IN 1895 Oscar Wilde wrote a character in The Importance of Being Earnest named Cecily, who uttered these words: "When I see a spade I call it a spade." To which another character responded: "I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade." At that time the phrase was a term referring to speaking truths, calling things out as they ought to be called.
But by the end of the Twenties a spade had become a derogatory slur against African Americans. Just a decade later "stay woke" was a lyric in a song inspired by the wrongly-accused Scottsboro Boys. It was a term advising African Americans to be alert towards pending trouble, particularly any sort of racial or social injustice.
Now woke has a whole new and other meaning and mostly serves to polarise the Left and Right. the school yard where I grew up in Wales this little ditty was thrown around like an old rugby ball: "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me". Such bravado appealed to the child terrified of being in a punch-up. Could words, with their often devilish ferocity, really protect? Or do we use words to conceal fear?
"Words word words" wrote William Shakespeare, spoken by his Hamlet, who suspected everyone at court of using words to lie and manipulate. In our age of enlightenment is there really an "awakening" taking place, or are we all using words as political weaponry to censor one another?
By the mid-Seventies, inspired by a group of dazzling older friends, I was marching in my first gay pride. I felt a mixture of excitement and humiliation as we chanted through the streets like wild animals released from the jungle, gawped at, though often cheered.
Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin October 27, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin October 27, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Only £65k a month to live like Boy George
The Karma Chameleon singer listed his house for £17m in 2022, turning down offers. Now, he's looking for a tenant
Welcome to London, unicorn capital of Europe
We're flying far ahead of anywhere outside US for tech investment
Arteta's Arsenal evolution The next phase
Malik Ouzia and Simon Collings assess how the Spaniard will try to bring down Man City after he signs up for another three years with the title in his sights
Title fight catches fire after Gunners embrace dark side
Arsenal-City clashes take on a welcome edge of animosity
Whack the hippy gong-boho's back
It happened in Paris one grey February day. Sienna Miller was in an oversized, black leather jacket, lace-trimmed silk slip and clumpy great wedges.
There's a Starlink waiting in the sky... 7,000 in fact.Can Elon Musk stop them crashing to Earth?
As he was preparing his fields for seeding this year, Barry Sawchuk came across a giant slab of space debris. It had come from a spacecraft belonging to Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX.
'Politicians are only into power-mongering, corruption and cronyism'
We speak to alt revolutionary DEEPAK CHOPRA about biomarkers, his digital twin and his work to save humanity from disease
I've been waiting for a production of Godotthis brilliant all my life
Ben Whishaw and Lucian Msamati bring a potent, tragicomic chemistry to James Macdonald’s rich revival of Samuel Beckett’s challenging play.
Trust me, the Ritz is London's bestrestaurant
To whom we turn in moments of gloom and glory can be instructive, a filter of our truest friends. I've fallen out with the Ritz a couple of times, including once after a visit to the bar which didn’t warrant a review (“But you said it was lovely!” they said.
'Healing is a dirty word'
After four traumatic years, FKA twigs is back with a new album -and a thrilling metamorphosis