Fame With Frontiers

 
 

Having, as I do, one foot on each side of the Atlantic (and very uncomfortable it is too, at times), I cannot help but notice how much the US and the UK have in common. In each, for example, you are considered a little strange if you are not familiar with:

men who used to hit balls with wooden sticks
The Splendid Ted Williams! The Great Len Hutton!

old men who burble about men and their balls
Hiss David Coleman! Boo Brent Musberger!

men who giggle and gabble and want you to goggle
It's David Letterman! Here's Chris Evans!

men who smile as they tell you they tell you the news
Laud Trevor MacDonald! Glory Dan Rather!

know-all do-nothings with questions to answer
Toast Ted Koppel! Praise Jeremy Paxman!

writers of fiction who read like dictators
Skim Jeffrey Archer! Skip Tom Clancy!

and, of course, the great leader whose principle is politics
Hail Bill Clinton! Salute Tony Blair!

Oh, I could go on. I started by putting together a list, to show how interchangeable most of the celebrities that visit our TVs are, and the pairs of names just flowed, till I began to examine the list, as you do, for balance, and I noticed there was only one person of color (Trevor MacDonald); and no one poor; and no women at all

ah, cultural diversity – ain't it wonderful?

 
   

 

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