Quips and Quirks
Posted in General on June 15th, 2011 by Eugene Finerman – 3 CommentsIs being me a chronic condition? Apparently so. A friend just reminded me of an incidence from 40 years ago. A group of Hispanic activists stormed into the college newspaper office. They demanded to know why the Daily Illini was not giving more coverage to Hispanic issues. A certain features writer quipped, “We supported the Moors.”
The activists didn’t get the joke…or the additional coverage.
And now the latest manifestion of my condition.
I recently wrote a magazine article about the Salem Witch Trials. Now, there are some valuable lessons to be learned from this story. You certainly can see that America has a long tradition of sanctimonious hypocrisy. (Most of the victims happened to be political opponents or commercial rivals of Salem’s leading family.) And if a clique of Mean Girls can terrorize 17th century Massachusetts, you should be amazed that you somehow survived high school. You might also have some premonitions of Sarah Palin’s presidency.
But I saw intriguing similarities between “The Crucible” and “Bye Bye Birdie.” They both center around hysterical teenagers, and if Paul Lynde isn’t a witch who is? “What’s the Matter With Kids Today” is applicable to either show. And imagine Dick Van Dyke as Cotton Mather performing an exorcism to “Put on a Happy Face”!
Peter Sellars is called a genius for coming up with ideas like this. I’d be lucky to get a Brooks Brothers’ straitjacket.
p.s. Let’s not forget the historic significance of this day: https://finermanworks.com/your_rda_of_irony/2009/06/15/king-johns-involuntary-gift-to-us-2/