THATCHER BJÖRK
who was Margaret Thatcher? Margaret Thatcher was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and was the leader of the Conservative Party. She served as a Prime Minister for 11 years, 6 months and 26 days. Before she entered parliament, she studied chemistry at Oxford and worked as a barrister. Thatcher is the first woman to lead a major political party in the UK. She was very old-fashioned in her decisions and stopped necessary renewals. She was a very influential and powerful woman, but during her premiership she had a low approval rating. She wrote two memoirs, The Downing Street Years and The Path to Power as well as Statecraft: Strategies for a Changing World, which a book on politics and international relations. She was seen as a very vain woman – in 1984, she went to the hairdresser 118 times. The original Adagio handbag from the brand Launer is a characteristic for the style of the Iron Lady, as well as the pearl necklace that she received from her husband. She is called the Iron Lady due to her uncompromising politics and leadership style. Thatcherism – a term to describe Margaret Thatcher’s foreign and economic politics, as well as her aggressive behaviour.
why was Thatcher liked?
why was Thatcher hated?
When she started her first election it was not clear for England what her plan was. The country was living in uncertainty. Thatcher was called The Blessed One by some people of her own, Conservative Party. She was liked because she gave her followers an example of the future “new England”. Even though she did not do it intentionally, Thatcher improved the social and political position of women. The economy boomed under Thatcherism as there was a sparking in house prices and an increased productivity, which both served to create a wealthy middle class. She was mostly liked by the upper class as her lower tax rates improved their wages. She behaved as if Britain were a superpower, and that very act of stubborn self-confidence kept the UK among the world’s global hegemons.
However, she was hated by the majority of the British population. She was hated because of the poll tax that she implemented, because it moved the burden of tax from the rich to the poor. Her policies lead to mass unemployment and due to high interest rates she imposed, many people lost their homes. Additionally, she took a lot of effort in destroying trade unions. Lastly, many people hated her because she was inflexible, even when her decisions weren’t the best course of action. Many people showed their dislike by celebrating the day that Margaret died. At one of those celebrations, a visitor said: “Personally when I think of Thatcher I think of the way she ruined the country, the way she decimated the working-class. I think it’s totally justified.”
The Thatcher’s Most Important Achievements The Zeitgeist in Thatcher’s Prime Time (the 1980s) Britain had a lot of social and economic problems before Thatcher became prime minister. She came at a time when the soft socialism model was showing serious flows. There were a lot of people without jobs and there was inflation. Britain was becoming very uncompetitive, the standard of living was dropping and public sector strikes were paralyzing the country. Because of the protests there was an atmosphere of violence and the idea of power to the people rose. The oil crisis of 1979 caused an economic relapse in the world. Also, the Islamic revolution and the Russian invasion in Afghanistan lead to tension across the world. In the UK, US and West Germany conservative governments came to power. In 1985 Michail Gorbatsjov became the new party leader of the Sovjet-Union. The decade was a time of great innovations in pop music. Bands inspired by the can-do attitude of the punks and the art-school cool of David Bowie began to experiment with new technologies. It was a time that shaped the way music is nowadays.
- The privatisation of companies: companies became independent rather than government owned. - Establishment of a national healthcare service: healthcare became more structured and took care of people’s basic needs. - Her program of deregulation and tax reform helped London become a titan of the financial world. - A breakthrough in gender relations: she normalised the notion of women having a higher position in society.
Thatcher’s Enemies
- Arthur Scargill – a British politician and trade union leader, who was president of the Na tional Union of Mineworkers. - Communists – Thatcher was very anti-communism. The name ‘Iron Lady’ even came from the soviets, as she warned about the hazard of the soviet empire in a speech. - The Irish Republic Army. – there was a long-term conflict due to tensions in Northern Ire land: one part wanted to British, the other part wanted to be Irish. Thatcher decided to send the British Army to deflate the tension, but it was seen by Irish Nationalists as Britain attempting to take control of the situation.
The IRA even tried to bomb Thatcher. After the Brighton Hotel Bombing, the IRA stated: “Mrs. Thatcher will now realise that Britain cannot occupy our country and torture our prisoners and shoot our people in their own streets and get away with it. Today we were unlucky, but remember
Thatcher’s close circle In Margaret’s close circle, you could find her children Mark and Carol, as well as her husband Denis, who was a businessman and supported her throughout her career.
