The politics of grooming

More views of - or before - Cambridge Film Festival 2013
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8 August

The word 'grooming', applied to gorillas, means someone taking one's nits and bits out

Applied to dogs (and so-called parlours), it becomes something more decorative, more trivial

In the phrase He was patently groomed for promotion, the social hierarchy of the first usage (whom grooms - and is allowed to groom - whom) and the conspicuous results of the grooming come together : everyone knows who has been groomed for promotion, because they see it, and they know what it means - beautified, he or she can use the executive toilet, and do no wrong


But God knows, except that the favouritism is sinisterly preferring someone when others might have more ability, etc., and / or be better able to perform the role, grooming now just seems to mean preying on clients, vulnerable adults, teenagers for sex


A strange journey, possibly not much thought about by those who happily adopt the latest usage... ?


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Unless stated otherwise, all films reviewed were screened at Festival Central (Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge)