ONE HUNDRED WAYS

September 20, 2015

I was thinking this morning about gender role reinforcement – how men are supposed to suppress their self-preservation instincts (as in the game of chicken), while women are encouraged to be as vulnerable and helpless as they want (Eek – a mouse!)  Which led me to think of that wry song from “Wonderful Town” “One Hundred Ways to Lose A Man”. Which led me to think of the movie “Gentlemen’s Agreement” where the Gregory Peck character disguises himself as a Jew to investigate anti-Semitism; he’s engaged to a sweet young darling but a fellow journalist who is just as tough-minded and competent as he is holds a torch for him.  It looks for a while as if the latter is going to end up with him, after all, when the s.w.d. reveals that she’s a wee bit of a bigot; but no, s.w.d. apologizes, all is forgiven; and the jilted reporter goes off to write “One Hundred Ways to Lose A Man”.  

Anyhow – the sidewalk book sale was on again at High Park.  One of the books (which I bought) was Arthur Miller’s “Focus”; about a man who is mistaken for a Jew when he starts wearing glasses.  A plot not dissimilar to “Gentlemen’s Agreement” – both books were first published in the 40’s. 

Ate lunch at Jack Astor’s. The sports announcer on one of t.v. screens said the name “Lebron”, which being a black-identified name, reminded me of a conversation with a help desk guy named “Tyrell”.  Just as the latter name came into my head the announcer said “Tyrell”.  

 

WINK OF A HIPPO

May 8, 2010

At Chris’ Wednesday night.  Don on his history tangent, wondered was it Louis XVI at the time of the 1789 Revolution?  I began to sing Allan Sherman’s “You Went the Wrong Way, Old King Louis” as a way of reminding him.  When I informed Chris that it was Allan Sherman’s song, he said, “As in ‘Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh’?”  Yes – I replied - & that whenever I’ve listened to "The Dance of the Hours" that’s all I ever think of.  Or, said Chris, the hippos in tutus from Disney’s Fantasia.  Followed by the crocodiles.

Yesterday received an Amazon order including two James Alison books.  Browsing one of them today, I happened upon a chapter called “reconciliation in the wink of a hippo”, referencing that very scene from Fantasia.