Keep Your Nose Out!

Hello, it's me again. Sorry, I'm having a bit of a rant this week.

The world is going barmy; all this PC malarkey has gone too far! I read during the week, that NHS workers have been banned from eating at their desks in case it offends Muslims who are fasting during Ramadam - what?

Why don't the PC brigade just sod off and leave us alone! It's getting to the point where we can't say or do anything, in case it offends someone, somewhere. They tried to stop us singing certain nursery rhymes - which children have been singing for years - in case it upset a particular group of people. Things like Baa Baa Black Sheep. Well, perhaps we shouldn't sing Goosey Goosey Gander; it's teaching kids to throw old people down the stairs. How about Wee Willie Winkie, or what about Georgie Peorgie? He kissed girls and made them cry; sounds like a bit of a sex pest if you ask me!

Something equally as stupid, or more in my opinion - is the recent move to ban nose art from RAF aircraft in case it upsets their female workers; despite the fact that no women have ever made a complaint. Nose art - paintings on the front, or 'nose' of the aeroplane - first appeared in World War One, depicting names of loved ones, slogans or cartoons. Then, for the thousands of men in WW2 who were a long way from home and risking their lives to fight for their country, there was a need to think about something other than what was going on around them; and one of the things that dominated their thoughts, was girls.

The female form became the most popular nose art image, and thousands of American planes were adorned with pictures of scantily clad, sexy sirens. Sporting names like Miss Fortune, Poison Ivy, Betty J, Sally B and of course Memphis Belle - a US B-17 of which a Hollywood Movie was later made - they certainly brightened up the aircraft and made them instantly recognisable to their crew.
Movie stars such as Jane Russell and Rita Hayworth graced our own British bombers during the second war too. These colourful images personalised the plane giving it it's own identity, and were a great morale booster for the men.

During the gulf war, nose art made a bit of a comeback, and was grudgingly allowed to remain for its duration.

The recent decision to ban these pictures, came about after some glamour models went to Afghanistan and signed paintings of themselves on RAF aircraft. Some hierarch decided that it was sexist, and not appropriate by today's standards, because many of those who fly and work on the aircraft are women.
They also didn't want to upset the Afghan Muslim women who cover themselves up and might have been offended by pictures of naked girls. But although there hadn't been any complaints from either the female RAF personnel or Afghan women, the pilots were ordered to initially black out the pictures, then remove them completely.

Maybe page three models from certain newspapers ought to be banned then, because hundreds of women read them and might find them offensive! The reality is that most women don't have a problem seeing naked images of other women. You cannot legislate for everyone, because what one person may find offensive, another person may not.

It is taking away our freedom of choice that I object to. If I don't want to see those things, I won't look, but let ME decide. Really, I am sick of some killjoy taking matters into their own hands and making a decision for the rest of us. We are grown ups, and are quite able to decide if we don't like something ourselves or find it offensive, at which point we will complain. So until then, keep your nose out!

 

 

Thus ends this week's rant, but to close on a brighter note, a photo that I took this week of another visitor to our garden and bird feeder. What with him, the parakeets and the bats flying around, it's a real little wildlife haven.

It was raining during the week, which made the bird feeder pole slippery. I had a real laugh watching this little fellow trying to climb it and slip back down again. Wish I had got it on video.

 

Earlier columns.

Anyone for tea?

Decisions, decisions!

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