Has poppymania gone too far?

[Ian H]

It's a Guardian opinion article.
Over the past 20 years, the symbol of remembrance for the war dead has become increasingly ubiquitous – and a culture of poppy policing has grown with it.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/nov/05/has-poppymania-gone-too-far

 

[glasgowcyclist]

It's a Guardian opinion article.
Over the past 20 years, the symbol of remembrance for the war dead has become increasingly ubiquitous – and a culture of poppy policing has grown with it.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/nov/05/has-poppymania-gone-too-far

Long article, worth the read.

Short answer: yes.

 

[AuroraSaab]

It's not just poppies. There's a lot of performative nonsense around all kinds of symbols. I find the policing, and sometimes the performing, of any of it a bit ridiculous. Whether you wear a poppy (or don't wear one) says nothing about your patriotism, respect for service personel, or your attitude towards British history. People buy them, or don't, for all kinds of perfectly valid reasons.

 

[Rusty Nails]

It's a bit meh as far as I'm concerned. Wear a poppy, don't wear a poppy, nothing important changes, other than the Sun and Mail getting their Union Flag knickers in a twist as usual.

I don't wear one, not out of any principle, but in the same way I don't wear any charity badges. I'll give the money but not interested in showing everyone how good I am.

 

[Badger_Boom]

It's only a minority of remembrance obsessives who 'police' poppy wearing, and the unfiltered amplification by social media that makes it seem like a real problem.

 

[Mr Celine]

Short answer: Definitely.

 

[AuroraSaab]

Tastefully done that could have been quite cool. As it is, that Etch-a-Sketch face is absolutely terrifying.

 

[Beebo]

The overly zealous “poppy nazis” who will shout down anyone who doesn’t wear a poppy are not too dissimilar to the overly woke campaigners seeking to cancel anyone who disagrees with them.
Just on completely opposite sides of a debate.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

In my view there are far fewer poppies around than there used to be

when I was a kid they were never compulsory but everyone had one

now - there is far more variation of how to display one but far fewer people do

as far as "poppy nazis" is concerned - never come across anything like that
I always get one - or actually often give the money and wear an old one from years ago (I have reasons)

but when I was a kid my Gran-Dad never bought one
and before anyone makes assumptions he wasin the Royal Horse Artillery and was a the Somme - badly injured at some point
we NEVER went round to his house on Remembrance Day, or the "special day" for his regiment - my Dad sometimes went round to check he was OK and his Mum was OK because he often spent a lot of the day just standing in the kitchen or garden and not speaking
nowadays he would be said to have PTSD but that didn;t exist then - but he was registered disabled from his wounds


he didn;t buy one because he was a Sales Rep - sold salt to businesses - and was often in Douglas when the Poppy rep from the central office was there in the summer
His company put him up in a small hotel - nice but not too nice - but the poppy rep was in the most expensive hotel in Douglas and dined in style every day - all on the funds from Poppy stuff

or so he said - asking about anything like that was a bad idea


but the point is - no-one every said anything about him not wearing a poppy all through the 1950s to 1980s

BTW - my Dad always got one - and he was far worse injured - just the next war

anyway - I often wear the worng jumper when I go out and hence don;t have the poppy - never been asked about it
and if THAT generation don;t get at you for not wearing one then I;m not sure any other has the right!

 

[fozy tornip]

Typical bile-spurting prickery from the Guardian. Right spen?

 

[slowmotion]

If anybody has a problem with buying a poppy but still would like to contribute towards the work they do for veterans, you can make an online donation via the Royal British Legion website. It's very simple.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

In case people don't know - the "poppy places" can take donation by card now as well as cash