Shock news: Tony Blair shits in woods

[jack]

I just had to say that, however cliche. I'm visiting parents and grandparents for Christmas, updates and email will exist but be sporadic. There may or may not be a surge in the amount of maths and stories generated.

Comments

[ptc24.livejournal.com]

As I said on IRC: I thought it was kings who were meant to be crypto-Catholics, not prime ministers.

[robhu.livejournal.com]

Why the profane title?

[simont]

He's playing off people's general tendency to use "does a bear shit in the woods?" and "is the Pope Catholic?" as interchangeable well-duh expressions. Mixing the two expressions together is a long-standing humorous trope, usually resulting in "does the Pope shit in the woods?". In this case Jack has chosen to pretend that "shits in the woods" and "is Catholic" are synonymous verb phrases. With extra pun points, in this case, for the fact that "Blair" sounds like "bear".

[bugshaw.livejournal.com]

And Blair is Catholic.

[simont]

*blinks* Er, yes, that too. I had for some reason assumed robhu's question was "why has Jack chosen to use that strange and profane title to describe Blair's conversion?", but you're right, it might at least as easily have been "what on earth is Jack talking about at all?" :-)

[bugshaw.livejournal.com]

*checks news* Oh, I'd assumed he'd been Catholic for ages. I'm not sure if that makes me having made more or less sense, now. I think I'll quit while I'm behind.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'd assumed he'd been Catholic for ages.

Me too, actually. But I'm assured he was widely assumed to be, but not actually announced. But I've no idea if I actually picked up on that, or just remembered he was a fairly serious Christian.

In fact, I don't care very much either way: I'm a bit worried by the religious prevalence in government in some countries, but don't find a CoE or Catholic prime minister inherently scary.

[robhu.livejournal.com]

It was the former.

I'd heard "does a bear shit in the woods? is the Pope Catholic?" before, but not enough to pick up the reference to it here.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

what on earth is Jack talking about at all?" :-)

Yes, I get that a lot. But thank you for the humorous and comprehensive explanation above.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

for the fact that "Blair" sounds like "bear".

Actually, I won't refuse the points, but feel honour bound to point out that was a fortuitous coincidence :)

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Hm. For that matter, I don't know which activity is more likely[1]. Both are things that are commonplace and unobjectionable, but slightly embarrassing when it gets (metaphorically) splashed all over the front page of the national press.

It might have been more confusing/subtle/funny if it had been the other way round, Tony on a camping trip embarrassed by someone taking a photo of him sneaking behind a bush, and my reporting "Prime Minister reported to be Catholic!" :)

[1] Discounting rumours.