From lads mag hack to “culture writer”
Putz says what now?
On Tuesday the Garrick Club will hold a historic vote to decide whether to start accepting women as members. Some prominent figures, however, have already made their feelings clear. Stephen Fry, Sting and Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler have co-signed a letter, announcing that they “won’t feel able to continue as Garrick members” if women aren’t admitted. And the BBC’s John Simpson has publicly declared that he too would “find it impossible to stay”.
This is of course supremely noble of them. I have only one question.
After their many years as members, have they really only just discovered that the Garrick excludes women?
I suppose they must have. After all, if they’re so horrified by the exclusion of women that they feel compelled to resign, they must have hitherto been unaware of the men-only rule. Which means that, until now, they must have assumed that many of the Garrick’s existing members were women.
Yawn.
Yes, they’re very late; yes, they should have spoken up long ago; yes others should have spoken up before Fry and Co were even born; yes, women should have had equal rights all along. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. They should have spoken up sooner but they’ve spoken up now which is better than looking down from a great height.
If so, I hope they didn’t entertain any unworthy thoughts about them. Such as: “Why do the female members always insist on wearing trouser suits, rather than a nice frock? And why do so many of them have moustaches? Honestly. One doesn’t wish to seem ungallant. But the women in the Groucho are so much prettier.”
Hur hur hur. Heard the one about “women have no sense of humor”?
Putz is one Michael Deacon. I looked him up.
Michael Deacon is a British author and political satirical journalist, who was previously the parliamentary sketch writer for The Daily Telegraph. After graduating from Sheffield University, Deacon worked for the lads’ magazine Zoo Weekly before joining the Daily Telegraph as a culture writer.
Of course. A lads mag bro. “Satirical.”
How does The Putz, or anyone, know they did not speak up sooner?
Organisations such as this are like oil tankers, steady as she goes and very hard to turn quickly. The vote hasn’t happened in a vacuum, I am prepared to lay London to a Brick that discussions have been going on, whispers in ears, and quiet but firm lobbying for many years for the Garrick to get to this point. It may have even included existing members recruiting new like minded members to boost their numbers.
But as OB says, who cares it took so long to get here when here we are, now.