Dudearchy in the UK

[Rev. Ed C]

Well Dudes, the time I think, is near, where I've drawn up some, y'know, inclination to start thinking about planning to consider to play on the possibility of starting a big project I'd proposed for the Dudespaper.

I've previously mentioned the project and received some interest, so, here we go, let's start brainstorming!

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The idea is to begin exploring what Dudeism is within the United Kingdom.  Who are the Dudes?  Who are the notable Dudes in the public eye?  What's the nation like as a Dudeist state?  What sort of paraquat dwell within green and pleasent lands?  What contributions to the Dudeist ethos has Britain made?

This will not just be one article, and it won't just be written by me.  I want to get the opinions of all my national Dudely brothers together on this one.  I want suggestions, I want field reporters, I want us all to paint a picture of the UK for not only the rest of the Pan-Dudian Nation, but ourselves as well.  It's a big land and hugely segregated between areas and countires, and I for one would love to know about what's going on down the long long road.

Anyone contributing will get credit, from a mention in the credits to a fully attributed section within article.  I'm gonna act as a kind of sub-editor here on this one, and I'd love a solid team of roving reporters to throw in their own little snippits, either here on the forum, or by emailing me directly.

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The topics to cover:

This Dudely Land
I want to build up a picture of the areas you come from.  Where are the most Dudely, and the most unDudely places in the UK?  I want to make a map in words of the country from a Dudeseye view.  Got an opinion on your town, your city or your county (even your country) then we want to know.  You want to tell me what Nottingham's like, or the whole of Scotland?  Please do.

Cutlure Shock, Dude
Here I want to build up a view of modern British culture and the history behind it.  From our roots two thousand year ago during the Roman invasion, through all the other invasions (the ones against us and by us) to the 20th Century and now.  Let's break down our national identity and see how that fits in with Dudeism.  I've already written an article on the Levellers, found in my column, Dude Simple, in the Dudespaper, but there must be other ideals we can draw on.  Are we in a liberal part of our cultural cycle?  What about the 4-class social system, and binge drinkers, and reality TV?  Does this make us an anti-dude nation?

Great Dudes in History
Who do you nominate for Great Dudes?
Some suggestions previously, and by myself include:
Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Bill Bailey, Howard Marks, Lemmy, Sir Clement Freud... but who else?  Where are the female Dudes in our nation?  Which historical figures were Dudely (if any)?

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And what else?  What issues, as Dudes of Britiain, do you want to tackle?
I'm gonna set this ball rolling, and I'm gonna put it together, but I really need you guys to input.  I don't want a half-arsed, lop-sided view of our great nation, I want a thorough insight from all corner of the UK.

Let's start this now, because it's gonna take a lot of work to get this together.  I'm looking to start getting the first article put out towards the end of this year, but that doesn't mean it can't be a continuing project in the future, either on here or in subsequent Dudespaper articles after the initial run.

So, what do you think?
I'm waiting for some A-class opinions, Dudes.  Lay them on me

[Caesar dude]

Hey there Ed,

This will require some thought from me over the next few days and then when I have formulated some ideas I will be happy to share them with you.

I quite like the idea of being the roving reverend reporter for Norwich. 

[Ian]

Hey dudes,

I too am up for getting involved - though, I've gotta put the monkey feeding priorities first.

I could help, contribute and the like for Manchester, Crewe and the Arbroath/Dundee area.

I'll put some thought into it, but chances are I'll be looking at British Dudes in Music as a specialist area - being a music student and all lol

Good to see the tumbleweed moving, man

[Rev. Petra]

Winston Churchill was an outstanding Dude. He used to say 'KBO, KBO' quite a lot, this meant 'keep buggering on' which is clearly the wartime code for 'This Dude abides'.

[meekon5]

You know the Pompey Dude Posse is there for you (oh bollocks did I just call us the "Pompey Dude Posse", you know who I mean, Klaus and I will be glad to destroy any semblance of organisation you care to attempt)

[Rev. Ed C]

A good response to get back in the first 2.5 hours

Don't sweat it guys, this is a slow-burn process in an easygoing religious crowd.  This could take a while, and I'm in no hurry.  Put forward what you can, when you can (and substitute want for can where applicable).  If it comes to you, post it here.  If you really want to get down and deep, pop me a mail.  I won't even start putting this thing together until near the end of the year, I just want to advance plan this a bit to involve as many Dudeists from the UK as we can.

And yeah, specialists needed.  Music, films, literature, TV, politics, history, the arts, even sports!  I'm a bit of a generalist myself, so if you can fill in an area as a specialist, all the better.

[forumdude]

far out, ed. you're not only investigating dudeism in britain, but laying the groundwork for others do do the same for their countries/regions.

as long as people avoid being too biased/nationalistic in their approaches, this would be a good way to systematically parse the history and culture of dudeism all over the world.

kudos (dudos) to you, Church Man.

[SpaceDog]

I'm in ...