Why did Thatcher rule so long, while she was disliked?
- She created structure - She was liked by the upper class - She created a better economy - Publicly reclaimed the UK’s power - People found comfort in her as she was very traditional - She ‘made Britain great again’
Margaret’s father was born poor so he always had to be thrifty, which is a characteristic that Margaret copied from him. Her father was a strict Methodist, so she was raised with conservative views. Her father set up his own grocery store, where Margaret would help out in her free time. The key to her father but also Margaret’s philosophy had always been hard work – it was a virtue to them. Margaret and her sister were completely different. Her sister was considered ‘normal’ and married a farmer, while there was more pressure on Margaret as her parents believed she was destined to go to university. Margaret didn’t have a good relationship with her mother as they had no common taste or interests. What is of high importance is that Margaret was shaped by her early life and never forgot her origins. There were also some colleagues close to Margaret that were of great importance to her. Airey Neave, for example, was head of Thatcher’s private office. He was her right hand – always by her side and supporting her throughout her career. She also had a special relationship with Ronald Reagan, who was in a way very similar to Thatcher as he was loved by conservatives.
Thatcher’s Personality She liked having control over things – she even planned her own funeral before she died. She was very stingy, also in her personal life, as she was not keen in spending money. She could be seen as selfish in a way, as her husband and children were sometimes disappointed in her for the fact that her main focus was her own career.
A day in the life of Thatcher Thatcher didn’t sleep much – she slept 3 to 5 hours a night and worked around 18 hours a day. She drank a lot of whiskey, listened to Bach and liked watching tennis. She was a very idle person, as she went to the hairdresser approximately every 3 days. Margaret’s signature look 1. The hair: swept back from her face, like a helmet, famous hairdo, fixed in place 2. The pearls: necklace and earrings, epitome of traditionalism, spoke for reliability, classic without being blingy, she even refused to give them up 3. The blue suit: Tory blue, matching jacket and skirt 4. The pussybow blouse: something to play up her femininity, to soften her look and add an element of fashion into a practical, power centric wardrobe 5. The handbag and gloves –the PM’s handbag was alwaus present, scuare and black, hanging from her arm, ladylike gloves
Why was Björk such an icon in her prime time? Björk has a very controversial image. She experiments with elements such as nature, technology and sexual references in her work. She is very eclectic – both in music and in fashion – as she combines a broad variety of genres and styles. She is often seen as a very unusual person. People perceive her as an alien, and she supports this with her full appearance. For those reasons she is called ‘the only innovative artist’. Though she is very innovative, she always has a connection to her roots. She is a true visionary and possesses the skill of storytelling within her work. She has multiple persona’s which can be recognised in her albums. What is very unique in her approach is that she takes a lot of time for writing songs, sometimes even two months per song. She’s not planning her albums like other artists do.
What was the Zeitgeist at Björk’s prime time (around the 90s) When the punk movement arrived in Iceland, Björk was 14 years old. There was a true explosion of people joining bands at the time. In the punk movement, it was important not to forget what it was to be Icelandic. Eventually, a new era of pop music started. People started discovering new sounds with the help of computers and synthesizers;
It was all about individualism and being different. There was a rejection of conformity. When Björk became popular, she was influenced by the club culture that was happening in London. At the same time, there was a nature/eco movement going on, pushing environmental activism.
Björk’s environment
When Björk was born, the marriage of her parents fell apart as her mother did not want to be a housewife. Her mother left with Björk and became part of a hippie community. Her mother married a guitarist, who was considered the ‘Jimi Hendrix of Iceland’, which gave her a very musical environment to grow up in.
What is the reason that Björk embraced so many different (musical) styles?
Björk grew up in Iceland, an enigmatic part of the world. The landscape, structure, volcanic activity and earthquakes make the country truly unique. It’s a very raw part of the world, especially compared to Europe. Björk also lived in London for 4 years, which had a great influence on her and her work.
