Every now and then our serene little valley becomes more like a back alley. That's when the grumpy old men meet the grumpy young men for a good old-fashioned brawl.
Scratch that.
It's a brawl, all right, but it's a tempest in a toybox.
From what I can tell, in what we might call the clash of the puppets, literally and figuratively, the patronizing old guard wouldn't make room for the new kids and underestimated both their talent and reach. Instead of practicing what they preach -- this is an open community and we must share so that we can all beat The Man at his own game -- the old guard sought to snuff the talent because it wasn't ready to give up what it perceived to be its power.
That's when the fun began for the rest of us.
Puppets began to tell the story of what lies beneath the green grass of our valley home: a complete absence of humor. Yes, folks, that dreaded rumor that geeks cannot laugh at themselves was proved true by a new guy from the east coast who just wanted to jump into the community sandbox. And he told the story with genius. Sometimes in poor taste. But that is the nature of the comic, no? And goodness knows everyone in both guards could benefit from a few lessons with Leticia Baldrige.
Try to tell the old guard that. Its defensiveness and bitterness gave way not only to the new guard it sought to stifle but one that practices its own variety of elitism. [Complete with misogyny. That story is for another time.]
So the torch passes and there is another moral to another story. Or is it the same story with the same moral? Today's Gepetto should remember what the Blue Fairy has bestowed upon him. Jiminy Cricket!
Comments