Drama, Culture secretaries and other idiots

It’s been one of those weeks that has seen the levels of frustration soar like the thermometers in old Tom and Jerry cartoons. Idiot decisions made by idiot people. Frustratingly slow progress in getting anywhere creatively due to nonsensical decision making. The subject that has prompted this post however, is rather unimportant in the general scheme of things, but I think it sums things up beautifully for my “Sector”. The Culture secretary, Mr Oliver Dowden, is reported to be writing to Netflix, to ask them to put a health warning on episodes of “The Crown”, to point out to viewers that it is fiction. I read it over and over again to ensure I’d not missed something, but that is exactly what he is proposing. Now as my friends will know, I have never been a fan of Royalty and the Monarchy as an institution, and I find the arguments in its favour to be somewhat weak and lacking in….how can I put it politely?….Reality. Morrissey may have outed himself as an idiot, but I still think he is right on this subject. However, I came to the “The Crown” with my eyes wide open, and actually found that, whilst It didn’t change my mind entirely, at least changed my perspective somewhat. Quite apart from the fact that good drama can do that, I also noted that it is actually very good television. However, this is to miss the somewhat obvious point. The credits give us a clue, that the people we are watching are actors. For Mr Dowden’s benefit, or anyone else confused by this, that means that they are pretending to be the characters on the screen. I am reminded of Ian McKellen’s appearance on Extras. Much as I have been impressed with Olivia Coleman, Gillian Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter, I managed to decipher the clues that it might not be the real Queen on my screen. Something in Gillian Anderson’s performance gave me the information I needed to realise that this was NOT in fact the re-animated corpse of the long dead Margaret Thatcher on my Screen. Now I accept that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, and I am happy to accept it….all I would ask dear reader, is that you accept that a Government minister, who feels the need to point out that actors delivering lines from a script are doing so on a fictional basis, might very well be, the lowest form of Government.