#malcolmposting

[handofhistory]

malcolm tucker is dead and me i feel also not so good

[georgeosbornescokedealer]

Introduced my four year old nephew to The Thick of it and he says he loves Malcolm because he's very funny and he's very shouty. I'm gonna be aunty-ing the American version of Alastair Campbell in 30 years 😩

[handofhistory]

while it's unlikely this nominal semantic field was intentional, it's still interesting to note that the thick of it's leading men, the most powerful spin doctors, all share their names with kings: malcolm and james of scotland, stephen of england, and to a lesser extent julius of rome. this connection can firstly be seen as a continuation of the show's theme of political power being held by the unelected, subverting the democratic order. this is seen most vividly in the meaningful absence of the prime ministers from the show, which forms part of a late 2000s critique of spin doctors and spads. here the crown itself rests with he who controls the narrative. furthermore, the cyclical nature of power in the thick of it - the job of spin doctor is the ultimate narrative authority and is depicted as a "parasite" that burns through one host at a time - makes even more sense through the lens of kingship. monarchs inherit a title, command a court, and (in the earlier historical periods these specific names stem from) may be deposed if deemed unfit for office. "drop malcolm?".

[handofhistory]

world's most wet and pathetic spad award

[handofhistory]

never take advice from someone who's falling apart: malcolm tucker + midnights

[handofhistory]

soft-launching my "2020s ollie reeder has a podcast with phil smith au" and also the fact i can sort of draw

[handofhistory]

[handofhistory]

i've always thought that julius has some sort of repressed "office crush" that definitely isn't anything more, no way, not at all, on malcolm that he's chosen to deal with by pushing until malcolm pushes back, but malcolm is too busy and too tired and also possibly slightly doesn't really mind, and that's how julius has ended up calling him "malc"