Thursday 30 July 2009

The BBC's Who Do You Think You Are...

Upon near completion of writing 'Vendetta of Silence' and the disability campaign, the lady and I relaxed last night and after watching the powerful Babel on DVD, a rich complex story surrounding the shooting of an American played by Cate Blanchett also starring Brad Pitt as her husband. Most interestingly was the deaf Japanese actress who showed the isolation and sense of rejection that we feel at times also her immaturity meant viewers were gripped.

Likewise, by Kate Humble's family history in the progressively brilliant BBC One Show. It was simply extraordinary, she found out her grandfather took an active role in the Great Escape and his log book is something of undiscovered treasure to historians. Another called Joseph, was commended for his determination when caught up in the worst accident in the history of English mining in 1862, when all the miners working that day - 204 men and boys - were killed by gas posioning.

If that wasn't enough, Bill Humble, a test pilot during World War II was a rogue, a ladies' man, who divorced her grandmother a few years after their 1936 wedding. His bravery whilst testing planes such as the Tempest, Typhoon and Hurricane for the aircraft manufacturer Hawker Siddeley during World War II, meant many lives were saved.

This makes terribly interesting viewing because it allows us to think what our ancestors accomplished or their persona and next week's show shall be of David Mitchell, one of my favourite comic actors.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00lwqrr/Who_Do_You_Think_You_Are_Series_7_Kate_Humble/

Another topic for discussion, as Plashing Vole demonstrates and in which I commented. It is another idiotic radio conversation that inspired it but thankfully I'm in the knowledge many disagree with her. It's almost as if the disabled are the dismissed Ophelia of society, a wretched damaged woman from Hamlet, who commits suicide because there is no other option following Hamlet's rejection and the murder of her father.

Which coincidentally, I've just realised the deaf character in Babel, her mother committed suicide and her father rather emotionally detached meant she seeked the approval, love of a man only to be rejected by a policeman who acted in his professional capacity. Perhaps the writer deliberately did this in mind of Shakespeare's creation or purely wished for her to be vulnerable.... another stereotype of the disabled which in all honestly, couldn't be further from the truth.

http://plashingvole.blogspot.com/2009/07/tricky-moral-point.html

2 comments:

Sandy said...

Unfortunately, I do not have access to the BBC one show in my country, but I have seen Babel and been enthralled by it too. I totally agree with all that you have said, especially the part about the Japanese girl.
I have a deaf uncle and he is the exact opposite of vulnerable. In fact he is strong willed, argues with vigor and his judgment is as sound as any of us(this is in spite of his not being able to read or write.)
I wish people would open their fully functional eyes and look at reality.
Cheers!

Benjamin. said...

Excellent comment, Sandy. I shall try my best to show the reality to the hearing world.