Paul Syvret’s mortal coil
Paul Syvret is a writer for Brisbane’s “Courier Mail”. His writing style falls into the usual newspaper category of inane drivel. On the Courier Mail website he revels in the tag: “He might make you angry, but he’ll certainly make you think.” Actually, he makes me want to swallow my own tongue.
So when I saw his column in the 4 November Courier entitled “Scarcely sexy, Senator” I prepared myself for yet another expedition into the mental wastelands. Surprisingly, I found myself agreeing with Mr Syvret. He was arguing against the Communications Minister’s plan to censor the internet in Australia. Minister Stephen Conroy has been seduced by the allure of North Korea, China and Iran in leading the fight against internet porn. Mr Syvret mounts a stinging attack on the Senator in his column which, for me, was mainly spoiled when I read this sentence: One presumes that by real sexual activity he means what occurs in the bedrooms of millions of Australian homes every day…in fact it was highly likely real sexual activity contributed to Conroy’s very presence on our mortal coil. Conroy’s very presence on our mortal coil? Pedantry beckoned. The last time I heard mention of a mortal coil was in Hamlet’s soliloquy:
To be or not to be …. blah blah blah…..
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause.
Mr Syvret seems to use “our mortal coil” to mean our world, Earth, our planet, our street or whatever. I always understood the “mortal coil” in question was the trouble and strife that come with life. That is, the burden of being a mortal human being. Mr Conroy may, perhaps, share this mortal coil but I don’t think he can be present on it.
If anyone reads this and thinks I am wrong, please feel free to abuse or disabuse me.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:59 am
Thanks for post. Nice to see such good ideas.