Journalism

Yo Blair

"Yo Blair!" It's very hard to get passed the "Yo Blair!". For a comedian that line is just so awful and perfect and unbelievable that you could probably write an hour of material on those two words. "Yo Blair!" - it just gets funnier every time you say it. The only thing that could have made it any more cringeworthy and outdated would have been if the President had then remarked, "Wassup!?" If there is any justice in the world that will become the only way to greet our beloved Prime Minister for the rest of his life. When he goes to meet the Queen - "Yo Blair!". When anyone asks him anything at Prime Minister's Question Time - "Yo Blair!". When he's eighty years old and walking to the shops with his little trolley "Yo Blair!" It will honestly get funnier the more we do it and the longer it goes on. Unlike any other comedic catch-phrase it will simply never pall. "Yeah, but no but" will soon be stale on even the most easily pleased lips, "Do I look bovvered?" will seem quaint and old-fashioned in two years time. But "Yo Blair!" will make us laugh for as long as we live. Had Tony Blair known he was being listened to he could have done his public image immeasurable good, by simply replying, "I beg your pardon President Bush. How did you just address me?" "I said "Yo Blair!"" the leader of the free world would have sheepishly replied. "You said what?" "Yo Blair!" "Never say that to me again. In future you may greet me by saying "Good afternoon Prime Minister" or "Hello Mr Blair" or even "Hi Tony", but I am not a 12 year old from four years ago, so please never say "Yo Blair!" to me ever again." What's interesting to me is that Bush is trying to look cool in front of Blair. He spectacularly fails by using the wrong street parlance and even then using the surname rather than the first name, which makes it seem oddly formal. Even though Bush clearly has all the power he secretly dreams of being as cool as Tony. He's trying to show off to him. Like a teacher who wants to show his class that he isn't square like all his other colleagues and embarrassingly tries to be down with the kids. Later, like one of those teachers he even slips a swear-word into the conversation. The only thing Bush doesn't do is then immediately say "That's right, I said "shit", even though I am your President. You weren't expecting that." Bush even tries to show that he's as fashionable as Blair by thanking him for the sweater. Yes, the sweater, the coolest of garments. Bush knows Blair picked it out himself. How? Because it is such a cool sweater that only someone with Blair's great sense of trendiness could have selected it. Although Blair is clearly in no way as politically powerful as Bush and will do anything for him, this conversation seems to show that Bush is still in awe (and in shock) of our Prime Minister's Fonz-like demeanour and would do anything to be like him. Maybe Blair did know the mike was on all the time after all. The way he finally "suddenly" notices it at the end is all a bit suspicious. Respect to him if that's the case, or to put it more succinctly "Yo Blair!"