Since appearing prominently in a “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” comic, the 1939 government poster, “Keep Calm And Carry On”, has enjoyed quite a resurgence. Originally designed to help the British Public cope with the outbreak of war, the slogan has recently appeared on... well, probably everything.
Today, my daughter received a packet of “Keep Calm And Carry On” biscuits; later in the day, I received a bundle of letters, held together with a “Keep Calm And Carry On” clothes peg; one of the offices I entered during the course of my day had a “Keep Calm And Carry On” poster and, glancing in a shop window, the first thing to catch my eye was a display of “Keep Calm And Carry On” mugs.
I took it as a sign.
Now, on the face of it, it appears to be just another fad (anyone remember “I'm Backing Britain”?) No doubt the companies currently taking advantage of the fad believe they're tapping into a knowing, post modern, post ironic sensibility that feels able to smile at the naivete of an earlier, more innocent Britain. But I think they may be not entirely correct in this assumption. It’s a piece of artistic ephemera but, unlike many objects of its kind, it consists of words and words, as we all know have power and I have no doubt that those particular words were chosen very carefully indeed.
In the phrase as a whole, as well as in the very concept, there is an element of nannying and, in spite of their protestations to the contrary, many Britons love being told what to do and in fact find the idea of being nannied rather comforting. But there is no hectoring in the first clause; “Keep Calm” is less officious than the more correct “Remain Calm”, the alliterative monosyllables being at once commanding and comforting and the exhortation to “Carry On” intimates that nothing has to change (no-one likes change, of course) and that, in the unlikely event of any problem arising, it will be taken care of. It was exactly what the British public needed and the government knew it. The ubiquitous crown, (which adorned all official government stationery until well into the 1970s) is rendered almost decorative in the face of the statement itself.
But why is it so popular at the moment?
I think that when people see “Keep Calm And Carry On” written in that firm, no-nonsense, official government, wartime typeface, they are engaging in more than irony. There is, in Britain, a genuine sense of insecurity in the face of such things as global terrorism, financial collapse, environmental uncertainty and corruption in high places, a metaphorical cuddle of the kind represented by the phrase “Keep Calm And Carry On” is probably just what is needed. And in a world where workplace bullying is endemic, where over half of all Britons work through lunch and where the pressures of making a living are almost greater than they have been in living memory, we can fool ourselves that we are still in a post-modern era of irony but isn’t the case that, deep down, many believe that to “Keep Calm And Carry On” is really the only way we’ll get through these difficult times with sanity and health intact?
The phrase is, in my opinion, being, put to its original use. This time, though, it isn’t the government doing the urging; it’s us – the British public, acknowledging that we are in need of reassurance. Indeed, the government would do well to consider just how this particular little bit of wartime propaganda has found its way into 21st century popular culture before everyone loses their sense of irony.
Today, my daughter received a packet of “Keep Calm And Carry On” biscuits; later in the day, I received a bundle of letters, held together with a “Keep Calm And Carry On” clothes peg; one of the offices I entered during the course of my day had a “Keep Calm And Carry On” poster and, glancing in a shop window, the first thing to catch my eye was a display of “Keep Calm And Carry On” mugs.
I took it as a sign.
Now, on the face of it, it appears to be just another fad (anyone remember “I'm Backing Britain”?) No doubt the companies currently taking advantage of the fad believe they're tapping into a knowing, post modern, post ironic sensibility that feels able to smile at the naivete of an earlier, more innocent Britain. But I think they may be not entirely correct in this assumption. It’s a piece of artistic ephemera but, unlike many objects of its kind, it consists of words and words, as we all know have power and I have no doubt that those particular words were chosen very carefully indeed.
In the phrase as a whole, as well as in the very concept, there is an element of nannying and, in spite of their protestations to the contrary, many Britons love being told what to do and in fact find the idea of being nannied rather comforting. But there is no hectoring in the first clause; “Keep Calm” is less officious than the more correct “Remain Calm”, the alliterative monosyllables being at once commanding and comforting and the exhortation to “Carry On” intimates that nothing has to change (no-one likes change, of course) and that, in the unlikely event of any problem arising, it will be taken care of. It was exactly what the British public needed and the government knew it. The ubiquitous crown, (which adorned all official government stationery until well into the 1970s) is rendered almost decorative in the face of the statement itself.
But why is it so popular at the moment?
I think that when people see “Keep Calm And Carry On” written in that firm, no-nonsense, official government, wartime typeface, they are engaging in more than irony. There is, in Britain, a genuine sense of insecurity in the face of such things as global terrorism, financial collapse, environmental uncertainty and corruption in high places, a metaphorical cuddle of the kind represented by the phrase “Keep Calm And Carry On” is probably just what is needed. And in a world where workplace bullying is endemic, where over half of all Britons work through lunch and where the pressures of making a living are almost greater than they have been in living memory, we can fool ourselves that we are still in a post-modern era of irony but isn’t the case that, deep down, many believe that to “Keep Calm And Carry On” is really the only way we’ll get through these difficult times with sanity and health intact?
The phrase is, in my opinion, being, put to its original use. This time, though, it isn’t the government doing the urging; it’s us – the British public, acknowledging that we are in need of reassurance. Indeed, the government would do well to consider just how this particular little bit of wartime propaganda has found its way into 21st century popular culture before everyone loses their sense of irony.
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