The People's Tony

Iain Martin (Wall Street Journal blog) nails it on Tony Blair's memoirs:

But what about the book’s unintentionally hilarious title? “The Journey.” It’s very “X-Factor” / CelebrityDanceathon / GetMeOutofHere.

“Simon, Cheryl, Louis, Danni, I’ve been on an incredible journey. Guys, I’ve loved being on the show. You’ve been amazing.” Repeated references to a journey is now standard on celebrity and reality television. It began, I think, as a term used by people who had survived dreadful illness or overcome obstacles. But it has spread well beyond television and can apply to just about anything in contemporary life. There are now people in Britain who can’t go out to the shops to buy a loaf of bread and 20 B&H without saying on their return that it’s been an amazing journey.

How very, very Blair, that he should choose a title that is a bit New Agey with connotations of both therapy and “X-factor”-style celebrity.

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Incidentally, on the subject of people emoting on demand about their journey, imagine what World War II would have been like if it had been conducted in the post-modern television age? Roll footage of troops returning by boat from the evacuation of Dunkirk. They are all crying and hugging each other. Interviewer, Fern Britton, asks: “Guys, how do you feel.” Tommy Atkins: “Well, Fern, bit emotional. It’s been an amazin’ journey but in the end it was just all too much for us. But y’know, we’ve learnt big lessons along the way. Guys, you have to hold on to your dreams. If you want somefing badly enough you can do anyfing you want.” Fern Britton: “Apart from preventing the Wehrmacht sweeping through the low countries and deep into France?” Tommy: “Yeah, true. But it’s been an amazin’ journey.”

Spot on. The man is an arse.