Popular Nostalgia

Rate This Nostalgia

How Nostalgic does How to Get Ahead in Advertising make you feel? Rate below.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

I watched “How to Get Ahead in Advertising” for the first time last night. Everything about it is so Eighties – the discontentment with the rat race, the power-suiting secretary, the smoking indoors and the Range Rover in the middle of London.

Richard E. Grant plays the madman very well indeed and that boil is absolutely horrible. I actually had nightmares about it even though the film is a very funny comedy. The cast of “How to Get Ahead in Advertising” is like a recent episode of Morse that I watched – full of Sean Bean and other famous stars who wouldn’t have the time anymore.

The speech at the end is still very true today. Despite acknowledging that consumerism isn’t everything, we haven’t got very far as a society in the last 20 years. In fact, the final speech reminded me of the “Choose Life” monologue in Trainspotting. What is the meaning of life? – they ask. Monty Python has the answer.

Roads represent the fundamental right of man to have access to the good things in life. Without roads, established family favorites would become elite as delicacies. Potter’s soap would be for the few. There’d be no more tea bags, no instant potatoes, no long life cream. Chewing gum would probably disappear, so would porkpies. There’d be no aerosols, no tin spaghetti, or baked beans with six frankfurters. Foot deodorizers would climax with the hope of replacement! When the hydrolized mono-sodium glutomate reserves ran out, food would rot in its packets. Jesus Christ, there wouldn’t be any more packets! Packaging would vanish from the face of the earth. But worst of all, there’d be no more cars, and more than anything, people love their cars. They have a right to them. They have to sweat all day in some stinking factory making disposable cigarette lighters or everlasting Christmas trees, by Christ, they’re entitled to them! They’re entitled to any innovation technology brings. Whether it’s ten percent more of it or fifteen percent off of it. They’re entitled to one of four important new ingredients. Why should anyone have to clean their teeth without important new ingredients? Why the hell shouldn’t they have their CZT? How dare some smutty Marxist carbunkle presume to deny them it? They love their CZT! They want it, they need it, they positively adore it, and by Christ, while I’ve got air in my body they’re going to get it! They’re going to get it bigger – and brighter – and better. I’ll put CZT in their margarine if necessary; shove vitamins in their toilet rolls. If happiness means the whole world standing on a double layer of foot deodorizers, I, Bagley, shall see that they get it! By God I will. I shall not cease, till Jerusalem is builded here, on England’s green and pleasant lands!