The old stiff upper lip term comes from the idea that a quivering top lip showed that one could not keep control of ones emotions. It shows a strength of character and harks back to a time when one didnt simply vocalise immediately every thought in ones head. To a time when the word one was used in every other sentence. It lent one an air of mystery. Our friends in the US mainly still think we have stoically maintained this admirable quality, thanks largely to Downton Abbey. One channel surf will, sadly, put this stereotype to bed. X Factor, Big Brother, Come Dine With Me and pretty much every other reality show, dating show, news broadcast, newspaper or jaunt down a high street will prove that the days of quiet dignity are very much over. Roughly 95% of this blame can be laid at the door of one Jeremy Kyle.
TV writer. Film obsessive. Dinosaur enthusiast. Paranormal, horror and all things strange/unlikely to be real. Skeptic.
Co-creator of WTP Comedy and creator of reel gifs.com.
London based Midlander.
Twitter: @leegant
