I am a big fan of Letters Live as I’ve shown in past postings. However, and you faithful reader knew there would be a however*, sometimes lately I find that the oddest things make their audiences laugh and that the readers often play to those laughs. I am vaguely familiar with Keegan Michael Key from some TV show in North America and am told he his a comedian. In this reading he does try to prove it but I think the letter is funny enough without the “nudge… nudge… wink.. wink .. catch my drift” delivery.
Now whither that letter is apocryphal or not I was assured a long time ago that show and tell days were the bane of every museum curator’s existence.
Another startling trend these days is the change in the definition of “political satire”. It is no longer necessary to exaggerate things on the political scene – just report the facts and that’s satire enough. Certainly that is true here in Canada and in the United Kingdom.
Former Tory Cabinet Minister Rory Stewart reads a letter about a political figure who, I think, has never developed past the School Yard at Eton.
By the by the link above (left click if you will) to Mr Stewart’s profile reveals an interesting career and character.
The word for March 7th is:
Apocryphal /əˈpäkrəfəl/: [adjective]
1.1 (Of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true.
1.2 Of or belonging to the Apocrypha which is outside the approved canon of Scripture.
Late Middle English: from ecclesiastical Latin apocrypha (scripta) ‘hidden (writings)’, from Greek apokruphos, from apokruptein ‘hide away’.