What inspires Björk? Björk was always extremely inspired by nature. For example, she would walk through nature inspired by, for example, sounds of the wind or erupting volcanoes. She prefers soundscapes over melodies in order to challenge the listeners’ auditory muscles. She brings a voice recorder everywhere she goes to collect those sounds. The fact that she grew up in Iceland also has a big influence on the music she creates. Darkness and missing sunlight in certain periods of the year, Icebergs and eruptions, no trees – this is all part of the way she sees Iceland and how nature should be. She finds inspiration in her surroundings, objects and persons that touch her in an emotional way. All in all, you could say that Björk has a broad horizon of inspiration and could be seen as a ‘sponge’ that soaks up all kinds of sounds and other influences.
Björk started at a music school at a very young age. She was not interested in actual genres – she was more interested in using music to express herself. She has always emotionally been open to new inspirations. Additionally, she grew up with different kinds of music during her childhood. As her parents were separated she used to be in many homes: her mother’s, her father’s and her grandparents’. This gave her the ability to listen to all kinds of music – from classic to jazz or pop.
What does Björk stand for politically?
Björk has always claimed that she is not interested in politics: “I’m not interested in politics. I lose interest the microsecond it ceases to be emotional, when something becomes a political movement. What I’m interested in is emotions.” Björk purposely does not vote. When she did vote once, she voted blank. She doesn’t object to political statements but to the structure of buying into a political movement, as it is easy to lose yourself in that movement. Björk stated the following on feminism: “Feminists bore me to death. I follow my instinct and if that supports young girls in any way, great. But I’d rather they saw it more as a lesson about following their own instincts rather than imitating somebody.” Instead, she has her own way of activism and making statements. Only if it’s emotionally interesting to her, she makes statements. She really had her own rules and rejected to the structure of the system.
Björk’s persona’s compared to her private life Björk has 2 children from a previous relationship with Matthew Barney, a man who was the starting point for a lot of her music after they broke up. She claims to have two persona’s, one of them being Isabel – the dramaqueen version of Björk.
What are Björk’s motives? In all of Björk’s music there is a story. Often it’s about sexual awakening. In her music, she often honours Iceland – she shows a lot of pride and sometimes even nationalism. It seems she wants to show vulnerability and pureness.
Interesting elements combining Thatcher/Björk - As Björk went around the UK supporting the punk band Crass, Björk didn’t speak English, but learned the words “Fuck Margaret Thatcher” from the band Flux of Pink Indians, who had a song with that as the chorus. - Björk has stated that she hates someone she can have power over/she hates authority, while Thatcher is a person who prefers power and being in control. - Iceland, where Björk grew up, has the first female prime minister of the whole world.
reference list Margaret Thatcher Who was Margaret Thatcher? Williams, H. (2013). The Public Image of Margaret Thatcher. [online] Ipsos Mori. Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/public-image-margaret-thatcher [Accessed 9 Jan. 2018] Author unknown. Margaret Thatcher: de Droom van de Iron Lady. [online] Isgeschiedenis. Available at: https://isgeschiedenis.nl/nieuws/margaretthatcher-de-droom-van-de-iron-lady [Accessed 9 Jan. 2018] Why was Thatcher liked? Stewart, D. (2013). Why Margaret Thatcher was loved – and hated. [online] The Week. Available at: http://theweek.com/articles/465801/why-margaret-thatcher-loved--hated [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018] Author unknown. (2013). What is Thatcherism? [online] BBC News. Available at: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-22079683 [Accessed 9 Jan. 2018] Why was Thatcher disliked? Archer, J. (2013). 10 Reasons why Margaret Thatcher is Britain’s Most Hated Politician. [online] Josh Archer. Available at: https://www.josharcher.uk/ blog/why-margaret-thatcher-is-hated/ [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018] Rawlinson, K. and Quine, O. (2013). Hundreds celebrated Margaret Thatcher’s death – few had lived through her reign. [online] Independent. Available at: http://www. independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/hundreds-celebrated-margaret-thatchersdeath-few-had-lived-through-her-reign-8566594.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018] The Zeitgeist in Thatcher’s Prime Time (the 1980s) Cowley, J. (2009). England was convulsed by a social and political revolution. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/ apr/19/1980s-cultural-history [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Thatcher’s Most Important Achievements Osborne, A. (2013). Margaret Thatcher: one policy that led to more than 50 companies being sold or privatised. [online] Telegraph. Available at: http:// www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/alistair-osborne/9980292/Margaret-Thatcher-one-policy-that-led-to-more-than-50-companies-being-sold-or-privatised.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Why did Thatcher rule so long, while she was disliked? Pettinger, T. (2017). Economic impact of Margaret Thatcher. [online] Economics help. Available at: https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/274/uk-economy/economic-impact-of-margaret-thatcher/ [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
