The Critical Commentator

                                           Letters Sylvia Crookes went for a smear and as the doctor peered up her with his flashlight, he remarked: “I see you are a teacher.” Sylvia was astounded. “How can you tell?” she asked, wondering at the gynaecological effect that her profession was having. “I read it in your notes,” he replied. (Sylvia Crookes, The Times , 2019) RUGBY Sam Warburton was the captain of the Welsh rugby team and the British Lions. Sam Warburton’s autobiography opens in a hotel room in Wellington, New Zealand, in the early hours where he is in the midst of the 2017 British Lions Tour that will go down in history for a drawn series against the All Blacks. … “It should be the highlight of my career,” he notes. “It feels like anything but.” 'Anxiety', Head of a Girl ,  Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805) Photo Credit: Victoria Art Gallery [CC BY-NC-ND] His body aches all over with the damage of more than 20 significant injuries b

                 Fashion and Environmental Damage A Girl Sewing , Philippe Mercier (1689-1760)  Photo Credit: Tate [CC BY-NC-ND] The Commons environmental audit committee has produced a report that outlines the environmental damage caused by fast fashion. “We need to simply buy less, mend, rent and share more…To support this we recommend that lessons on designing, creating, mending and repairing clothes be included in schools at Key Stage 2 and 3. The creative satisfaction of designing and repairing clothing can offer an antidote to the growing anxiety and mental health issues among teenagers. The skills learnt can also provide a potential pathway towards job opportunities.” Hang on. Isn’t needlework still on the curriculum under the term design and technology? What evidence does the committee show that designing and repairing clothes contributes to the mental health of teenagers? Burberry burnt £28 million of unwanted products last year. The next day: “The most

                                                 Letters Rugby Player Slyvain Kinsberger (1855-1935) Photo Credit: World Rugby Museum [CC BY-NC] Sir, When I attended Wales v England matches at Cardiff Arms Park in the 1970s, the problem of spectators leaving their seats to go to bars and lavatories did not exist – at least, not in the part of the ground where there were no seats. For those Welsh spectators who needed to lose some of the liquid they had been imbibing since opening time, the problem was solved by moving quietly behind a group of England supporters. The first you knew about this was a warm trickle down the back of your trouser legs. And no one missed seeing any of the game. (which Wales always won) (Dr Tim Bayliss-Smith, The Times, 2019) Health The Tree of Knowledge , unknown artist Photo Credit: The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford [CC BY-NC] Anita Mitra is a gynaecologist: “Vaginas do not need steaming. You can get terrible bu

                                    Personal Debt and Social Media Newgate, Committed for Trial , Frank Holl (1845-1888) Photo Credit: Rochdale Arts & Heritage Service [CC BY-NC] Displays of lavish spending on social media such as Instagram are to blame for dwindling household savings and rising debt, experts say…They trace the trend to the rise of shopping channels on TV, and of mobile phones and email, which gave people new outlets to brag about their holiday, night out or new dress. It was exacerbated by the rise of social media which, they say, is wholly organised around consumption. They, the Researchers at the US National Bureau of Economic Research, explain that the most visible people in an online network are the ones who are shown consuming the most. In other words, the friends who are constantly posting about mini-breaks and meals out are the ones most likely to appear in timelines. Social media sites designed for sharing pictures and videos, such as I

                                           Letters The Dentist , David Teniers 11, (1610-1690)  Photo Credit: Manchester Art Gallery  [CC BY-NC-ND] A dentist friend tells of a patient who came in to be fitted with a full set of dentures. There had been a long delay due to problems in the technicians’ workshop. He apologised to the patient for the delay and hoped he had not been too inconvenienced. “Not at all – I’ve been using these,” said the patient, producing a full set of dentures made from Lego bricks and Plastic Padding. They even contained two or three windows. (William Graham Fardon, The Guardian , 2019)                                                                                                                         Socks       (The Guardian, 2019) Mrs Mead, Darning Socks, Rose Mead (1867 - 1946) Photo Credit: St Edmunsbury Museums, [CC BY-NC-ND]  … Socks are now an important part of your outfit at the least, the making of an outfit at

Jargon The Merry-Go- Round , Mark Gertler (1891-1939) Photo Credit: Tate [CC BY-NC-ND] Do you pounce like a ninja? Are you a laser-focused self-starter who can hit the ground running? If this jargon leaves you confused and bewildered you may be one of the young graduates put off by meaningless language in job descriptions. … The worst culprits were public relations, IT, sales, marketing and engineering companies. The terms used included on-boarding (being enrolled in a business), C-suite (most senior executive), ninja (desirable employee) and open the kimono (reveal a project’s inner workings). The legal industry, property, administration, insurance and banking were also accused of using too much jargon. … The most off-putting descriptions included ninja, laser-focused, action-orientated and proven track record. The most misunderstood phrases included growth-hacking (acquire customers while spending as little as possible), thought-shower (brain sto