TV You're Watching

[Heinrich]

Not pinpointing you specifically. I notice here that this show is popular and most traditional American Catholics have Irish lineage, which has been and currently is, viciously and unscrupulously oppressed by English overlords. If the doings of Cromwell, the Crown, and the famine don't upset you, then by all means, enjoy the vicarious tea and biscuts.

Cromwell was a regicide, if it were to me each and every statue and bust of him would be beheaded. The Irish Federation was allied to the King. The famine was a tragedy that could have been prevented, but it was no holocaust. The governmental inaction was influenced by laissez-faire capitalism. Speaking of Americans, what the government could have done would be decried as socialist nowadays. Ought I canonize the violence of the Irish Republican Army? Should I ignore all the Unionists? The Irish question is much more nuanced than you make it to be, with all due respect to all victims. This isn't a story about bad guys and good guys. All of these pseudohistorical ravings have nothing to do with a fictional show either.

Say, what about the Indian wars? The Indian Removal Act? Enjoy your vicarious beer and burgers. And must I associate your fondness for German with the Shoah? My grandparents were oppressed by them during the War too. Prosit!

Othmar, I am not assailing you directly, but rather, an aggregated fondness of SDers for the type of folk(in a tv show) who represent those who are responsible for enslavement and murder, mayhem and destruction. I respect the time Louis IX took to write a well thought out reply, but I am not convinced in principle to watch this show because of its charm and internal conflict. And you are correct, Manifest Destiny was a destructive element of the expansion westward and those responsible are paying dearly, I am sure. Just as the many rogue Republicans are, too. I am not a hypocrite nor apologist for murder.

BTW, at this time the beer and burgers are certainly of the vicarious sort since I am undertaking a regimented diet.

[Othmar]

Othmar, I am not assailing you directly, but rather, an aggregated fondness of SDers for the type of folk(in a tv show) who represent those who are responsible for enslavement and murder, mayhem and destruction.

Well, an Irishman did state such a thing in the episode I watched today. He disapproved of Lord Grantham as a representative of the oppressive class. Of course, this character is a socialist, and he was talking about class warfare. I hardly see what their personal responsibility would be.

And you are correct, Manifest Destiny was a destructive element of the expansion westward and those responsible are paying dearly, I am sure. Just as the many rogue Republicans are, too. I am not a hypocrite nor apologist for murder.

Let us hope so. 

[The Harlequin King]

Downton Abbey is a soap opera with a bigger budget. Entertaining, but I can see where Heinrich is coming from. It doesn't matter that Lord Grantham wasn't personally responsible for the sins of the Empire. He can represent, to some folk, those who have power but do nothing to right the injustices against the colonial folk (of which I include the Irish, as Ireland was basically like practice before taking on the rest of the world); at least as far as we can see.

In other words, Robert is pretty good to his employees and tenants (his "serfs" in another age), but the Irish problem, or the Indian problem, or the Chinese problem, are "not my problem". In the 21st century context, it's like how we buy stuff from Walmart without thinking about where they come from. Guilty myself, as I was at Walmart just the other day.

[Othmar]

Edit: Ah, nevermind, there isn't really a point in going on about this.

[Ancilla Domini]

Why are so many here enthralled by English aristocrats? It is repulsive to me that most here, who are of Irish descent, are lamming away in front of the tube, tickled by a bunch of oppressors.

Are most people here of Irish descent? We should conduct a poll...

[Der Kaiser]

I just started with Downton Abbey.

Why are so many here enthralled by English aristocrats?

I think it's because people want to pretend they are them for an hour. I at least would love to have been a English Aristocrat in the Victorian or Edwardian times. What I DO find odd is how people myself included Idolize them yet most of us financially speaking probably wouldn't even be as well off as one of the Grantham's Servants.

[Kaesekopf]

Why are so many here enthralled by English aristocrats? It is repulsive to me that most here, who are of Irish descent, are lamming away in front of the tube, tickled by a bunch of oppressors.

Are most people here of Irish descent? We should conduct a poll...

I'd be willing to bet a large chunk of Catholics in the USA have at least a bit of Irish in them. 

[Der Kaiser]

Why are so many here enthralled by English aristocrats? It is repulsive to me that most here, who are of Irish descent, are lamming away in front of the tube, tickled by a bunch of oppressors.

Are most people here of Irish descent? We should conduct a poll...

