"I don't recognise that liberal attitude to filming.
"Eton's normally rather po-faced and serious," said our man in the know. "It's a self-deprecating piece of fun by some boys who are parodying themselves."Īs the boys involved give us a tour of their school, often in language that requires some kind of translation service (sample: "We go to chambers here, it's where you go to speak to beaks") you notice that a couple of masters (translation: "teachers" I think) even join in – one of them dancing wildly before getting back in his Jag. "The boys were completely open about making their film," says Eton's headteacher Tony Little. So is this the message that the school really wants to put out? After all, the normally uptight school must have loosened the rules somewhat to allow them to film it on the grounds. It might be over-stating it but to me it almost seemed as if there was a glimmer of acknowledgement here that private education was a bit strange." Most of the people there like to make out they're confident, nothing can get them down, and that they're all louche womanisers. "Some of the lyrics, about being awkward and not so confident struck me as very un-Etonian. This doesn't sound like the kind of bold talk you expect to hear from someone who will one day be deciding your basic rate of tax. "We're not too social, can't talk to women, although we try (hey), we're just too shy (hey), If you approach us then we'll just break down and cry." "We may be awkward, frustrated, lonely and insecure (hey), yes insecure (hey)," they sing, before adding. So whereas there's a whole rap sheet of hip hop braggadocio on display here ("I've got a lot of land to show," they sing at one point elsewhere there are references to drinking Moët like water) there are also some insights into the damaged psyche of the fragile Etonian. Yet an indepth analysis of the new lyrics – for it deserves nothing less – reveals that these over-privileged little herberts are just as needy, insecure and rubbish with the ladies as the rest of us plebs. Has the era of the New Posh finally faced a crisis in confidence? That would seem to be the message from Eton Style, the biggest viral sensation since, ooh, that Mitt Romney one five minutes ago, which sees the poshest of pupils remaking Psy's Gangnam Style on their hallowed school grounds.Įven as "comedy" virals go it's rather cringe-inducing.