"How long have you been cutting your own hair?": The Boris Johnson Paradox

Boris Johnson: For England
and the Bicycle

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson: former journalist, editor of The Spectator, Tory MP for Henley and current Mayor of London (elected in 2008 and sitting in his second term).

Boris is a polarizing figure in this group. There is no middle ground. We love or hate him (his personality, politics, penchant for Latin in everyday speak). And since BoJo has graced the shores of the New World with his presence (to promote London, the Olympics & his book), I thought it'd be appropriate to take a look at what he's all about. With that said, I will step aside for @IdleHistorian -- who, let it be known, was the first to appreciate his "special poshness" long before most other people.

@SloaneScholar1

As my friend alluded to, I have long been rather fond of Boris Johnson, or Bo Jo as we may affectionately call him. Adjectives used to describe him fall usually along the lines of "flamboyant," "colourful," and "comedian." Where does one even start? With video clips of course, which illustrate his "bumbling buffoonery" in all its glory. There is Boris Johnson declaring that "wiff waff is coming home," for the London Olympics & Boris playing football for England, & Boris talking about the Olympic velodrome being "lovingly rubbed" by British rhubarb (embedded below), & a Boris-Jeremy Paxman circus act (worth the long viewing) & Boris unveiling the new Routemaster bus. One could go on and on, but you know how to use the YouTube machine.

Of course the bumbling buffoonery masks his evident intelligence, drive, and strong will. One does not edit magazines and become an MP and then Mayor of London – often touted as a potential candidate for future leadership of the Tory party – without these qualities. (Despite his own contention that: "Beneath the carefully constructed veneer of a blithering buffoon, there lurks a blithering buffoon.")

Those who are less enamored of Bo Jo, of course, generally object to his politics, seeing him as a privileged Old Etonian stereotype – having smashed his way through the Bullingdon Club and straight into the corridors of power like so many of his class. But it is not only his typical “tory” qualities that rankle, but his charm and easy manner. I think that many feel almost resentful of his sense of humour and bonhomie. They understand the popularity this gives him (a virtual "cult of personality"), even among many who may disagree with him politically (comment espied on the web: "I despise the Tory Party but I like Boris." etc.). His detractors cannot, in essence, forgive him for this.

I think this is a shame. Bo Jo, in my opinion, is one of the few real (not the same as perfect) politicians on either side of the pond. This quality undoubtedly contributed to his emphatic reelection as Mayor of London in May. He does not attempt to hide his knowledge of Latin (there is a classic exchange with the equally-matched Jeremy Paxman in which Johnson uses the phrase ignoratio elenchi) or his Etonian and Oxonian connections. He plays the part of the Bertie Wooster-esque toff with panache. Some commentators have pointed out that David Cameron is actually much more of a toff than Boris Johnson yet, cringingly, he so often attempts to portray himself as plain old “Dave” – and the in-authenticity shows.

In tandem with appreciating Johnson as a “character,” I think his almost child-like (as opposed to childish) enthusiasm about his pet projects provides a breath of fresh air in an era when most politicians plot their every move by focus group. His choices are often iconoclastic, not fitting into any narrowly defined ideology. He has unapologetically stood up for bankers and the British financial sector (even if one does not share this conviction, one can at least admire the boldness). At the same time he banned loathsome drinking on the Tube, and has advocated transit measures that might be (in North America at least) viewed as vaguely “socialist”: bicycle-sharing in the city and improved bus service. His single-handed scheme to design, build, and bring back a twenty-first century version of the classic Routemaster bus is nothing short of remarkable. No focus group would ever have advised such a campaign promise, but Boris believed in it and made it happen.

For all this and more I am and will remain a Bo Jo fan. I’ve never had any problem with the old Etonians and Bertie Woosters of this world. While I would never wish to rescind the measures that have been forwarded on behalf of the common good and individual welfare in the twentieth century, there is nothing amiss with a little good-natured nineteenth-century eccentricity as well. We wouldn’t want unopposed rule by the Bullingdon, but on the whole, they do comparatively little harm.

Olympic Rhubarb Rubbing, in honour of the upcoming London 2012 Olympics:

@idlehistorian

I think that the @IdleHistorian will be getting a cheque from the BoJo camp after this post :D A "Back Boris" mug for the home office would also suffice. Stopping in Canada, Boris chatted with Amanda Lang (CBC) on The Lang & O'Leary Exchange . London's greatest cheerleader! Note: I received a text from @IdleHistorian that day notifying me that Boris was in TO and that I had to track him down!

Overall, I think he came off quite well on his tour of American late night talk shows. Both David Letterman and Jon Stewart couldn't get over his messy coif. And, a coup for any politician, he made both late night hosts laugh: he told David Letterman that the Jubilee flotilla was described as "one of the greatest aquatic triumphs since Trafalgar," and on the Great Soda Debate, "we, as a city, are not quite as fat." On The Daily Show, (Canada only) he assured Jon that refugees of the Mayor Bloomberg's soda tyranny in New York would have sanctuary in London. Extra large Mountain Dews for the "huddled masses"!! I don't think Dave or Jon expected such candor. If BoJo doesn't run for PM in Britain, he could stir things up in America.

@SloaneScholar1

Short on time this week I will simply add: Boris Johnson is the worst.

@CultureGatherer