| 11/6/2012 So. I've gone an entire month without writing anything. Shows how little I've had to talk about. So this time I'll be talking about my thoughts on the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. No, not the complaints about the BBC's coverage (I was working that day), not my pro-Monarchist views, nothing that anyone would expect. I want to talk about the introductory video to the coverage of the E3 conferences by the show 'Video Games AWESOME!' ... You didn't see that one coming now, did you? The video begins with the five Canadians sitting properly, expressionless, while you hear an acoustic melody in the background. This is the National Anthem, of course. When the lyrics start, it becomes obvious it's a joke song with silly lyrics, but that's also the point when Canadian and British flags are brought out and waved. To their left (our right) is a projection of a trailer for a zombie game (ZombieU I think). It is at the rousing climax of the song, and at the goriest part of the trailer, that the 5 Canadians are at their most excited, waving the flags vigorously. Once it's all over, they whoop, holler and cheer as if they have had the greatest celebration, providing warm greetings to their "friends in Britain" and in all the Commonwealth, celebrating the Queen's 60 years on the throne. My description does not do this video justice. It was the most laughably ridiculous yet fantastically joyous thing I had ever seen; I was laughing with glee yet enjoying the moment. But it also struck a chord. Whenever I read in the Daily Telegraph the views of various people (journalists and readers alike) that Britain should be concentrating on building ties within the Commonwealth I...honestly don't understand why. It makes sense to strengthen trade ties with, say, India and Singapore, but I really don't see the point of trying to make a reminder of Britain's Imperial past relevant, when I really can't see how. But it was this video, the first in a sequence of videos that would see and comment on the games debuted and explained at the E3 conference of 2012, starting off with an unabashed celebration of the Queen's 60-year reign, that I realised the significance of the Commonwealth. The Canadians were proud of their shared heritage with Britain, and celebrated it. And I wanted to celebrate with them. |