Getting the Last Laugh

It's been a  week of wall-to-wall campaign coverage.  The Denver lovefest ended as soon as I woke up and read that John McCain had chosen his running mate.  Like many others, the first thing I did was to write a blog, and add my voice to the chorus of disbelief on the Huffington Post.

Ranting on the Huffington Post wasn't enough.  So I spent the rest of the day ranting to anyone who would listen.  And everyone seemed to agree with me.  Sarah Palin was chopped into tiny pieces--her life in Alaska and lack of experience were almost too easy a target.  But by the end of the day, something about this whole Sarah Palin thing was nagging at me, and I didn't know what it was.

For our entire marriage, my husband V has provided an ongoing tutorial on escapism, i.e. movies.  And a little escapism was definitely in order tonight.  V. likes his escapism tough.  He suggested seeing "The Traitor".  But as soon as he began with the words, "Don Cheadle plays a terrorist...." I vetoed that and we went to see a comedy, Hamlet 2.

The comedic escape worked for two hours.  Now that I've come home, I still have the same opinion of Sarah Palin.  But watching a comedy helped me identify what's been nagging at me:  I've seen this movie before; in fact, I've seen it twice.

It wasn't my kind of movie, and nearly everyone I know hated it as much as I did.  We all assumed no one would possibly want to buy tickets---since the star was THAT bad.  Like Sarah Palin, he was neither experienced as an actor, nor talented.  Yet much to the amazement of me and people who think like me, there were other people who LIKED this movie and its star. It's the kind of movie that plays well in the heartland, and it was a big hit.  In fact, there was a sequel.  In 2004.  Which surprised a lot of people again by being another success. 

In Hollywood, comedies usually don't win prizes at the Oscars but they make money.  They're predictable formula movies.  And this director obviously found a winning formula.  Karl Rove, his name is.

For the third installment they're doing what they sometimes do in Hollywood--like a recent movie that was supposed to star Tom Cruise but is being rewritten for Angelina Jolie.  It requires a little tweaking, but the producers are keeping the same plot, theme, and the familiar qualities that made the central character non-threatening and appealing to many Americans.

Plenty of movies succeed without good reviews, and without the support of the critics in New York and Los Angeles.  There are other places in America where a movie can find an appreciative audience. So the producers don't care if the audiences on the Huffington Post are laughing and making fun of their star.  Because while we're laughing at them, maybe we don't realize that they are also laughing at us.  Just like they did with Karl Rove's other movies....laughing all the way to the White House.

Comments

[Ron]

Darryle: Now you are beginning to scare me. I swear you are tapping into my subconscious. I had the very same feeling in '04: How could anyone think that this comedy is going to play well to the audience that is sensible, sensitive, altruistic, intelligent, rational, even patriotic America? I knew the audiences in New York and Los Angeles (the only places that really count, right?) would never buy tickets to see the sequel. And next thing you know, the comedy is a hit. Not a blockbuster, but just good enough to make back their investment, just good enough to best the competition. Well, that was not good enough for me. Just good enough is not what should be guiding this nation's future well-being, world stature, image and reputation.

So today, right this second, as I write this reply, I have decided to do something about my feelings of disbelief and possible future disappointment in my country's choices for the next four years, at least: For the very first time in my adult life, I am going to talk to everyone I can about my choices and what I think is going to be best for us as a nation. And I am going to do something even more monumental, I AM GOING TO ACTUALLY VOTE for the very first time since I voted for George McGovern in 1972. Yes, I was never, ever ashamed to tell everyone I knew that I had never voted because I never bought into the myth that is politics. Because I never thought that my vote was going to make a difference. But my "non-vote" DID make a difference: I was desperately ashamed and thoroughly embarrassed for our nation when George the First and Barbara's "knucklehead" was re-elected and I did nothing to prevent it. I was further embarassed for our nation and my family when I traveled abroad and spoke to well-placed Europeans that told me that they too were embarassed for our nation.

Well, I am very proud to say that I am going to actually register to vote for the very first time in New York on Tuesday, September 2, 2008. And I am also very proud to say that my friend Darryle's blog was the catalyst for this significant and dramatic change of heart (to my mind, not an insignificant change). Thank you, my friend. I can only hope and pray that the entire country reads your blog and does the same. (And please feel free to post my comment on "I never signed...)

Thanks again for tapping in my subconscious and I look forward to being a catalyst for others.

Have a safe, healthy, happy Labor Day weekend (And please pass our best wishes on to your Alli and Shane in Iraq)

[Jody]

Oh, yeah, I know what you mean. When the announcement of Sarah Palin was first made, and then I heard her speak, I gleefully imagined the Obama campaign rolling around on the floor, kicking their legs in the air, and HOOTING.

A day later, fear struck. What if, as you say,
this "comedy" plays in the heartland?

Glad to hear your change of heart, Ron!

[Darryle]

Ron--everything you wrote just validated this entire blog. Same for Jody. I could say more but it would take too much space here--and instead I think I'll just write about it for tomorrow. Thank you both, and Ron, I know that your decision will have impact far beyond your own vote since your voice will speak to others. And we need every last vote since what our country needs right now is NOT another comedy.