On Dec 18, 2004, at 3:49, Jean Nathan wrote:
Madame Tussauds - a famous waxworks tourist attraction in London - set up a
nativity scene with waxworks of "famous" people. Joseph and Mary were David
and Victoria Beckham (a well-known English footballer and his ex-Spice Girls
wife); Kylie minogue the angel; shepherds Hugh Grant, Graham Norton and
Samuel L Jackson; and Tony Blair , the Duke of Edinburgh and George Bush
were the wise men (yes, Tamara - really!).
We've heard about the exhibit here (at least the readers of NYTimes did), and the Vatican's reaction to it. Talk about un-PC <g>
As for George W(rong) Bush as a "wise man"... :)
Long, long ago... when the expectations of the education were higher, and the term "bell curve" in grading unknown... "3 wise men" was equvalent to "The Magi", and people knew both terms. Now, "magi" is plural of "magus", and "magus", in my Oxford Concise is defined as a "member of ancient Persian priestly caste", or as a "sorcerer". I don't know what your Duke of Edinburgh did to deserve the casting, but, in the case of both your Tony Bliar and our prex it fits like a glove (or, at least, a mitten <g>).
Both managed - via a sorcerer's spell? - to convince a large slice of population that Fata Morgana (WMDs in Iraq) is a reality, that "invasion" is a synonym of "operation freedom", and that giving up democracy at home is its necessary collateral. In addition, *our* Mr B, frequently makes "inspired" decisions, shored up by faith only and no facts - that fits in with the "priestly caste" part of the definition...
If it hadn't been for Mary (even I, a hard-core atheist, feel a tad queasy at the thought of a Spice Girl - however ex - in that role) and Joseph (can't see a connection between an elderly carpenter and a youngish ball-kicker), I'd have said Mme Tussaud's did a good job of casting :)
--- Tamara P Duvall http://lorien.emufarm.org/~tpd Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland)
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