The right arm is crooked at a rigid 90-degree angle. The left arm juts away from the body on a diagonal. The eyes are downcast, seemingly in deep thought. This is how Welsh-born journalist Huw Edwards begins seemingly every episode of BBC News At Ten. And the internet has taken notice. Specifically, since November 2011, a Twitter account called Huws At Ten has been posting daily screencaps of the BBC anchorman to showcase his eerie consistency. At first glance, it looks like the account is just posting the same picture over and over again. But, no, Edwards’ necktie and shirt do change from day to day. It’s just the pose that stays the same. A typical entry looks like this:
Another looks like this:
Totally different days, same exact Edwards, same exact pose. It’s like a really boring version of Groundhog Day. Perhaps this has all been some large-scale, conceptual, performance art project on Edwards’ part. Or maybe he just does the pose every day to amuse himself. He’s been hosting this program since 2003, which might get a little dull sometimes. Whatever the cause, there’s something to be said for this kind of consistency in television broadcasting. The news has been increasingly disturbing and unpredictable in recent years, so it’s a great comfort that at least the guy reading the news is totally predictable. Empires may rise and fall, but Edwards will never stop doing that pose before each newscast.
The only time when Huws At Ten really cuts loose and strays from the formula is when Edwards is on vacation. On those days, the Twitter account imagines him having all sorts of adventures in far-flung locations. Like so:
It’s nice to know that, even when he’s away from the BBC studios, he still wears a necktie. The man has a reputation to uphold, after all.
[via Buzzfeed]