A question for the assembled

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

A few days ago I posted a vid of London in 1927. I think a lot of us were fascinated by how different things were then. Far fewer private vehicles, and every one of them moving much slower than cars would today in the same circumstances. People moved more slowly. More people walking in the streets. Attitudes were considerably different then as well, as were social mores.

And this led me to thinking about Bertie and Jeeves in 1927 and what would happen to them if they got picked up by some cosmic wind and accidentally dropped somewhere in the world today with nothing but the clothes on their backs and what was in their pockets. What would they do? What would they think? Who would adjust more easily?

There would be an immense number of problems for them to overcome. No one would believe them if they tried to tell anyone what had happened, of course, unless the person had happened to witness their arrival. Their money would be essentially useless except as antiques or for the metal in them. They would have no valid identity papers. Almost everything would be strange and confusing. Even if they were still in London, a great deal changed during the second world war. Everyone they knew would be long gone or over 100 years old.

I'd love to hear your theories, esteemed birds and beazels.

Comments

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

If anyone wants my theory, here 'tiz.

I think Bertie would be the one to keep them afloat, at least at first. He's easygoing and charming and seems to cope pretty well with life's weirdnesses. Jeeves is a total control freak and he would have lost most of the resources he uses to keep things in their lives under control. His formality would put people off where Bertie's openness might find them some aid and sympathy. The way people dress and act would probably shake him to the core where Bertie would take it all in stride, though he'd express some confusion at first.

Once Jeeves had found his sea legs, so to speak, I think he'd find a way to at least keep them together with a roof over their heads, though it would take some doing. The expense of things relative to what they cost back then would be a big obstacle.

If they were stuck somewhere outside the UK, they'd be in even more trouble, though. Without proper ID, they'd be considered illegal aliens if they were found. That, of course, might land them in a soup hotter than Bertie could probably imagine. Even Jeeves's supersized strainer might not be able to get them out of it.

They'd need to find an ally, wherever it was they fetched up. It would make figuring the world out a lot easier for both of them.

[sige-vic.livejournal.com]

Don't you think, it just cries for a fic? :-)) I'd be so happy if anybody just gave it a try! :-)

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see somebody do it, provided it wasn't supplied with Mary Sues. It would be a fascinating project.

Of course, if they ended up getting together under the much more lenient laws and social attitudes today, that would would be entirely spiffing.

[sige-vic.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes, I totally agree with you! :-)

[juliacarmen.livejournal.com]

Er, I was working on a fic like that once, only it was Jeeves who got them back on their feet with the help of some money put in trust by a certain relative (not the one you are thinking of) who had figured out what happened. Jeeves became richer than Bertie.
It was a time machine, not a whirlwind, that got them here. V. original, what? I stopped working on it months ago.

[sige-vic.livejournal.com]

*I stopped working on it months ago*
Oh, but why? :-(((((

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

Well, "cosmic wind" was just to symbolize anything that would get them to the present regardless of method.

[woe-in-a-hoodie.livejournal.com]

I vote we do a round-robin-ish thing! With drabbles and ficlets, don't you know, like what happened with the Bertie And Jeeves Become Superheroes concept that popped up some time ago (jeebzus, has it been two years?). I would love to contribute to a project like that. :D

Is anybody else game, or is this a goofy sort of idea?

[nox-candida.livejournal.com]

This is a fantastic idea! I would love to take part in something like this. :)

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

If folks want to do a round robin, I'd read it happily. Anything that comes of this would be delightful, regardless of format!

[ceruleanshipper.livejournal.com]

I'm in, as long as I'm not first in line.

[triedunture.livejournal.com]

I've been dicking around on and off with a "Jeeves and Wooster in modern day New York" fic for over a year. Like Eryn above, I saw Jeeves just becoming paralyzed with culture shock. I mean, no one wears a hat! Bertie's the one who is getting them out of all sorts of jams, like paying for a taxi, etc. But then I thought they could easily get some cash to live off of by selling their now-antique and highly rare coins. That would at least allow Jeeves to buy Bertie some new suits (and oh how fun that would be).

