thing for to do; For we, with all
our faults, Why, we're sturdy British salts, while she's only
a poor Parley-voo."
According to Ian Bradley's "The Complete Annotated Gilbert
and Sullivan," the song caused "quite a storm of indignation"
in France, but, as Bradley points out, the song could be read
just as well as a satire on British jingoism as on alleged French
effiminacy and incompetence[1]. The difference being, of course,
that doing such a send-up may well have been Gilbert's intent,
while the fabricator of the current "Marine letter," while
perhaps having written something that can be read as a similar
send-up, is probably unaware of having done so.
B "what are you doing to my head, Little Bunny Foo-Foo?" T
[1] He doesn't mention the other possiblity: that the Revenue
sloop ran away from a fight and came up later with a rationalization
intended to make them look noble and the French foolish.
--
Bruce Tindall :: tin...@panix.com
RM Mentock
> [1] He doesn't mention the other possiblity: that the Revenue
> sloop ran away from a fight and came up later with a rationalization
> intended to make them look noble and the French foolish.
I'm not familiar with the background of Ruddigore. Are we
talking about an actual incident or is this just the realm
of fiction?
--
RM Mentock
'No,' answered Jarry. 'It's a reduction.' -- Guillaume Apollinaire
Bruce Tindall
>Bruce Tindall wrote:
>
>> [1] He doesn't mention the other possiblity: that the Revenue
>> sloop ran away from a fight and came up later with a rationalization
>> intended to make them look noble and the French foolish.
>
>I'm not familiar with the background of Ruddigore. Are we
>talking about an actual incident or is this just the realm
>of fiction?
Total fiction, as far as I know. There are many topical references
in Gilbert & Sullivan, but this doesn't seem to be one of them;
it seems to be either illustrating or satirizing (or both)
generalized British prejudices about the French.
B "or twenty-first-century American prejudices about supposed
nineteenth-century British prejudices about the French" T
--
Bruce Tindall :: tin...@panix.com
Alan Follett
> The "actual letter home from a Marine"
> (i.e., cowardly French army officer refuses
> to fight belligerent U.S. Marine who -- ha, ha,
> joke -- turns out at the end of the letter to be
> female) could be thought of as a 21st century
> rewrite of the 19th century Gilbert & Sullivan
> song "I Shipped, D'ye See, In A Revenue
> Sloop" from their 1887 show "Ruddigore...."
<snip>
> According to Ian Bradley's "The Complete
> Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan," the song
> caused "quite a storm of indignation" in
> France,
<snip>
The Usual Gang of Savoyards' attempt at spin control may be of interest.
From /Punch/, February 12, 1887:
"MESSRS. GILBERT AND SULLIVAN actually wrote to the French /Figaro/
explaining, in very excellent French – (the composition of the letter
must have given them considerable trouble, but whatever they undertake
they do thoroughly – with the best grammars and conversation books on
the table, Mr. GILBERT pacing up and down dictating, D'OYLY CARTE
looking out the words in a dictionary, and SIR ARTHUR writing out the
rough copy in his neatest hand), – that the song of their "Marin pour
rire" (some relation to a "rear-admiral") was not intended as an insult
to the French flag, and that, therefore, 'La Marine d'une nation aussi
brave que chevaleresque' – (Bravo, SIR ARTHUR! If this wasn't a touch
of your special polish, and if D'OYLY CARTE didn't chuckle over it
mightily, then we are mistaken in our men) – needn't take umbrage at
what was merely a kind of joke, about on a par, i.e., 'ayant
précisement autant de sens que 'Rosbif' et 'Goddam' employés pour
ridiculer les Anglais dane une comédie-burlesque française."'
"And so, in spite of the irate 'T. JOHNSON,' the distinguished
correspondent of the /Figaro/ – more distinguished than ever now by
his apparent inabillity tp understand Mr. GILBERT'S peculiar humour –
the funds will recover, the war scare will not be intensified, and the
peace of Europe will be undisturbed."
Alan "Voila une besogne honteuse" Follett
Bruce Tindall
>Alan "Voila une besogne honteuse" Follett
Honey, your silk stocking's hanging down.
B "which is a Good Thing" T
--
Bruce Tindall :: tin...@panix.com
Lee Rudolph
>Alan Follett <AFol...@webtv.net> wrote:
>>Alan "Voila une besogne honteuse" Follett
>
>Honey, your silk stocking's hanging down.
Honey's what Kemal%!$%8 * ))) AT0 +++
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