A Quasi Quid Pro Quo Conundrum. Riddle Me This...
Old Man Yells At Cloud - A Love Story
It is getting so obnoxious - I read the same story, but as time goes on,the details and timelines change - constantly. I suppose it is nice to see meaning in once unmeaningful lives, brought together again in the form of some weird coup d'etat. The crazy 60 something artist (still wearing shorts? Creepy) and her younger 50 something geek engineer husband. A setback is a setup for a sitcom? Right?
One can’t help to think of the showmanship of this super-duo. By way of such forced social media pictures and posts, we see perfectly a young June Cleaver describing why she gets dressed up and does her hair before going to the beauty shop; “I can’t go there looking like I need them!’ This describes this couple to a ‘T’. Their mantra: ‘We’ve faked it once, we can fake it again!’
It’s what they do. It’s who they are.
I envision this Punch and Judy routine, and we see it. It is is unhappy. Actually, many have seen it happen. Even the Mayor of the town of Simpleton. This ego encrusted, paparazzi loving Bonnie and Clyde, jumping out at every stoplight in the clown suits of the day, running around their mini-van exactly two times, swooning at the cameras and then bouncing bubbly back into their car seats, waving to a crowd left stranded as they speed off, rushing to the next PR stunt they have concocted. The couple firmly, as legends in their own minds, believes they are broadcasting LOUD AND CLEAR THEIR SPOOKY KIND OF LOVE IS WORKING.
It is very sad. At best, tragically pathetic.
Two patron saints of relationship mediocrity who are holding out that there will be something they will have in common with each other, something worth crawling from the wreckage for, And here comes the perfect opportunity! The War On Us disguised as The War on Drugs.
It is NOT about THE CAUSE. Rather it is “Can THE CAUSE Save OUR Marriage? Money CAN Buy ME Love!” This dog and pony is a last ditch effort by a very unhappy man and woman both scared to be left alone.
I am trying to remember a story that may be similar in nature to this kind of propaganda tactic. Oh, wait! Got it.
One day a King goes to the tailor to get new clothes.The tailor, who is not a fan of the King, convinces the king that he made him a wonderful “invisible” suit of clothing and that he looks stunning in it. Townspeople, in their own blindness to TRUTH, agree that the king looks better than ever. Better than the King before, who the new King had a crush on. A little boy is the only one who stands up and bursts the bubble by seeing the king honestly,in old jockey shorts and lets everyone know who this man is and, yes, it is true…The Emperor Has No Clothes. And, yes, he is Gay. The townspeople eventually come to their senses, go home to forget about this sad circus show and drink. However, they will forever more be deathly afraid of clowns.
Excited about mention in the ‘The Who’s Who In Whoville Post’, they have carefully woven a propaganda strategy modeled after Enron and Koch Brother Industries. They glean inspiration from the genius political machine. ‘We really don’t give a fuck, give us our money’, covered in candy canes, whipped topping and bacon for public enticement. REMEMBER! Money Can Buy Us Love
One may reference Amos and Andy, Fibber McGee and Molly, Lucy and Desi Arnaz, June and Ward Cleaver to see the ‘inspiration’ underlying this couple’s motivation. Self-absorption and self-containment dressed in sheep’s clothing. (Dear God, the oh so tiring ‘I am a misunderstood artist living in suburbia’ outfits. ‘I am the bumbling, stumbling engineering geek side-kick’ that wears vintage shirts and forgets his shoes) - that’s another story.
This money making scheme is based on the myth of the American Dream. Somehow they believe that through raging against all they hate but choose to live within (the truth left in the dust fifteen some odd years ago, actually they may never have been blessed with the truth.) “You Can’t Handle the TRUTH”, Jack Nicholson told them, and they believed it. After all, it was Jack Nicholson, and he was yelling.
A possible analogy reflective of this couple is the punk rocker that hangs out at the Mall of America. RAGING, SEETHING mad at corporate america, the political structure, all while walking down the mall to Target. They have the best deals on hair gel, he saw it on TV.
I believe it quite possible that this Activiste de l’equipe realized that the general public were tiring of their shtick by the early 90′s. People rolled their eyes, the phone stopped ringing. Posers were being exposed, and they did not like it. They looked longingly into each others eyes..’What can we do if we can’t…pretend?’ …
…Will there be a come-back moment in which we, as a fake couple, can be the center of attention because we are DIFFERENT AND BETTER?”
In the meanwhile, we will roll our eyes and go along with knowing the ‘Emperor Has No Clothes’. We secretly long for the day when we can go home, forget about this cluster-fuck that is now so out of control, so obnoxious, and drink. We will all hope that the geeky guy can finally go to the gay club in Stockton. Everyone loves a happy ending.
Wow! There they are speeding down Old Town Street! She shouting ‘Grass Roots Photo Op!!!! Step On It! Quick, pretend we like each other and are ‘Artsy’, QUICK GOD DAMN IT!!’ Let me put my clown outfit on, is my leather ‘I went to a U2 Concert’ jacket in the back?” Bozo looks at her and says ‘Yes, Dear.’ as he always has done, year after tedious year.
Oh, and just for me. Could you possibly take this into consideration? Hypocrisy is only hypocrisy if done on a consistent basis. The stars are no longer aligning. At all.
I wonder if Ben Stein is available for consultation?