Sir Peter Jackson

April 28, 2010 6:48 PM

Arise, Sir Peter. Renowned film director Peter Jackson was invested by the Queen's representative in New Zealand yesterday, as a Knight Bachelor Companion of the Order of Merit. Modern Knighthoods are principally a British and European convention, exported to the Commonwealth colonies, and seen by some as a continuation of social class. Labour discontinued them in 2000 in favour of more egalitarian titles (and with associated republican ideals), however they were restored in 2009 by the right-wing National party government, to a mixed reception.
posted by wilful (38 comments total)

I like the Queen.
posted by KokuRyu at 6:55 PM on April 28, 2010

I once liked Queen.
posted by wilful at 6:57 PM on April 28, 2010

Australia had British honours until 1975, when the Order of Australia was instituted under the (then) left-wing Labor Party. The next right-wing government added knights to the top of the O.A. list, but these were taken off again by the following Labor government. Typically Australia has been a bit more distant from it's British heritage, maybe spurred by more Irish immigration, and I think this is reflected in the different approaches.
posted by wilful at 7:03 PM on April 28, 2010

Even as an ardent Social Democrat (read: pinko!), I'm all for knighthoods and the like. If anything, they support the notion of meritocracy, which is at least a smidge better than inherited aristocracy. I sort of wish they'd ease up on the bullshit showbiz ones, although, hey, sometimes they're cool too.
posted by Sys Rq at 7:08 PM on April 28, 2010 [2 favorites]

They should have screened Meet the Feebles before the ceremony.
posted by Huck500 at 7:13 PM on April 28, 2010 [14 favorites]

``[Sir Mick:] "It's like being given an ice cream - one gets one and they all want one. It's nothing new. Keith likes to make a fuss."

[Keith] Richards had said he did not want to go on stage with someone wearing a "coronet and sporting the old ermine", adding: "It's not what the Stones is about, is it?"
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:18 PM on April 28, 2010 [3 favorites]

Well, there's nothing for it but to re-forge that fucking sword, is there?
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:06 PM on April 28, 2010

I don't really care for the Queen one way or the other - what I don't like though is that she is STILL our head of state.

Knighthoods are emblematic of all that rubbish.
posted by awfurby at 8:16 PM on April 28, 2010

Sir Bad Taste
posted by brundlefly at 8:43 PM on April 28, 2010

It's notable that the slang term for the Order of Australia is a "gong". That's antipodean faint praise for you.

It's completely hideous, probably the ugliest civil or military award in modernity. I've seen dropped Geminis and Sigmas driving down Norton Street with more attractive mag wheels. It's the kind of thing that Bootsy Collins would look sideways at, wondering if it wasn't—you know—a bit too much.

People who don't know Australia well don't understand why we voted in favour of the monarchy back in 1999; well the AO should give you a clue. Imperialist honours still have bad-arse camp value; nothing the republican movement's ever brought forward has more style than a Canberra University lecture hall.

I mean... mimosa blossom. Damn.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 9:13 PM on April 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

People who don't know Australia well don't understand why we voted in favour of the monarchy back in 1999

Wait, you mean beyond "I'm not quite so daft that I want JWH rewriting the constitution"?

(with apologies to my friends who were just that daft...)
posted by pompomtom at 9:25 PM on April 28, 2010

Heh.

Now there's a man who'd be made more stylish with the addition of a big enamelled spackly gold and blue ring around his neck. Hell the little shit was the first person I thought of when I saw the 2010 Socceroos strip.

[Warning: aus-fugly]
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 9:31 PM on April 28, 2010

apologies not accepted. The referendum was explicit on what the change was, it wasn't about "JWH rewriting the constitution" at all. The question was thus: "To alter the Constitution to establish the Commonwealth of Australia as a republic with the Queen and Governor-General being replaced by a President appointed by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Commonwealth Parliament."

That's a good model.

The preamble however was insipid.

But this is off topic.
posted by wilful at 9:50 PM on April 28, 2010

Oh man that's a boring soccer shirt.
posted by wilful at 9:51 PM on April 28, 2010

I'm really more amused that they're called the Socceroos. That's a hilariously awful name. It's like Underoos and Dunkaroos, with Soccer. It's less suited to a sports team than to a bunch of preschoolers sitting around in their underpants eating cookies. With soccer.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:38 PM on April 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

Interesting you say that, Sys Rq (and since he got a gong, this is, I hope, on topic): the best book so far written about the history of Australian soccer is Johnny Warren's OAM's autobiography, Sheilas, Wogs And Poofters. Your sledging fits into a hundred year history of Austrailan sport!

And you know, I take it back about the Order of Australia being the world's ugliest award. Thinking of football, that honour would have to go to the A League Champions Trophy, AKA The Toilet Seat.

