“Another great newsletter and I enjoyed the answer on ‘Continuing the correspondence with Alex’ with some great insights/history on the profession.

“I wish I had sent you this Bar Butler photo earlier as it would have paired well with the BBQ Butler you mentioned. I saw the Bar Butler in our local supermarket in Mosselbay, South Africa.” RM

Ed: Glad you liked the interchange with the author about Batman’s butler—it was a fun conversation, and at the end of the series, we’ll link to his article. Bar Butler is another first, so thanks for that—he will be appearing in the next MBJ—thanks for your contribution. 

Continuing the correspondence with Alex Parker for his article on Batman’s Batman:

Thanks again for your help. And don’t worry about stealing my thunder with the newsletter—we’ve covered a lot of interesting ground and unfortunately there’s a lot that probably won’t fit into my piece. But I’m glad to have learned a lot anyways. I’m hoping to post my piece tomorrow. One thing that occurs to me while writing is that with a butler, in some sense what you’re getting is a family member, without some of the complications that come with family. As you say, with a butler you want someone who knows you completely, but I assume also isn’t going to judge you or try to influence your behavior. This is relevant, since Alfred doesn’t always approve of his employer dressing up like a crazed bat and putting his life in danger. I’m wondering if this is part of the thousand-year-old ethic that you describe—let me know if you have thoughts.

Ed: Thanks, Alex, you have nailed it nicely. In fact, this quotation from Somerset Maugham might be of interest: 

“American women expect to find in their husbands a perfection that English women only hope to find in their butlers.” 

In a way, in the best of circumstances, a butler is like man’s best friend: Always loving, always eager to see you, neither judgmental nor argumentative, ready to leap to your defense, and loyal to the end. Not being a Batman afficionado, I can only surmise that Mr. Pennyworth fits this descriptor.

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.