The chav, and the chav nots

Ban the word 'chav'

Oh bless; I didn't think you could get satire this good any more. The editorial and events over there on planet Fabbo must be a hoot!

It's Tuesday and someone in or via the Guardian wants to ban something else, doubtless from a well-funded little elitist bolt-hole (in a nice part of London) that might cease to exist if folk forgot they existed for a while. Who rattled a stick in your comfy nest this time... Burberry?

Canut would be proud of the notion of 'banning' a 'word' that has been out there in popular use for a fair old while, and my my experience more often used than not amongst those who it best describes, in its quaint street-cred, if not fond way:)

I recall as an expat in HK the fun that was to be had simply enthusiastically embracing the pejorative 'gweilo' used by the majority population, which sucked any power in might have had. Banning it would have worked sooooo much better.

And enough of this royal 'we' being sprayed about, sunshines, when it appears that what you are talking about is the odd little world that leaps from the appointment pages of this fine paper to the bunkers of Auntie, and in so doing seems to figure it automatically speaks for what the rest are thinking, saying and doing or, if not, jolly well should be made to change our ways about toot sweet.

I am sure that from shell-suits and beneath designer caps the length and breadth of the country there is an audible 'tut-tut' (most surely the cuss-word of choice in the 'hood) in empathy, but unless this is a brillo wind-up I must suggest you get a life... and real job.

Guardian - The chavs and the chav-nots - Nice headline, mind. Maybe she reads my blog?

Addendum - 17/07 - The BBC News, with fingers ever on the pulse, just had a discussion on this key issue. And their guest was the Guardian hackette above. Oddly, and whilst surprisingly critical of the basic premise, they all decided that there had been no demand for a ban. So I posted them the piece written by the originators of this topic, whose headline seemed/s quiet clear to me. To date they do not seem to have seen any need to correct the information aspects, favouring more the more colourful feedback they have had from viewers. Your licence fee in action.

Addendum 2 - 17/07 - Out of the mouths of babes... follow up session from our merry sofa set. Carefully avoiding the issue of whether a 'ban' was asked for now, the topic of how one deals with what kids should or should not say came up. Lovely moment when the blonde and bouffant asked our Guardianista heroine about the word 'fat'. A definite no-no, natch. However, they then pressed on to enquire as to how a child should describe a person of greater girth than is deemed more average. The answer?....: 'Oh, don't go there'.

So I'd say we'd better enjoy any descriptive words while we can.

BBC - Stop use of 'chav' - think tank