With over 600,000 hits, this ‘Gangnam Style’ parody is going viral.
It offers a glimpse into the lives and world of students at Eton College, a British boarding school for boys founded in 1440 by King Henry VI.
Attended mainly by the wealthy – tuition at Eton will set you back about $52,000 CDN a year – the school is known for its many distinguished graduates, including Princes William and Harry, David Cameron (the 19th British Prime Minister to attend the school) and the writer George Orwell (1984, Animal Farm).
Although often touted as a hothouse for British statesmen and aristocracy, being an “Old Etonian” is not always seen as an advantage.
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English actor Dominic West (The Wire, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) has called being a graduate from the posh school “a stigma that is slightly above ‘paedophile.’”
Describing themselves as “awkward, frustrated, lonely and insecure,” the future statesmen starring in this video reveal the daily grind at the boarding school.
This might include a paddle on Eton Dorney – the school’s $27-million rowing lake and 2012 Olympic venue, a wander through it’s several libraries, including one that houses a costly collection of rare books, or a meander on the moor with a gang of beagles (the school has five dozen of them).
‘Eton Style’ lyrics feature a few unusual terms – beak, Chambers, Fixtures. If you’re curious, the school has kindly provided a glossary of Etonian lingo that you can peruse here.
For those wondering why the boys are wearing what appear to be tuxedos, it’s because this is the school uniform – the black tailcoat, waistcoat, white collar, occasional bow tie and pinstriped trousers are mandatory.
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