Oddly enough the tiny bit of Irish I have were Protestants in Northern Ireland. Initially they were Catholic and fought against Elizabeth I with Hugh O'Neill, but converted when granted land by Cromwell. So yeah...kinda traitors. Paradoxically its my German side that is Catholic.

[Der Kaiser]

Now back to TV. Anybody looking forward to the Dracula TV show this fall on NBC? Looks interesting to me.

[Bonaventure]

Why are so many here enthralled by English aristocrats? It is repulsive to me that most here, who are of Irish descent, are lamming away in front of the tube, tickled by a bunch of oppressors.

Are most people here of Irish descent? We should conduct a poll...

Do it.

[Heinrich]

Downton Abbey is a soap opera with a bigger budget. Entertaining, but I can see where Heinrich is coming from. It doesn't matter that Lord Grantham wasn't personally responsible for the sins of the Empire. He can represent, to some folk, those who have power but do nothing to right the injustices against the colonial folk (of which I include the Irish, as Ireland was basically like practice before taking on the rest of the world); at least as far as we can see.

In other words, Robert is pretty good to his employees and tenants (his "serfs" in another age), but the Irish problem, or the Indian problem, or the Chinese problem, are "not my problem". In the 21st century context, it's like how we buy stuff from Walmart without thinking about where they come from. Guilty myself, as I was at Walmart just the other day.

To further this, I am a monarchist through and through and respect right privilege and social class. It does make the world work better. Good stuff remains good, and people know their limits. It is just this English thing I have a problem with.

[LouisIX]

Downton Abbey is a soap opera with a bigger budget. Entertaining, but I can see where Heinrich is coming from. It doesn't matter that Lord Grantham wasn't personally responsible for the sins of the Empire. He can represent, to some folk, those who have power but do nothing to right the injustices against the colonial folk (of which I include the Irish, as Ireland was basically like practice before taking on the rest of the world); at least as far as we can see.

In other words, Robert is pretty good to his employees and tenants (his "serfs" in another age), but the Irish problem, or the Indian problem, or the Chinese problem, are "not my problem". In the 21st century context, it's like how we buy stuff from Walmart without thinking about where they come from. Guilty myself, as I was at Walmart just the other day.

To further this, I am a monarchist through and through and respect right privilege and social class. It does make the world work better. Good stuff remains good, and people know their limits. It is just this English thing I have a problem with.

In many ways, the English aspect of the show is incidental.  It's a quintessentially English show, but a lot of the themes are those of aristocracy and monarchy in any European society.

[OCLittleFlower]

I just started with Downton Abbey.

Why are so many here enthralled by English aristocrats? It is repulsive to me that most here, who are of Irish descent, are lamming away in front of the tube, tickled by a bunch of oppressors.

Blarg.

I've got more English blood than Irish, by a long mile.  I do have a drop of Irish blood or two, but I don't identify with it in any way, if I'm honest.

[OCLittleFlower]

Anybody else like the  really good BBC stuff?  Like Are You Being Served?

I'm a big fan of Keeping Up Appearances.

What a great show.

The Bouquet residence, the lady of the house speaking!

'Allo missus Bucket!

[OCLittleFlower]

Downton Abbey is a soap opera with a bigger budget. Entertaining, but I can see where Heinrich is coming from. It doesn't matter that Lord Grantham wasn't personally responsible for the sins of the Empire. He can represent, to some folk, those who have power but do nothing to right the injustices against the colonial folk (of which I include the Irish, as Ireland was basically like practice before taking on the rest of the world); at least as far as we can see.

In other words, Robert is pretty good to his employees and tenants (his "serfs" in another age), but the Irish problem, or the Indian problem, or the Chinese problem, are "not my problem". In the 21st century context, it's like how we buy stuff from Walmart without thinking about where they come from. Guilty myself, as I was at Walmart just the other day.

To further this, I am a monarchist through and through and respect right privilege and social class. It does make the world work better. Good stuff remains good, and people know their limits. It is just this English thing I have a problem with.

I don't think English people (as a general group) are to be faulted for the political issues you cite any more than German or Japanese people nowadays as a general group should feel badly about WW2.  If they do, they have been brainwashed unfairly.

And, as you say, good stuff is good, and some good stuff is English.  Clearly, not everything that comes from England is evil or else you would refuse to write your posts in English.