"By God, I've lost me leg." ". . So you have."

[Guest ratchethack]

Gad, have all the British Lads become Nancy Boys??????!!!!!!!!!!

 

Losers Weepers

By QUENTIN LETTS, the Daily Mail of London

 

The Wall Street Journal, July 6, 2006; Page A14

 

LONDON -- English men have long prided themselves on a certain resilience. It has been this way since at least 1815, when Lord Uxbridge was hit by a cannon ball in the closing moments of the Battle of Waterloo and said, in mild surprise: "By God, I've lost my leg." To which his neighbor, the Duke of Wellington, replied: "By God sir, so you have." Today's England was, therefore, a little surprised to switch on its TV sets last weekend and find one of its best-known men weeping over the result of a soccer match.

 

The fellow's name was David Beckham, captain of the England soccer team. It is hard to overstate his fame in England. "Becks" is the most prominent player of his generation, a man who has made a fortune not only for his skills on the pitch but also as a male pin-up. One of Mr. Beckham's many endorsements was for Gillette razors, whose television ads linger adoringly on his chin of manly stubble. Last Saturday, that same chin wobbled with lachrymose blubbing. The England team was about to be eliminated from the World Cup in Germany and 31-year-old Mr. Beckham, a Conservative-supporting father of two, was inconsolable. Tears rolled down his cheeks like autumn raindrops. His eyes spouted like a garden sprinkler.

 

When the final whistle blew a few minutes later the England players, almost to a man, sat down and bawled, to be joined by thousands of England fans in the stadium and elsewhere. It was not much better the next day when Mr. Beckham announced his resignation as England captain. He could barely complete his press conference, he was so close to breakdown.

 

What on earth was happening to the country which bred Captain Oates? Frostbitten Lawrence Oates was the polar explorer who in 1912, not wishing to delay his comrades, stepped out of his tent to certain death with the words: "I am just going outside and may be some time." Now that was manly. That, once, was the English way. It seems hard to believe that just 94 years later an English "hero" such as Mr. Beckham could behave so drippily about the result of a ball game.

 

His antics have pleased liberals. The Guardian, house journal of Britain's progressives, praised his "new manishness." Voices on the right also discerned a political dynamic. Richard Littlejohn, a shock-jock columnist on the Daily Mail, thought that Mr. Beckham's "metrosexual orgy of grief" had come to represent the "feminised, feel-your-pain drivel" of the left. He called Mr. Beckham and his team mates "nancy boys."

 

One newspaper cartoon contrasted the football lamentations with the quiet dignity displayed at last week's 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. In the first day of the Somme alone 19,240 British soldiers died. Today, however, the British people become emotional when even two servicemen are killed in Afghanistan, as also happened last weekend. Those two deaths have run high on London news agendas.

 

David Beckham's sniveling about a mere soccer game is ripe with comedy. The Pentagon, however, may want to bear in mind that its main ally in the war against terror is no longer quite so stoical in the face of adversity.

[g.forrest]

in one word..SNAG.. this new politicaly correct male. sensitive new age guy..!and guess what. it all started in your land.

[mdude]

"metrosexual orgy of grief".....

[Guest redguzziv10]

Bloody Beckham! Most of us disowned him years ago.

Any Englishman not fotunate enough to own a pair of those rose coloured glasses knows that the current English team couldn't score in a Thai brothel.

The world cup is just an excuse to go to the pub in work time.

This is the man with the true English spirit

[mike wilson]

Messrs Letts and Littlejohn are both classic examples of that which they claim to despise. Littlejohn by name, Littlejohn by nature.

 

What they both fail to see is that _everything_ Mr B and his cohorts do is planned in detail to maximise revenue. The maunderings of some brain-dead "journalists" are the least of their considerations. Given the choice of becoming a journalist or a professional footballer, I'd probably kill myself.

[Guest ratchethack]

. . . . everything_ Mr B and his cohorts do is planned in detail to maximise revenue.  The maunderings of some brain-dead "journalists" are the least of their considerations.  Given the choice of becoming a journalist or a professional footballer, I'd probably kill myself. 

Erf, kaff. . . . point well taken. Given the choice of either, or a metrosexual (is that the same thing now?) I'd do the same.

[dlaing]

in one word..SNAG.. this new politicaly correct male. sensitive new age guy..!and guess what. it all started in your land.

94332[/snapback]

SNAGs Rule!

The insensitive neo-cromagnon white male is the root of most of the world's evil.

If pushed, I am sure Beckham could kick Ratchet's callous ass with one hand tied behind his back.

Go Nancy Boys!!!!!

Atleast the Brits are not as humiliated as the Brasillians:

Is it more manly to cover your face?

[Guest ratchethack]

The insensitive neo-cromagnon white male is the root of most of the world's evil.

If pushed, I am sure Beckham could kick Ratchet's callous ass with one hand tied behind his back.

Go Nancy Boys!!!!!!!!