A day in the life of Thatcher Knapton, S. (2014). ‘Thatcher gene’ is key to needing less sleep. [online] The Telegraph. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11006181/Thatcher-gene-is-key-to-needing-less-sleep. html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Telegraph View. (2013). Margaret Thatcher: the woman who made Britain great again. [online] Telegraph. Available at: http://www.telegraph. co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/9979341/Margaret-Thatcher-The-woman-who-made-Britain-great-again.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Daily Mail Reporter. (2014). Maggie’s 118 trips to the hairdresser: how Thatcher had a hair appointment every three days to maintain trademarked coiffed locks. [online] The Daily Mail. Available at: http://www. dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2532970/Maggies-118-trips-hairdresser-How-Thatcher-hair-appointment-three-days-maintain-trademark-coiffed-locks.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Laurance, J. (2013). Margaret Thatcher’s impacton the NHS. [online] Independent. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ margaret-thatchers-impact-on-the-nhs-8564758.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Thatcher’s ‘Close Circle’ Walker, P. (2013). Thatcher’s children: a tale of twins with mixed blessings. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/ politics/2013/apr/08/thatcher-children-twins-mixed-blessings [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Armitstead, L. (2013). How Thatcher brought UK back from the wilderness. [online] Telegraph. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ finance/economics/9992136/How-Thatcher-brought-UK-back-from-the-wilderness.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Filby, E. (2013). Margaret Thatcher: her unswerving faith shaped by her father. [online] Telegraph. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ politics/margaret-thatcher/9992424/Margaret-Thatcher-her-unswerving-faith-shaped-by-her-father.html [Accessed 9 Jan. 2018]
Murray, J. (2013). What did Margaret Thatcher do for women? [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/ apr/09/margaret-thatcher-women [Accessed 9 Jan. 2018]
McSmith, A. (2013). The woman who brough up Margaret Thatcher. [online] Independent. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ politics/the-woman-who-brought-up-margaret-thatcher-8570609.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Thatcher’s Enemies Scargill, A. (2009). We could surrender – or stand and fight. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/ mar/07/arthur-scargill-miners-strike [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Vallely, P. (2002). The Airey Neave Files. [online] Independent. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/the-airey-neave-files-9198351.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Philips, F. (2013). Thatcher’s role in defeating communism was her greatest legacy. [online] Catholic Herald. Available at: http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2013/04/08/thatchers-oppostion-to-communism-was-her-greatest-legacy/ [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Leinwand Leger, D. (2013). Thatcher, Reagan relationship altered history. [online] USA today. Available at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/ world/2013/04/08/thatcher-reagan-political-soulmates/2063671/ [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Adams, G. (2013). Margaret Thatcher made the north of Ireland a more bitterly divided place. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www. theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/apr/09/thatcher-legacy-bitterness-north-ireland [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Thatcher’s Personality Cudicio, S. (2013). Power and Public Imagery: How Margaret Thatcher became the “Iron Lady”. [online] Public Diplomacy and Global Communication. Available at: https://pdgc2012a.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/ power-and-public-imagery-how-margaret-thatcher-became-the-iron-lady/ [Accessed 9 Jan. 2018]