But alas! I have been stuck on it for awhile now, mostly because it's been hard to get everything right, historically.

[sige-vic.livejournal.com]

By the way, I remember your plans on writing this fic! And still hope to read it someday! :-)

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

Yeah, selling the coins as antiques (and possibly the bills as well) would have been my method of getting them started. They'd have to figure out how to adapt after that, though. And a lot of places might ask to see identification selling gold coins or the like, to guard against thieves fencing stolen goods, which might complicate things a bit. Finding jobs would be hell until they figured that one out or found places where they could get paid under the table.

[chrisscorkscrew.livejournal.com]

Bertie loves his gadgets. I could just see him with an Iphone and laptop...

[dogwoodblossom.livejournal.com]

"I say Jeeves, I've just downloaded the most spiffing ringtone!"

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

Absolutely! And we might just discover he's way more technically competent than anyone would have guessed, given the right tools.

[durffy.livejournal.com]

Looking forward to any fic resulting from this dishy discussion!

I confess that when I'm out shopping, I often try to imagine how our duo would react to the various wares on display--from clothing to groceries!

I agree that Bertie would probably take to modern gadgets like a duck to the old wet stuff. If he got his hands on a nice electronic keyboard, he could have an entire orchestra of his own!!

[dreamwaffles.livejournal.com]

Now I'm thinking of that scene in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures where Beethoven's at that keyboard stand...

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

Yes! ROXXORZ!

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

When I was thinking about the concept, musician was the first thing I thought of for the two of them getting any money independent of selling the "antique" coins they had. Bertie would have a blast.

[ceruleanshipper.livejournal.com]

And Jeeves could become a bartender at the same retro-cocktail place where Bertie's the piano man - I just hope he doesn't launch into "Nagasaki" when a group of Japanese tourists come in.

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Casual cultural racism is something they wouldn't understand. They'd go on, business as usual, and offend people without meaning to. It would likely be a horrible embarrassment for them, as they wouldn't mean any harm, but that could get really messy.

[ceruleanshipper.livejournal.com]

I think Jeeves would start reading Miss Manners books. "See, sir, we do not refer to Negroes as Negroes. They're now called "African-Americans", or occasionally "blacks". Additionally, Orientals are now "Asians" and Red Indians are now "Native Americans" or "American Indians"."

"What about Indians from India, Jeeves?"

"I believe they're still referred to as Indians, sir."

"Right-ho. Now, are beazels still beazels?"

"I'm given to understand that that term is outmoded, sir. Also, I believe it is now considered incorrect or overly familiar to call a woman over the age of eighteen years a 'girl'."

"Golly. Are chaps still chaps?"

"I believe the current term for young men is now," and here Jeeves cringed, "guys, sir."

"So this advertisement about 'gay guys' is directed towards happy chaps, what?"

"I believe "gay" means homosexual now, sir."

"Homo-"

"Inverts, sir."

"Ah. Quite."

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

Yep. This.

[ceruleanshipper.livejournal.com]

Not to mention that no one primarily associates Nagasaki with freewheeling parties anymore. Oh, God. Jeeves is going to have to tell Bertie about World War II, isn't he.

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

Nuclear bombs, global climate change, feminism, AIDS; it's just the start of the things they'd have to figure out.

I suspect Bertie would get addicted to TV very quickly. Jeeves would prefer documentaries if he watched at all and be utterly appalled at the state of the world. What passes for entertainment, Jeeves would find utterly scandalous.

[lostwiginity.livejournal.com]

Bertie would definitely be the one to adjust better. He's such a happy-go-lucky type, and he has a charm that keeps being charming through all centuries.

Jeeves has elegance, which I think doesn't count as much as charm does. Also, his job doesn't exist anymore nowadays.

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

There are still valets (and not just the parking kind) but they're pretty rare. If Jeeves wanted to continue doing the job, he'd have to leave Bertie, assuming he could get a position at all without ID or references. I think part of the attraction of a storyline like this is that if Jeeves stayed with Bertie when Bertie couldn't pay him, he'd be staying because he wanted to, and because he cared about Bertie. The affection and the relationship between them would become much more overt.