While paging through David Ogilvy's wisdom-filled Ogilvy On Advertising again recently, I came across this pointed aphorism, "Search the world and all its cities, you'll find no statues to committees." Though I've been quoting it for decades, I never knew its source, so this moning I asked Google Bard. The Bard replied.The quote "Search the world and all its cities, you'll find no statues to committees" comes from the song "A Committee Has Made a Man!" by American singer-songwriter Tom Lehrer. Written in 1958, the song satirizes bureaucracy and the limitations of decision-making by committee.
Lehrer's witty lyric highlights the irony that while individuals who achieve great things are often commemorated with statues, committees, despite their influence and decisions that shape entire cities, rarely receive such recognition. This adds a humorous touch to his critique of committee processes, often marked by inefficiency, compromise, and lack of individual accountability.
During my career in advertising I've had more than one bad experiences associated with committees. Rather than go there, I thought it might be more interesting to share what I've learned about the song that this saying was extracted from.
The song itself was written in 1958, a time marked by rapid scientific progress and anxieties about the growing influence of bureaucracy and technology. Despite the nostalgic images we've been fed about the innocence of that era (eg. Leave It To Beaver, Father Knows Best, Ozzie & Harriet), there was plenty of anxiety that people carried inside, not least of which was the Cold War.
The concept of the "committee-made man" mirrored concerns about conformity and lack of individual expression. Lehrer's song tapped into these anxieties, criticizing the potential pitfalls of unbridled scientific progress and unchecked group decision-making.
The song opens with a sarcastic boast about a scientific breakthrough achieved by a committee – creating a man in a vat. This immediately sets the tone of satire with the absurdity of such a complex feat attributed to a group decision-making process.
Search the world and all its cities, you'll find no statues to committees,
Though they raise our taxes high and steal our civil liberties.
But today they've reached the summit of their bureaucratic plan,
They've finally done it, boys, they've made a man!
The chorus expounds on this "marvel of the modern age" comprised of perfect features and a plastic brain, who doesn't smoke, drink, gamble or lie, who is always wise and "never, ever dry."
The second verse digs into the committee's meticulous, bureaucratic procedure, emphasizing the endless meetings, compromises, and revisions that lead to a bland, predictable outcome – a "perfect average man." Lehrer lampoons the limitations of group decision-making that prioritizes consensus over innovation or risk-taking.
In the third verse Lehrer takes a darker turn, hinting at the potential dangers of a committee-made man. With no individual conscience or responsibility, he becomes a potential tool for manipulation and control, raising concerns about the ethical implications of such scientific advancements.
Perhaps the best part of committee work is that no one can be held responsible for the unintended consequences of a committee's decisions.
In the end, what does the committee-made man think of all this? Lehrer answer in the bridge:
But sometimes, late at night, I stare into the sterile sky,
And wonder if there's something more, a reason why I cry.
I feel a longing for a past I never knew,
A whisper of a life, a dream, of me and you.
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While reading about Tom Lehrer I learned of his influence on two other songwriters from our generation: Weird Al Yankovich and Stephen Sondheim. To which I can honestly say, "I never knew that" and one can learn something new every day.
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What are your thoughts about committees? Feel free to reply in the comments.