Spoken like a Truly Conflicted and Thoroughly Feminized Metrosexual entirely subservient to the slavery of GROUPTHINK.

 

How then to explain your insensitive, brutish, and barbaric neo-cro-magnon comment, Dave??

 

You must've been stretching out with y'er FEEEEEEEELINGS again. Every time that happens, you seem to spout the most amazing HATE SPEECH. Why d'you s'pose THAT is, praytell? I thought you Metrosexuals were the "tolerant, open and affirming" type???!!!!

 

Why, by your own definition above, Dave, YOU must yourself be the root of most of the world's evil?!?!?

 

Uh, you DO have a pair. . . . err, . . . . don't you, Dave?

[Ballacraine]

Not the same breed that climbed out of the trenches and ran at a brace of machine guns waving a sword, shouting:

 

'Follow me, men...Last one in Berlin is a cissy!'

 

Or words to that effect.

 

( No disrespect to truly brave men intended BTW )

 

Nige.

[Guest ratchethack]

Not the same breed that climbed out of the trenches and ran at a brace of machine guns waving a sword, shouting:

 

'Follow me, men...Last one in Berlin is a cissy!'

 

Or words to that effect.

 

( No disrespect to truly brave men intended BTW    )

 

Nige. 

94378[/snapback]

Heh, heh. . . . . . . How d'you s'pose we'd all have fared in the liberation of Europe with a slimy mass of limp-wristed Metrosexuals for soldiers?!?!?!

 

Sprechenzie Deutsch?

[Ballacraine]

Heh, heh. . . . . . . How d'you s'pose we'd all have faired in the liberation of Europe with a slimy mass of limp-wristed Metrosexuals for soldiers?!?!?!

 

Sprechenzie Deutsch?  

94381[/snapback]

 

'Darling, I simply can't be seen going into battle like this!'

 

'You should worry, dearie....I've just snagged a nail on this grenade pin!'

 

Nige.

[Anthro]

Are we now going to play caracter judges?

 

Is anyone going to evocate the tough boy style and lament changes?

Is anybody missing so much John Wayne?

are we goiong to attempt to analyze society in terms of masculine an femenine traits?

come on give me a brake!

--

The UK team was brilliant and fans had all the rights to be amotional about.

--

I feel that is both sad and sorry the comparizon of sports and other social issues like war.

 

I guess death is too terrible to bring it into the public expression arena.

Sports belongs to an easier domain were we may be emotionally compromised but still is just sports so we fist fight and cry about, who cares.

Instead 19.000 lives are lost in a battle, that is rather too much to take...

 

I think just the idea to compare is ill conceived !!!

 

Anthro

[Ballacraine]

Just following the initial Waterloo reference.

 

A game should be treated as such.

 

It is hardly a thing to be wept over.

 

( BTW It is not the UK team it is the English team )

 

On a side issue.

 

Normally, unfortunately I think, the display of the English St.George flag is frowned upon and regarded as being provocative to the racial minorities.

 

For a time it was regarded as quite alright, because some men were kicking a ball about, soon it will be frowned upon again. I think that is sad.

 

I don't know of any other country where displaying the national flag is frowned upon.

 

Nige. <_>

[Martin Barrett]

As always lots of valid opions. These are mine.

 

Being a "SNAG" is much more acceptable these days. It's more acceptable to display your emotions.

 

Emotions can be a dangerous thing. If you keep them bottled up the dam could burst. Following the birth of our miracle baby there got to a point where all the pressures were adding up, having held the family together and work as well I could feel myself loosing it. Less than a fortnight off from work with stress was able to sort it out.

 

Yes football is only a game and they are over paid namby pamby celebrities, but have you ever failed at something that has been your lifes work, and perhaps the opportunity may never present it self again? Also the unrealistic hopes of a nation (well it's tabloid press) were placed on your shoulders and this must heighten the scence of failure.

 

I think it's vastly unfair to make that military/sport comparison. Yes this week the 90th anniversary of the Somme offensive. We should remember that, and we should remember soldiers who are in harms way currently.

 

The press too easily whip up mass public hysteria and grief (Diana), and primarily only want to sell more papers.

 

Ordinary people still do amazing things of personal bravery when confronted with the need to do so or the duty. Some can have the benefit of the body’s self defense mechanisms cutting in others only the cold realization that something needs to be done.

 

Whilst not proclaiming myself to be brave but in my case sences of duty and necessity: I'm squeamish I don't watch medical programmes on the TV, but I attend an incident I deal with the blood and gore there and do whats necessary. I don't like getting hurt but I have to interject in violent situations and be prepared to take lumps. Okay I've not had to face an obvious mortal danger but have confronted people armed with knives and guns. (This hasn't happened in the last few years since I've been on inside duties )

 

On a daily basis I deal with the dregs of society, the theives, the drunks the socialy indaequates ( and then theres the public ) But I still believe that when push comes to shove the ordinary man in the street will stand firm.

[Ballacraine]

A coherent and valid post, Martin.

 

Nige.