A number of deaths have been in the news of late. Roger Ebert. Annette Funicello. But I’d like to highlight two things related to probably the most high-profile death of late: Margaret Thatcher. Specifically, the mixed reaction thereto.
Item the First: In response to the death of Lady Maggie, guess what is climbing to number one on the charts in the UK: “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.”
Item the Second: In the musical Billy Elliot, there is a song called “Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher”. In the song, the striking Northern miners sing, “Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher/ May God’s love be with you/ We all sing together in one breath/ Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher/ We all celebrate today /’Cause it’s one day closer to your death.” The day Thatcher died, the production in London’s West End held a vote on whether to do that song. All but three people in the audience voted to sing the song.
Annette was loved. Roger was loved. Maggie, well, she was no Churchill.
Music: Debbie Does Dallas (2002 Original Off-Broadway Cast): “Jock Rock”