God only knows what they do with it on the bus ride home.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 11:56 PM on April 28, 2010

Knight Bachelor Companion of the Order of Merit

As nearly as I can tell that's not correct: a Knight Bachelor belongs to no order. Glancing around at the news stories on the web, it looks like he was made a Knight Companion of the Order of Merit.
posted by George_Spiggott at 12:10 AM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

what I don't like though is that she is STILL our head of state.

Eh. It's not like she's determining your speed limits or setting your tax rates or in ur base and killing ur d00dz. She's your head of state like your great grandmother might be the matriarch of your family.

And if you consider that all of the other countries in the Commonwealth realms (wiki: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis) feel an emotional kinship to NZ in part because she's also their queen, she probably gives NZ an extra measure of security and wealth.
posted by pracowity at 12:11 AM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

he was made a Knight Companion of the Order of Merit

Which is not a bad looking little badge at all.

Knowing Jackson, he'll probably put it on a character in one of his next movies. I'm going to watch for it to appear on Bilbo Baggins' chest or something ridiculous like that.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 12:17 AM on April 29, 2010

It's notable that the slang term for the Order of Australia is a "gong". That's antipodean faint praise for you.

Gong is a Britishism for a medal, particularly a military one - here's a WWI diary excerpt that uses it. It's not particularly antipodean at all.
posted by Sparx at 12:51 AM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

It's notable that the slang term for the Order of Australia is a "gong". That's antipodean faint praise for you

The British also call honours "gongs".

It's completely hideous, probably the ugliest civil or military award in modernity

You foolish fool, it is beautiful in the eyes of all right-thinking Australians.

I demand that you move to Melbourne, instigate a meetup and debate these issues with me over copious beers forthwith.
posted by the quidnunc kid at 1:01 AM on April 29, 2010

The man managed to make one excellent three-part movie, primarily because he had some of the best source material ever written, one decent movie, and a bunch of crap, and that rates a knighthood?

I gotta say, you guys have low standards.
posted by Malor at 3:49 AM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

You haven't watched Meet the Feebles really baked, have you Malor?

Having thought about it, I will admit that Jackson hasn't been given the ultimate accolade given to New Zealanders of merit and lifelong achievement—the assumption that they're Australians. Until he's an assumed Aussie he's still second rate.

Next, the Knight Companion Of The Crowded House.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 4:00 AM on April 29, 2010

A thread about Sir Peter Jackson and Australian soccer, that's exactly how we roll in Wellington.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 4:16 AM on April 29, 2010

I gotta say, you guys have low standards.

I dunno. Have you seen some of the people who have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom? We gave one to George Tenet and Donald Rumsfield, after all. I think every country is allowed a pass every now and then.
posted by Atreides at 4:28 AM on April 29, 2010

I still want to know how having directed only 3 low-budget horror flicks, a puppet move and that arty film with Kate Winslet in it, Peter Jackson persuaded Hollywood producers to give him $200million or whatever it was to make the Lord of the Rings films. How exactly does that conversation go?
posted by bap98189 at 4:59 AM on April 29, 2010

How exactly does that conversation go?

Now in this next photo, you can clearly see that the troop of chimpanzees in girl scout uniforms each have a dildo and a copy of the Magna Carta, and while the rank on your uniform isn't clear, especially what with the no pants, it's clear you're dressed as an SS officer.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:28 AM on April 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

Am I the only one that was disappointed that in the video Jackson did not say that the award was very "precious" to him.
posted by Ber at 8:14 AM on April 29, 2010

Did he wear shoes? I gather he is averse to them.
posted by bearwife at 9:03 AM on April 29, 2010

LOL, you said "Arise, Sir Peter"
posted by Xoebe at 9:25 AM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I should probably get around to seeing these LotR movies sometime, huh.
posted by shakespeherian at 9:37 AM on April 29, 2010

Still not king.
posted by Zed at 10:30 AM on April 29, 2010

I should probably get around to seeing these LotR movies sometime, huh.

No.

But you could watch this.
posted by pracowity at 10:46 AM on April 29, 2010

What is really newsworthy is that presumably PJ wore pants for the occasion.
posted by norm at 11:36 AM on April 29, 2010

pracowity's link is far superior to Peter Jackson's work, it is true.

Not that such a statement is a ringing endorsement, but I still want to punch Jackson in the face for putting dwarf tossing in LoTR. It is a pity we no longer send knights off on Crusades - we could tell him the Holy Grail is on Mars and send him to reclaim it. And then forget to give him enough oxygen for the whole trip.
posted by winna at 12:26 PM on April 29, 2010

At least he's not a rugby player...
posted by subbasshead at 12:44 PM on April 29, 2010

Sir Peter on a different occasion. (sans shoes of course)
posted by bearwife at 3:23 PM on April 29, 2010

Sorry for the confusion re Knight Bachelor. He is a Companion of the Order of Merit, which makes him a Knight Bachelor, equivalent to other Kt.Bach. of other orders.
posted by wilful at 5:00 PM on April 29, 2010