Time to put most of these awards out to grass.
If I hear that sort of comment once more I shall scream. The UK Honours System in theory is wonderful. It's fantastic. Every country in the world has an honours system and I agree with the Queen that people need a pat on the back. But since John Major, the Honours List has become politically driven. I mean, Dame Ann Leslie said of her honour this year, "I haven't donated a penny to any party so nonbody can say I've bought it". There would be nothing wrong with the Honours List if the public nominated and the Lord Chamberlain suggested the names to the Queen. The Honours List is supposed to reward all sections of society and some actors do deserve them and should get them - it's not so much actors getting them as what they get. I mean, when I saw Rod Stewart's name, I assumed he'd got a KBE because under Mr Blair, the most annoying people have become Sirs. But this list has been slightly more toned down. Rod got a CBE, Penelope Keith got a CBE and they were deserved IMO.
The problem is that instead of old Harry Perkins who's served the tea at Laindon Station for 900 years isn't newsworthy. We don't know him, so the press have to show people like Rod Stewart taking the gongs. Who actually cares about a lollipop lady getting an OBE? Yes she does a service to the community but has she slept with a pop star or snorted 5k of moon dust? No, so she won't make the papers. If you read this list, there are more lollipop ladies and postmen than there are Rods and Zaras but you just dont hear about them and basically, it's become trendy to be ashamed of anything British.
We have an honours system, it'd work if you took the politicians out of it and changed what you give to who. I mean, why not create The Order of Creative Service and give the actors an MCS rather than a KBE? Then at least it's more pertinent. An honours system isn't a bad thing and it's totally nessecary to give people something to drive towards but it's people who say, "Lets scrap these honours" that don't realise, we'd have to replace it with something and the orders we have do mean something to some of us.
Look at Danny La Rue, now without name dropping, I know Danny and when he got his OBE he was thrilled. He was in tears and he was just over the moon that after over 50 years in showbuisness, he'd been given the Order of the British Empire. Maybe because he was alive when there was a British Empire but to him, it's about being part of something. Charlie Chaplin was a member of the Order - now Dan is. It's about that heritage of gratitude that has been demeaned by Major and Blair - not about the actual reason for giving them. Right, rant over. Now where's my RVO?
