Blunkett to speak on 'Windsor stunt'

davelerave

"sorry he didn't look anything like bin laden"

mike65

Boom Boom!

Mike.

Clintons Cat

David Aaronovitch probally has the best take on the whole episode.

guardian

For one thing, letting Barschak wander round the grounds of Windsor Castle was not such an incomprehensible error. The Royal Protection Unit probably guessed that no terrorist would try to gain entry to the castle dressed as Osama bin Laden in a ballgown. (Ah yes, say the media clever-clogs, that's exactly what he'd want us to think. Nonsense, says the RoyalProtectionUnit, that's precisely what he would want us to think.)

Actually, the police almost certainly reckoned that Barschak was one of what the Mail called "William's outrageous polo-playing friends." If they had doubts, the pubic wig attached to the G-string under his ballgown would probably have convinced them. And in any case, just how was the Plod expected to spot one improbably clad, publicity-mad inadequate in a crowd that included Tara Palmer-Tomkinson?

There is also something psychosexual about the hysteria generated in the royalist press by the Barschak case. The Mail's Richard Kay began his piece yesterday with the words, "The Waterloo Chamber, heavy with the scent of exotic African blooms, crackled with excitement as Prince William slowly got to his feet." Charles watched, said Kay, "never before so proud of his son". Then up lunged this "wild and bearded figure", whose sudden eruption so close to the golden boy of the monarchy left William "inwardly seething".

This is a very revealing passage when you consider that Kay wasn't actually there. He didn't smell any blooms, experience the crackling excitement, suffer the moment of the lunge or watch the young man seethe. Put this together with the Mail's breathless revelation that Barschak (the son of a Jewish refugee) lives in a "filthy flat in Golders Green", and had a stripper for a girlfriend, whose main recollection was that "he often doesn't wash for a week", and you sense the feeling of violation. Speaking from that barely suppressed homoeroticism that has for so long fuelled the Anglican and Catholic churches, the Mail and the Telegraph reflect on the fact that - reaching where they could not go - a dirty man from the suburbs came within inches of manhandling the nation's golden young Willy.

:cool:

...Meanwhile over in the sun,Littlejohn is split over whether or not dressing up as mass murderers is funny or not,

Brooks dressing up as Hitler is funny,

Barschak dressing up as Bin Laden unfunny,

Unfortunately he avoids the historical opportunity to settle once and for all wether Freddie Starr dressed up as hitler is either Amusing or Annoying,

sadly i feel a missed opportunity in these difficult times.

Having hedged his bets,the suns million pound voice of reason goes for a safer target,Fancy Dress Parties in General and people who ponce around in dresses

I have no problem with bad taste, either. One of my favourite movies of all time is Mel Brooks’ masterpiece, The Producers, which centres on a musical called Springtime For Hitler.

But I don’t find fancy dress in the slightest bit funny.

I have never been — and would never go — to a fancy dress party.

Fancy dress is for people with no sense of humour, no personality and no conversation.

I’d rather have a night out with Osama bin Laden.

Aha mr Littlejohn if that is your real name,what if Osama turned up dressed as a comedy rabbi and insisted on going to the Rocky Horror Picture Show in a clown car whilst singing theme tunes to broadway musicals ? Then what ???

sun