OT: Butlers Today

[emeraldreeve.livejournal.com]

I got this article from a Yahoo group and thought others might find it interesting. It's on modern day butlers. Jeeves is listed as a butler-sigh-and I don't think Bertie's facts are correct, either. But it's an interesting article. Anyone remember the other "butlers" listed? The only ones I remember are Lurch and Benson. I can't recall if Benson was a butler or a valet as the article says.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/living/homegarden/s_502576.html

There's a related article here: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/living/homegarden/s_502599.html

Comments

[vertigomac.livejournal.com]

Benson was always called a butler, though he did do things that were valet-like, such as packing.

*searches brain for old sitcom memories*

Anyhoo, it sounds like the modern butler has absorbed the duties of the traditional valet. Maybe because modern households are easier to run with smaller staff?

[emeraldreeve.livejournal.com]

That's how I remembered it,too,that Benson was called a butler. But it's been a long time. I would think that modern households would be easier with smaller staff and the houses are probably smaller, too.

[derien.livejournal.com]

I say Benson was a butler because he had charge of other staff - butler is the original middle management position in the household.

[emeraldreeve.livejournal.com]

That makes sense!

[ayamemishi.livejournal.com]

Hmm, now I'm intrigued...

Agh, I don't like it when they call Jeeves a butler. But he did act as one occasionally in the books.

[emeraldreeve.livejournal.com]

I don't like Jeeves being called a butler, either. One would think people writing an article for a major newspaper would get these things right.

[ayamemishi.livejournal.com]

Yeah. That's what fact-checkers are supposed to be for, though I guess no Pittsburghian fact-checkers have read Wodehouse.

[emeraldreeve.livejournal.com]

I guess not. A simple google search on Jeeves even would have helped, but I guess that wasn't thought of, either.

[captainpellew.livejournal.com]

Ya, I know Stevens.

If you ever want to bawl your eyes out, Remains of the Day is the way to do it.

[emeraldreeve.livejournal.com]

I googled it. It looks like a great movie. Thanks!

[captainpellew.livejournal.com]

It would be, if the guy playing Stevens wasn't HANNIBAL LECTER.

*Shudder*

The book is better for this very reason. Every time I see the movie I wonder if he's going to start chewing on Lord Darlington's brains.

[emeraldreeve.livejournal.com]

Oh! Shudders. I will definitely start with the book.

[captainpellew.livejournal.com]

Sound idea!