To the Manor Born

Since one of my compatriots mentioned Frontier House, I should mention that I watched Manor House last night. Manor House is the latest installment in public television's foray into that combination of "living history" and reality tv, where (much like 1900 House and Frontier House) one family plays the gentry family in a 1906 English country house and an assortment of others play their servants. For three months. Their motivations are essentially the same. It seems as though every last one of them wants to "see what it was like" for their grandparents, although this is truly fool's gold. My approach to these "players" is essentially that of Civil War re-enacters: "You can dress up, run around a field, and shoot blanks all day long. You'll never be able to understand or see like an 1862 soldier." Dress up does not equal worldview.

The limited nature of "dress-up history" is what makes their reaction to manor house life/immersion so jarring and, I must say, amusing. Indeed, far from sensing the improvement in social life since those dastardly hierarchical Edwardian days, I found these players the spoiled brats of triumphant liberalism. How many of them whined about missing their family, their boyfriends, etc.? How many refused to do their jobs, refused to take orders, refused "to be spoken to in that tone of voice?" How many of the manor family felt guilty about having anyone serve them? Rather than impressing me with how difficult manor life must have been, I came away utterly convinced that Edwardian social order liberated participants by limiting their choices, and hence limiting their preposessions, desires, and pride. These players have apparently just left a self-esteem course at the local community college, "every man a king" and always to be spoken to in a kind and respectful manner.

My favorite quote was when the scullery maid broke down for the cameras and said (I paraphrase but this is close): "I am not spoiled, but my mother cooks and cleans for me, and I am used to going out to the pub every night with my friends, and here all I do is clean and people order me about." No, of course you are not spoiled, my dear girl. Sniffle. She left after two days.