On the Conditions and Possibilities of Helen Clark Taking Me as Her Young Lover
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''On the Conditions and Possibilities of Helen Clark Taking Me as Her Young Lover'' is a satirical book, published in 2005 with a new edition released in 2008, by the
pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
ous author Richard Meros, and an adapted play of the same name written by Arthur Meek and Geoff Pinfield.


Book

The book was conceived while the author was in
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, and completed while he was writing a Masters thesis at
Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well kno ...
. It centres on the author's belief that
Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...
, then
Prime Minister of New Zealand The prime minister of New Zealand ( mi, Te pirimia o Aotearoa) is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, took office on 26 October 2017. The prime minister (inform ...
, would find personal and political rejuvenation if she was to take on a younger lover, and that the ideal person to be that lover is Meros. The author contends that Helen Clark is a woman of intellectual pursuits and that:
"her surroundings of subordinates ... probably leaves her with unfulfilled desires for a situation where roles are reversed and she can become the double-double agent of
gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures ...
deconstructions."
It covers such subjects as
Rogernomics In February 1985, journalists at the '' New Zealand Listener'' coined the term Rogernomics, a portmanteau of "Roger" and "economics" (by analogy with "Reaganomics"), to describe the neoliberal economic policies followed by Roger Douglas. Dougl ...
and a bus strike. The book also contains detailed descriptions of flesh and bodily fluids. The first edition was published by Lawrence and Gibson had a print-run of only 50 copies, but further editions were subsequently released. As of January 2008 the author claimed that only 16 copies had been sold, but in August of that year, after the success of the play, stated that over 400 had been sold.


Critical reception

''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' described the book as a treatise of "
sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...
,
psychoanalysis PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might b ...
and cringe-making
erotica Erotica is literature or art that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic art may use ...
".


Stage adaptation

The book was adapted for stage by actor Arthur Meek and director Geoff Pinfield, and premiered at Wellington's
BATS Theatre BATS Theatre is a theatre venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Initially founded as the Bats Theatre Company in 1976, then established in its current form in 1989. BATS Theatre has seen the development of many performing arts talents of New Zeala ...
in early 2008. In the play Meek portrays Meros giving a
PowerPoint Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation program, created by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin at a software company named Forethought, Inc. It was released on April 20, 1987, initially for Macintosh computers only. Microsoft acquired PowerPo ...
presentation lecture tour, narrating why Helen Clark needs a young lover, bringing the issue to the Prime Minister's attention, and impressing her intellect:
"She is a very rational woman. It would take more than chocolates or flowers to woo her. The show is designed to appeal to that rationality"Joanna Hunkin, ''Comedian talks up crush on Helen Clark'', New Zealand Herald, 8 May 2008
He critiques individualist
liberalism Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for c ...
and imagines being taken by Clark to a secret "pleasure dome" and bolsters his argument with
Kantian Kantianism is the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher born in Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia). The term ''Kantianism'' or ''Kantian'' is sometimes also used to describe contemporary positions in philosophy of mind, ...
theory. The play was well received critically and described as "slightly disturbing, but highly entertaining... sharp political satire".Helen Sims,
On the Conditions and Possibilities of Helen Clark Taking Me as Her Young Lover (review)
', Lumiere Reader, 18 January 2008 The play is said to have been seen by staffers of Helen Clark, and recommended by her husband Peter Davis. After a successful first season the play toured New Zealand, and returned to Wellington's
Downstage Theatre Downstage Theatre was a professional theatre company in Wellington, New Zealand, that ran from 1964 to 2013. For many years it occupied the purpose-built Hannah Playhouse building. Former directors include Sunny Amey, Mervyn Thompson, and Colin ...
for a second season.


References

{{reflist


External links


Lawrence and Gibson Publishing Collective
- book details *

(Press release for the book) *

' - BATS Theatre description of the play. Postmodern plays New Zealand books Political satire books Comedy books 2005 in New Zealand 2005 non-fiction books Works published under a pseudonym Helen Clark Clark, Helen Clark, Helen