OUR PEASANT NOSES

Press, 27 November 1982, Page 14

OUR PEASANT NOSES

By

WHIM WHAM

“In my view it is time the Government had a good look at some of those on the Arts Council and replaced them with a few hard-nosed peasants and a few backwoodsmen who will bring a bit of commonsense into what should and should hot receive taxpayers’ funding in the name of art.” — Mr N. P. H. Jones, M.P. on the grant to Mita Films towards a film on the anti-apartheid movement and the Springbok tour. Talking about our Hard-nosed Peasantry, He must be joking! It’s his Pleasantry. The Hardness of our Peasants’ Noses May not be quite what he supposes — Those Noses, those aggressive Chins, May mask their Soft Heads and Thin Skins, It’s painful for Them when the Arts Affect them in those tender Parts — Even the Nose of Norman Jones Is sensitive, with fragile Bones:. The Arts are made of harder Stuff Than Cartilage, however tough — He pokes It in, because he smells A Whiff of Politics — what Else? The Arts have Noses too, like Packs Of Hounds' on Politicians’ Tracks. We give Them grants, the Grants are spent, Much to the Joneses’ Discontent! Where are the Peasants? In the Pubs? The Boardrooms, or the Rugby Clubs? In Cabinet, Caucus, or Committees? Out in the Sticks, or in the Cities? And Who is Jones proposing for His QE II Arts Councillor? Is it perhaps Himself he sees Choosing the Gifted, the Grantees — Oh Mirror, Mirror on the Wall! The merriest Peasant of them All?