Waught, P. (1999). Politics: Thatcher ‘is now drinking to excess’. [online] Independent. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/politics-thatcher-is-now-drinking-to-excess-1090296.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018] Margaret’s Signature look Cochrane, L. (2013). The Margaret Thatcher look: from the pearls to the handbag. [online] The Guardian. Available at: http://www.independent. co.uk/life-style/fashion/margaret-thatcher-clothes-dress-suits-power-dressing-fashion-impact-women-victoria-and-albert-museum-a7480026.html [Accessed 9 Jan. 2018] Björk Why was Björk such an icon in her prime time? Ellis-Petersen, H. (2016). Björk: ‘I build bridges between tech and the human things we do’. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www. theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/31/bjork-build-bridges-technology-somerset-house-london-virtual-reality-vulnicura [Accessed 9 Jan. 2018] Author unknown. (2000). Icelandic, Eccentric, Eclectic. [online] The World of English. Available at: http://www.woe.edu.pl/content/icelandic-eccentric-eclectic [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018] Fricke, D. (2015). Björk on Feeling Like an Alien, Child Stardom in Iceland and ‘Vulnicura’. [online] Rolling Stone. Available at: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/bjork-on-feeling-like-an-alien-child-stardom-in-iceland-and-vulnicura-20150218 [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Sawyer, M. (2017). Bjöek: ‘People miss the jokes. A lot of it is me taking the piss out of myself.’ [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www. theguardian.com/music/2017/nov/12/bjork-utopia-interview-people-miss-the-jokes [Accessed 9 Jan. 2018]
Richards, J. (2011). Björk Talks About How Nature Inspired Her New, High-Tech Album. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic. com/entertainment/archive/2011/10/bjork-talks-about-how-nature-inspired-her-new-high-tech-album/246281/ [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
What was the Zeitgeist at Björk’s prime time (around the 90s) Simpson, D. (2015). Björk, KUKL and Purrkur Pillnikk – the anarco-punk roots of Iceland’s music scene. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jan/08/northern-souls-the-anarcho-punks-who-made-iceland-a-pop-powerhouse [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Chapman, M. (2017). The Björk Saga. [online] Guide to Iceland. Available at: https://guidetoiceland.is/music-of-iceland/best-of-bjork [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Kiger, P. (2014). The ‘90s: culture. [online] National Geographic. Available at: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/the-90s-the-last-great-decade/articles/the-90s-arts-and-culture/ [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018] Björk’s environment Author unknown. (2017). Björk. [online] The Famous People. Available at: https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bjrk-gumundsdttir-878. php [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018] Pytlik, M. (2003). Björk: Wow and Flutter. La Vergne: Ingram Publisher Services. Author unknown. (2017). Iceland Info. [online] Live from Iceland. Available at: http://www.livefromiceland.is/iceland-info/ [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
What does Björk stand for politically? Day, L. (2016). Björk’s voting habitd might not be what you’d expect. [online] The Line of Best Fit. Available at: https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/ news/latest-news/bjoerks-voting-habits-might-not-be-what-youd-expect [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018] Baritaux, Z. (2017). 10 Björk quotes that show her complicated relationship with feminism. [online] I-D. Available at: https://i-d.vice.com/ en_us/article/mbbw4n/10-bjork-quotes-that-show-her-complicated-relationship-with-feminism [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018] Björk’s persona’s compared to her private life Cahill, M. (2015). Björk’s journey through a heart of darkness and the mending of a broken heart. [online] New.com.au. Available at: http:// www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/bjoumlrks-journey-through-a-heart-of-darkness-and-the-mending-of-a-broken-heart/news-story/ 1245c2fe2019b9723df285937bd142a8 [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
What is the reason Björk embraced so many different (musical) styles? Godfrey, A. (2013). Björk: The History and Style of a Music Maverick. [online] Noisey. Available at: https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/rdxd7r/ bjrk-the-history-and-style-of-a-music-maverick [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Björk’s motives McDonnell, E. (2001). Army of She: Icelandic, Iconoclastic, Irrepressible Björk. New York City: Random House USA.
Heawood, S. (2015). Björk: ‘I couldn’t just write a disco song’. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/ mar/12/bjork-interview-vulnicura-breakup-punk-iceland-revolution [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]
Interesting elements combining Thatcher/Björk Sawyer, M. (2017). Bjöek: ‘People miss the jokes. A lot of it is me taking the piss out of myself.’ [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www. theguardian.com/music/2017/nov/12/bjork-utopia-interview-people-miss-the-jokes [Accessed 9 Jan. 2018]
What inspires Björk? Stosuy, B. (2016). Björk on nature and technology. [online] The Creative Independent. Available at: https://thecreativeindependent.com/people/ bjork-on-nature-and-technology/ [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]