Post-script: 'historians' and 'truth.'

[victoriavandal.livejournal.com]

A post-script to my previous post - some of you might like this - it's from the last U.S. election night coverage on the BBC - it's the wee small hours of the morning (Obama's big victory speech was on at 5am here) and methinks someone has been enjoying the BBC's 'hospitality' room a bit...but I love Dimbleby's little comment right at the end here...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3v-wmqc27U&feature=related and there' this, too... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCQrnSQ4rTo&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=D638E3BA48901241&index=21 (that should be the Dead Ringers / Simon Schama's fee sketch: the woman who is now head of BBC2 factual programming - and salaries - thinks the man is a towering genius whose book 'Citizens' changed her life. Blimey. Explains a lot about BBC history programmes, though: the pro-English Revolution 1640's set drama the Devil's Whore was dropped by the BBC (I'm guessing when they realised Charles 1 wasn't going to be the 'hero') and made instead by the independent Channel4).

P.P.S. For a taste of BBC things to come, the entire episode of Schama's last televisual rant against the French Revolution has been posted on Youtube. Dig the spotty teenage Robespierre, and the even spottier Danton (who looks like a wino), scabby Marat, not to mention the hideously deformed David himself - the old 'French Revolution as Zoo' approach....it's not pleasant, but anyone out there who wants more stuff for essays etc. on right-wing/revisionist/reactionary/pop cultural 'takes' on the revolution can use this as a good example of the genre. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDi6jyifhY4

Comments

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

I still have to load (with my very slow internet) the first vids, but: yay (irony) for Schama's nonsense on Youtube. I've been wanting to traumatize myself with his frothing hatred of David and the Revolution in a while. Also, his intro with the taffeta spheroid makes no sense. I know he's trying to fit in context. But... IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. Randomest thing ever. Such as the fake French accent with the Figaro actor. It's just hilarious. With his close-up, his make-up and his weird face. It's just... wow, great comedy. He frighteningly reminds me Stephen Rea's Santiago in Interview with the Vampire too... sorry, but he DOES. Including the fake accent.

And I'm not even speaking of the sweating Danton. It's not even worth mentionning. Stuff for nightmares.

[misatheredpanda.livejournal.com]

- "strange line-dance of death", "David's contribution to the decapitation campaign", "orgies of public hugging"

- the little aristocrat extras and their silly expressions (especially the 'fear' for the animals at the very beginning)..... I just want to take them home!

- the whole bit about the king's death

- gratuitous close-ups of Corday dressing herself

- Schama's variable pronunciations of 'Robespierre'

- Danton using his 'inside voice' to deliver speeches

- apparently the Oath of the Horatii sparked the revolution?

- and my favourite part: Schama telling us what we think. IT'S ALL CLEAR TO ME NOW. IT WASN'T ART, IT WAS WITCHCRAFT!!!

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

Considering how Schama kills my soul, I'm not sure it's a good idea if I watch that... >.>

[(Anonymous)]

Oh my goodness, how medieval and cheaply psychoanalytical at the same time. The wounds of the body and childhood traumas = bloodthirsty Jacobin painter...Indeed another proof of the fact that progress is an illusion :-)

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I had a long running commentary here and LJ erased it. Fkfgjksfjdsl. From what I remember:

-Not only did David draw the "strange line dance of death," it was viewed by none other than the "sweaty, growling public." :o

-I'm glad you can tell Robespierre apart from all of the other Third Estate deputies by his refusal to wear black and his direct, hostile stare forward. Might as well have made him green while they were at it. Also, he looks about 14.

-"You can always feel David imagining whole families looking at it." Um. Really? I can?

-And then he later goes on to explain that, luckily, my mind also discerns that The Death of Marat is WITCHCRAFT!!!!!!111 I'm so glad he knows what I think. I would have never guessed otherwise!

-So David was a "monster" who contributed to the Terror. Later, when he "slavishly" went to Napoleon's side, he was his "official glamorizer." Thank God for Schama's unbiased hosting! We can't just have him tell us the facts and let them speak for themselves, now can we? (Of course, this wouldn't work, I suppose, since Schama doesn't know the facts either)

-I'm so glad that the Terror was guillotined when Robespierre was! White Terror? What's that?

-David was absolutely FORBIDDEN!!!!!11 due to his HEINOUS CRIMES!!!!11 from ever returning to France after the Restoration. It's not like they offered him amnesty and he refused out of principle or anything.

Dear God. This man needs to be stopped.