Wednesday 24 September 2008

The Kids Are Alright

That's what Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey were telling us back in 1965. But were they right? Though looking at the lyrics of the Who song doesn't seem to indicate a heartfelt cry to the integrity of the younger members of the population, to my mind (and, I would hazard, to most people who have heard it) it always symbolized this. Clearly, the kids they were speaking of were not those kids (such as me) who were born in that year, or even those kids who were up to 10 years older than that. No, they were talking about their generation - if you will - their contemporaries. Pete was born in 1945, some six years earlier than Gordon Brown, so Gordy would have been 14 (against Townshend's 20) when the song came out. It is conceivable then that the Who were referring to Old Clunking Fist in their anthem to not-so-doomed youth. In which case they were most definitely and emphatically wrong in saying that these people were in any way 'alright'.

I mean, look where the generation above us (and I mean no disrespect to my parents, who were and are frugal, honest and hard working people) has got us. A world of alienation, violence and uncertainty for the many, a stinking cess pool of discarded detritus and extinguished species, a world where 'celebrities' make stands against world poverty and callow youths are paid up to £120,000 a week to kick a ball around and drive enormous 4x4s while wearing watches worth tens of thousands of pounds. On the subject of Armageddon, I stood in the queue at Waitrose the other day and watched as those around me fed the scanners with their President butter and Duchy Originals, and I wondered what will happen when it all dries up. When the great teat of the 24/7 artics stops pumping its manna milk into the maws of the retail cathedrals. Not wishing to set myself apart, I realised that most of the people in the store wouldn't stand a chance if it came down to a physical contest for the scant resources available. Their jobs in internet publishing or media management wouldn't stand them in good stead when faced with a gang of crack-starved street rats in a fight over a mildewed potato or a siphoned litre of unleaded.

But I digress. My point, I suppose, is that this future lark isn't all it was cracked up to be. These kids who were 'alright' have dumped us right in it and no mistake.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dude - there's always SOMETHING. I'm not trying to trivialize current challenges but it wasn't that long ago when we faced the very real threat of nuclear annihilation. In fact it seems that on occasion we were even closer than we worried at the time.

Before that, just when we found a solution to one incurable, mostly fatal, sexually transmitted disease (syphilis) we stumbled upon another.

It wasn't THAT long ago, in the grand scheme of things, when it seemed the entire human race was going to be wiped out by rat-borne diseases.

Truly, I think we might as well worry about the next ice age or a thumping great meteorite as anything you’ve mentioned above.

You personally are more likely to meet your maker as a result of a wayward bendy bus than in a fight over the last potato in London.

In short: cheer up, it may never happen!

Anonymous said...

I would use the last potato as ammo for my spud gun and take the opportunity to go out and clean up the streets of all the scum. I would eat tinned chick peas which I would have stolen from a warehouse somewhere, and I would live on a bendy bus with a bevy of roughish beauties in leather shifts. I can hardly wait.

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be better to live IN the bendy bus?

Anonymous said...

Does one say (when on a mobile phone, for example) "I'm IN the bus. See you soon."? I think not

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...so Mr Norris expects the buses to be operational after armageddon does he? He does have a great deal of faith in London Transport doesn't he!
Perhaps we could further illuminate this interesting linguistic quirk by asking friends and collegues :"Where did The Double-Deckers live?".

Anonymous said...

The Double-Deckers lived with their parents. How does THAT solve anything?

Anonymous said...

In referance to Mr Dant's comment,
Shouldn't it be :"I'm in the bus talking in my mobile phone."?

Anonymous said...

Nope. It should be:"I'm both in and on the bus and talking into my mobile phone."

Anonymous said...

If I may be so bold:" I'm not on the roof of the bus and I'm next to my phone. "

Anonymous said...

Well, a fine state we would be on if we all went around speaking like Mr Bank, I ask you.

"Hello dear, I'm sitting ON a seat ON the bus, though NOT ON its roof, NEXT TO my mobile phone and an elderly lady."

Ellipsis is a fine art.

Anonymous said...

Well, Mr Ocean made a sensible point about The Double-Deckers and as he's someone familiar with both hallucinatory episodes and a fervent desire to entice young ladies into his ride, I, for one, believe him.
Anyhew, let us consider where The Double-Deckers had their "den".

Anonymous said...

Hi, Y'all!!! I been followin' this fascinatin' interchange o' ideas from down here in Baton Rouge, and I'd just like ta throw my two cents in.
Now, I'm not sure about yer limey asshole phrazes, but it seems ta me that someone is suggestin' that Chuck Norris (Texas Ranger) will flourish beyond ARMAGEDDON by making a den on a bendy bus. With passwords. And Tiger as Tiger. And Brinsley Schwarz. And any number of GODDAMN COMMIE FAGGOTS.
Y'all are wrng!
God's justice will find you out!!!!

Anonymous said...

Did somebody say something about bikinis?

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry, can we get back to the essential question? Is Chuck Norris ON or IN or ON TOP of the bus? And who's the old lady he's sitting next to? And where's John Saxon?

Anonymous said...

Awww...c'mon you guys! Why not say "articulated bus"? I'd relly appreciate this!

Anonymous said...

Hey Ben!How do you think I feel?

Anonymous said...

Pleased to find a site that's prepared to discuss the problems of human/vehicular interfacing. And not only appelation anxiety, but situational stress disorder as well.
  For my money, it's always safest to say the following:
"Hello Dear, and by the way for anyone listening I'm talking to my wife and not an animal, I'm putting my mouth next to the phone whilst travelling within the walls of an elongated bus that is jointed. Although I am travelling on the bus I am actually stationary within the bus, but not completely so. I'll be home in ten minutes."

Anonymous said...

You can only imagine the trouble I have with him, can't you?