Countries of Common

George Bernard Shaw is given credit for claiming that the United States and England are two countries separated by the same language. I've also heard we share a common language with England, but are separated by an ocean. Either way, it's the same language, but always used differently.

And no greater evidence of that is needed than to compare an American and a British obituary on the same subject. In this case, Patrick Macnee, a British actor known mostly for his role in the TV series 'The Avengers' who has passed away at 93.

Both the NYT and the British newspaper The Telegraph give Mr. Macnee a sizably worded sendoff. It's the difference in the words and the anecdotes they convey that set the two obituaries apart, and therefore the two styles of the countries.

The British obviously love eccentrics. Mr. Macnee doesn't present too many great examples of true British eccentricities, so they go to his dad, a smallish fellow known as 'Shrimp' ('Downton Abbey' lovers, will remember a 'Shrimpie' character; such colorful nicknames.) who trained race horses, swilled gin and pointed loaded shotguns at house guests who advanced pacifist views. Your average mentally stable British host.

Then there's mum, Evelyn. A titled socialite who left the father and ran away with her wealthy lesbian lover. Mr. Macnee was raised by the two women, a part of his life acknowledged by both papers. But here's where the road forks. Yes, young Patrick was made to call mum 'Uncle Evelyn' (who claimed to be a descendant of Robin Hood; perhaps it was the green tights.) as both papers noted, but The Telegraph tells us he had to resist both their efforts to raise him in a dress. He compromised with a kilt. You can see that being portrayed in a British sitcom, but not here in the States.

Then there's dad's taking up living in India, a UK colony at the time. Shrimp was flung out of the country when he pissed on the heads of guests of a Raj at a race-meeting. Apparently gin, in sufficient quantities, can do the same thing to as Bud Light.

And finally, both papers acknowledge that Mr. Macnee was a serial groom and a serial adulterer. But who other than a British newspaper would tell us that one of Macnee's girl friends flung him over for a French thief with a team of huskies when Patrick made his way back to the Continent? The juice is in the details.

It is the romantic in me that likes to think that Mr. Macnee bedded all his female co-stars he appeared with in 'The Avengers.' Even Honor Blackman, an admitted lesbian, who came to fame by appearing in the Bond movie 'Goldfinger' as Pussy Galore. Then there was of course Diana Rigg, and the unmentioned, Linda Thorson, who succeeded Ms. Rigg in the series and was known as Tara King, just a lethal as Emma Peel.

To me, a fan of 'The Avengers' growing up, it was a treat to watch Ms. Thorson in later years appear in the first Broadway production of 'Noises Off,' one of the funniest plays I've even seen.

Both papers acknowledge young Patrick's expulsion from Eton for bookmaking and selling pornography. The inevitable combination of pursuits, given his upbringing.

YouTube has a raft of Avenger reruns. Gotta go.

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