I do have my own online ficition/art/music magazine to edit but will definitely contribute something ( will advertise DitUK on the magazine's blog too )

Funny that you call it "dudearchy" as dudeism does seem an anarchic  philosophical position to be in, in the way that taoism does.

got a couple of dudes throughout history in mind. i'll keep 'em as a surprise)

p.s. i'm also a "writer" of sorts so would be happy to help on that front too.

[ScottishDude]

I Will Definatley Try And Put Some Things Together From The Glasgow/Clydebank Area Over The Next Few Days

Peace .

[Rev. Ed C]

Musing the first:

It was the great Dudely comedian Bill Bailey who once told me (not personally, there were quite a few other people sitting around me in that theatre) that Britain loves disappointment.

We love it when things turn out to be rubbish, we abide the crap, we revel in cockups.  Why?  Because we love to complain?  Well, partly yes.  A lot of Brits get off on having a good old moan at how truly shit everything in.

But, my theory on it is this:
Brits are actually not as uptight about things as they seem.  Sure, some of them have majorly cleft arseholes, but so many of them have a "I don't care" attitude.  That's why, as another comedian, Andy Parsons pointed out, that only in Britain could someone have published a book called Crap Towns and received complaints, not that their town was in there, but that it wasn't.  The author in fact received so many complaints, he had to publish a second book to accommodate all the people who felt their crap town had been left out.

As a nation, we have the art of self-deprication down to a fine art.  We really do revel in picking at our own faults and laughing.  The attitude is one of "fuck it, at least [insert something you do like here".  So you can moan about the state of the nation all you like and take comfort in what you do actually enjoy.  And hey, even if you don't like the healthcare, the television service, the pubs, or whathaveyou, you're still happy to be a Brit, the state of the nation be damned.

So, isn't that the first sign of Dudeliness?  Being comfortable with your own flaws and able to say "fuck it".  The ability to be patriotic without being a reactionary super-pat.

Discuss 

[SpaceDog]

Rev Ed,

I think that's where the fabled Brit sense of humour comes into play ...

If you've ever worked in a factory (or an office especially now with the net) you'll know that when a disaster happens, that very next day there's a joke about it. It is our way of dealing with it. Our way of saying"So it goes" or "Fuck it".

Having lived abroad for nigh on 12 years now, in a self imposed vagabondage through Asia, North Africa & Europe, I can say that no other country I've come across has this.

As with sarcasm & irony, even The Dude himself displays it in fine form when he exclaims " Obviously, you're not a golfer".

Have you ever read "How to be free" or "How to be idle" by the renowned Idler Tom Hodgkinson( A Dudeist Saint if ever there was one)? He talks a lot about the clash in our culture between the cleft assholed puritans, Victorians et al & the medieval Merry Olde England ...

& don't forget Gavin Pretor-Pinney, the co-founder of The Idler & founder of The Cloud Appreciation Society in which yours truly is member 14398!

Just read the Manifesto & tell me that it ain't Dudeist!

http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/manifesto/

[Rev. Ed C]

Well, a sense of humour is a state of mind   We do have a really famed unique sense of humour that attracts comedians from across the globe to us.  From America to Australia, and even a German comedian (who ever thought there was such a thing?!).  We also have two comedians of Iranian decent becoming prominent on the comedy scene.

Two of the most Dudely of comedians we have at the moment we poached from the States.  Reginald D Hunter, so laid-back for a black man from the deep south, he's refreshingly different to watch when compared with a lot of angry or quirky comedians.  And, Rich Hall, who had a nice little comedy fishing show on I used to watch, and who I also nearly bumped into him in London as he was coming out of the men's room of a pub.  To steal a pair of Dudes from the US like that takes some dudely pulling power indeed.


Not read any Idler yet, but will definitely make some time in the future to get my nose stuck in there, upon your recommendation Rev. Dog.


Love the cloud appreciation page.  It goes right along with what I've always said about a blue sky being horribly dull (apart from lethal to my fair skin), even a few wispy little clouds thrown in can make it more interesting.  Even solid cloud cover has a mottled effect, making an overcast day not just a more pleasent atmosphere for me to walk around in, but more interesting to look at.  Besides, I'm English, a blue sky is about as alien and frightening to me as a pink sea or orange mountains!

[meekon5]

..& don't forget Gavin Pretor-Pinney, the co-founder of The Idler & founder of The Cloud Appreciation Society in which yours truly is member 14398!

Just read the Manifesto & tell me that it ain't Dudeist!

http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/manifesto/

I've been a paid up member of the cloud appreciation society for a number of years now.

[Rev. Petra]

We have awesome clouds here in Friesland (a low sky) due to the general flatness man. It takes a lot of time watching them all.
I used to live in the UK, I agree about how bad things are there but how great it is to complain and abide.

[meekon5]

...
I used to live in the UK, I agree about how bad things are there but how great it is to complain and abide.
...

If it wasn't for the weather we British wouldn't have anything to talk to each other about.