Prompt (With your kind indulgence.)

[krisreinke.livejournal.com]

A question - a prompt - and perhaps a bunny.

What if Bertie got/took/was forced into a job - and he was actually *good* at it?

Basically - how would competence impact the psychology of this individual?

Comments

[haikitteh.livejournal.com]

It's hard for me to even imagine Bertie at a job - except writing, of course. As the stories are told in his voice, I've always imagined him typing away in some smoky den that Jeeves despairs of ever keeping clear of scraps and stubs and wadded up crumpled paper.

I'd be more worried about how it would affect the psychology of Jeeves - wouldn't he feel a bit threatened if Bertie was capable of doing for himself? Wouldn't he undermine any attempts at self-sufficiency?

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

If you've read Dorothy Sayer's Murder Must Advertise, I can imagine Bertie working at Pym's and being rather successful as an advertising copy-writer. He would be writing glowing piffle about cleaning products he'd never used, low-brow foods he'd never eaten, and sea-side resorts he'd never visited. The thing is, Bertie does enthusiasm rather well--with absolutely no good judgment involved--and his brand of over-the-topness would add sparkle to products entirely devoid of sparkle or any other more substantial quality.

I don't think him being competent at ad writing would impact his psychology in the slightest, nor would it impact anyone else's opinion of him. I think he would be more bemused at a pay check--even if he needed the money--than proud of it, and neither he nor his relatives would consider it "real" work.

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

I always thought that Freddie Threepwood would be the model for 'still a Drone, but good at a certain type of job that calls for interacting with people known to you since boyhood.'

[zellieh]

I can't see him enjoying any sort of office work, or being allowed to do manual labour, or anything too artsy or fun, so I'm not sure what he could do that would be believable.

I could see him as a songwriter, music hall impresario, or playwright, and possibly sort-of-accidentally becoming a famous popular celebrity that way; he's supposedly quite charming and good-looking, and reasonable at music and writing. I could see him as a sort of George Bernard Shaw, Noel Coward or Ivor Novello person. I could see him doing wonderfully well at Gilbert and Sullivan-style humorous light opera.

I could also see him being quite good as an investor -- although he wouldn't be legal, because I think he'd probably base his investment choices on insider trading tips picked up at the Drones and other social events.

He could be quite good at something like Etiquette for Idiots, teaching worried up-and-coming politicos and nouveau riche types how to handle various social situations. I mean, Bertie makes mistakes because he can't be bothered to do it all properly, but when it matters, he knows all the social rules and proper behaviour and which fork to use. And he'd certainly make etiquette lessons fun, and wouldn't sneer at his students when they made mistakes.

The big problem, really, is that no matter what Bertie does, Bertie's friends and family won't see it as a 'proper' job and respect him for it, and Jeeves could probably do it better. So getting a job and being good at it would only change the interpersonal relationships and Bertie's opinion of himself if he was respected by others.

[ysta calden (from livejournal.com)]

If is not canon, it is at least ascended fanon, that Bertie would not do well in the military, due to not having a killing disposition. But all the adverts these days are careful to point out that in the Army/Navy/RAF there are more jobs than frontline soldiers. What if Bertie did quite well in the military?