This was an interesting program, my father has always admired Samuel Johnson while I have found the way he is portrayed in the press, is often a bit smug, jingoistic and offensive:
Matthew Parris presents the biographical series in which his guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, nominates Samuel Johnson, writer of the great dictionary. Dr Johnson's biographer, Peter Martin, joins the discussion.
As for Boris Johnson, I personally find him arrogant, boorish, out-of-touch and a perfect example of why the country shouldn't be dominated by a clique lead from the old upper-class institutions of eton-charthouse-winchester-harrow-oxbridge... This is quite a complex problem as these institution certainly are the elite of educators, have incredible strong histories, attract many of the very best teachers and students. Despite a brief period in the 60s & 70s when a more open society and new state institutions became fashionable, these old class-riddled institutions have few rivals.
Anyway I was intrigued by this program, mediated by the Mathew Paris, one of the very few conservative MPs, I like and respect (I'm please to say that I admired Mathew Paris' before I learnt that he was also gay man).
I elarnt quite a lot about Samuel Johnson and I was left with a slightly more favourable impression of him. Although I am still mystified why anyway would say anything so misogynistic and plain offensive as his awful quip regarding women preachers:
Sir, a woman's preaching is like a dog's walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all.
Despite my more positive outlook regarding Samuel Johnson, my contempt and dislike of Boris Johnson increased another notch.. I don't understand why he would praise The Sun and The Mail for the bold rudeness, political incorrectness.. I can see the point he is trying to make, but to me it is so weak but maybe to a more conservative mind these are qualities?
Matthew Paris, as a openly gay brought up with great finesse, a quote from one of Boris Johnson's "political incorrect" speeches:
if gay marriage was OK - and I was uncertain on the issue - then I saw no reason in principle why a union should not be consecrated between three men, as well as two men, or indeed three men and a dog.
It was a quote Boris foresaw that Matthew was going to raise and he tried to "talk over" Matthew, almost shouting him down to take control of the conversation and to try to drive the conversation away from this intensely nasty, bullying quip. However it was with great finesse, after Boris had blustered the conversation towards his own safe terriority, that Matthew
If you want to see more of the same, I have more on a blog post from May 2007:
http://davetravelogue.blogspot.com/2008/05/new-london-mayor-boris-vs-ken.html
Lastly both men, while have rare talents and are hard-working (workaholics?) the have common flaws.. their arrogance and conceit, alienate as many people as they inspire?
jingo |ˈji ng gō|
noun ( pl. -goes) dated chiefly derogatory
a vociferous supporter of policy favoring war, esp. in the name of patriotism.
PHRASES
by jingo! an exclamation of surprise.
ORIGIN late 17th cent. (originally a conjuror's word): by jingo (and the noun sense) come from a popular song adopted by those supporting the sending of a British fleet into Turkish waters to resist Russia in 1878. The chorus ran: “We don't want to fight, yet by Jingo! if we do, We've got the ships, we've got the men, and got the money too.”
nepotism |ˈnepəˌtizəm|
noun
the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, esp. by giving them jobs.
DERIVATIVES
nepotist |ˈnɛpətəst| noun
nepotistic |ˌnepəˈtistik| |ˈnɛpəˈtɪstɪk| |-ˈtɪstɪk| adjective
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from French népotisme, from Italian nepotismo, from nipote ‘nephew’ (with reference to privileges bestowed on the “nephews” of popes, who were in many cases their illegitimate sons).
misogynist |məˈsäjənist|
noun: a man who hates women.
adjective: reflecting or inspired by a hatred of women : a misogynist attitude.
DERIVATIVES
misogynistic |məˌsäjəˈnistik| |məˈsɑdʒəˈnɪstɪk| |-ˈnɪstɪk| adjective
finesse
noun
1 masterly finesse skill, skillfulness, expertise, subtlety, flair, panache, élan, polish, artistry, virtuosity, mastery.
2 a modicum of finesse tact, tactfulness, discretion, diplomacy, delicacy, sensitivity, perceptiveness, savoir faire.
3 a clever finesse winning move, trick, stratagem, ruse, maneuver, artifice, machination.
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