The Lost Generation

Social mores and movements come and go. But at least they are not usually cyclical, and that’s good; I cannot see any good reason for the return of, for example, women’s liberation. However, women’s liberation, if a little strident, was at least justified and largely successful. Another movement of the time was equally successful (for its authors) but in my view wholly unjustified. In fact, it was intrusive, offensive, pervading, resilient and just simply silly—I refer of course to political correctness. I don’t want to go through all the examples of the damage political correctness wrought on the English language—you and I know them well and ridiculed them enough, but I do want to draw your attention to two residual examples. The first is radio’s most venerable programme, Morning Report on the National Programme. During Maori Language Week a couple of weeks ago they initiated the format of having their opening comments and introductions in Maori. Fair enough for the occasion, I guess. But it has now continued and indeed got worse to the point that the dissertation and distribution of the news and the subsequent commentary on that news is somewhat delayed by the somehow ordained prerequisite to get through “all that Maori stuff.” What’s worse is that it is delivered, with some enthusiasm and alacrity, by two rather aged, middle-class white guys; it therefore is unnecessary, unsubstantiated, unbridled and, depending on your perspective, patronising and offensive. The second example of residual political correctness, and the one that started my train of thought, is a comment made to me yesterday that the word secretary had been replaced by personal assistant. I did not know that. Of course I know some good personal assistants (and in one case an exemplary one) but I also know that the honorific secretary was once an honoured one. Indeed up to the mid 20^th Century it instilled both reverence and fear. Many great works of literature were written not by the assigned authors but by their personal secretaries; it is also believed reliably that British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli gained most of his information, inspiration and motivation from his secretary; so too did Adolf Hitler in his last days, with Martin Bormann. So, I see nothing wrong with being a secretary or being called such. In fact, I think the term personal assistant is by comparison somewhat derisory. Why one has replaced the other, I do not know. The question I ask though is where are those who perpetrated this insidious sickness upon us? Where are those who created this political correctness? Is no-one willing to fess up? Are they too embarrassed, those generators of silliness? It seems so. They are now lost to us, but their damage remains. Clearly, though, I am bored—why else would such matters tax my brain or your time. I apologise. On other matters, Fryday has moved with the times and now has its own blog. You’ll see the URL below. Mostly it will be just replication of the Fryday you get by email, but there may at times be additional stuff, so check it out if you have the inclination.

Tena koutou.

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