It was found at a yard sale somewhere I do not know. But I can understand why it was in a yard sale. There are a multitude of reasons why I would not have bought it on first sight. As I took the time to really look at it, I decided it was so bad , it was great. And I wished that I could own it.
This painting spoke to me like a modern Norman Rockwell painting that reflects the change in America since the "Leave it to Beaver" days when Life was pleasantly lived in tree lined Caucasian cookie cutter neighborhoods and a guy in a white uniform delivered milk twice a week. Nothing ugly ever happened; any unpleasantness being confined to folks living on the other side of the tracks, river, or valley.
Fast Food existed then, but it had not found its footing yet. American consumers had not become the monsters they would turn into over the ensuing thirty years. Hitting a burger joint in the 1950's was a once a week treat at best if we lived in the 'burbs, possibly once a lifetime if we lived in Puckerville, Maine. The majority of the meals the family ate were at home after a prayer and Dad carving the roast Mom had so lovingly devoted her afternoon to create.
Those were the days many of us Boomers look back on with rose colored glasses. It was a time when it was okay to deny the ugly parts of our past, our present, our legacy. The Civil War was a noble war, workhouses were an aberration, and the Rich were kindly folks who gave to the poor at least around Christmas. Yeah, those were the days alright. Those were the White Bread Days.
For the most part, this was the America I existed in as a child. Because my military family was so transient and the fact both of my parents could not settle anywhere for long, I did find much of the ugly that existed in the background of the American Apple Pie world found in Chevrolet ads on the Ed Sullivan Show. My eyes were opened earlier than many kids my age. My mind was not conditioned by years of local indoctrination from growing up in one locale. I sampled many. Not one area was completely bad, but none of them were as idyllic as the local chamber of commerce painted them out to be.
So, how did I get from remarks about a painting depicting Ronald, Wendy, the Colonel and Meghan of Popeyes engaged in pre-supper prayer thanking the Lord for the fast food bounty before them?
Initially, when the painting spoke to me, it focused on wistful memories of times gone by and how our world has morphed into the rabid dog eat dog pace we live in now. It went on to point out the rise of our fast food culture reflects and supports our current mania.
When I tried to consider what the prayer thing was , well, that's when the painting went over the edge and has now settled into a predictable commentary on how we white folk are wishing for something that will never exist again and we need to stifle the lies we told ourselves in the past and not let them ruin our future.
Accepting that sooner than later would be what we should do. But we never do what we should do unless it is shoved down our throats by necessity. And by then it is often too late.
The Male Dominated Caucasian America we live in now is going to fail. Sadly, too many Peckerwoods do not get it. Trying to preserve something that is circling the drain is an exercise in futility.
Sure is funny what a painting tells me when I look at it too long.
Keep it 'tween the ditches .......................................
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Now we come to the musical choice of the scatter brained word salad above...............
Only one tune came to mind .... "Changes", By David Bowie. It took me some time to embrace Bowie back in the 1970's. He was well entrenched as a Rock icon when I did get behind him. Anyway, "Changes" may be my favorite Bowie tune.
7 comments:
Interesting, to me the painting…. very interestingly spoke to me more of the “perils” inherent in corporate America in how they assimilate and often attempt to subjugate the meaning of family. I am seeing a Corporate family of fast food joints that have ingrained themselves into BEING our societal construct…. the way we see ourselves… not so much as individuals, but as cogs in a machine not of our making. I also found it interesting the more diverse than expected aspects of the folks….. more female focused and more ethnically/racially/culturally diverse in APPEARANCE than is typical in corporate board rooms… again suggesting to me a “false front” of diversity being used as a mask to hide the actual unifying principle….. namely monetary gain.
I don’t know if my rambling is nonsense, but it is what it stirred up in my unfortunately sober mind…. a mind that feels a strong desire to float away in a tranquil sea of pleasant intoxication of multiple venues… although not possible, it is the desire.
PipeTobacco
Pipe Tobacco - Your rambling was definitely not nonsense. I think you might have found deeper meanings than the scratch the surface ones I came up with. Excellent.
Worship of Capitalist gains where the Money is more important than the People is what that satirical Painting meant to me when I viewed it. The Man and I were just talking about how many obese Young People we see, even as Young as Elementary School and how inactivity coupled with poor diet could be dooming those unfortunate Future Generations to earlier diagnosis of very unpleasant diseases. We Raised a couple of our Grandkids and compared to their Peers they are very slender and active, not as tied to their Tech Gadgets, and embrace diversity more than the average American. I too was a Military brat and Married a Career Military Man, so the exposure to diversity and traveling the Globe opened my Eyes to things that many Americans who lived somewhere their entire lives, never had exposure to. Dad was Native American and married a Foreign 'War Bride' too, so we were never your Garden Variety American Family ever. I see the Fear Based frenzy ramping up as America evolves and those who once had all the Privilege are terrified of a level playing field where Women, Minorities and Immigrant Families can enjoy The American Dream too... somehow it threatens them to see everyone lifted up and nobody held down and oppressed. The "Good Old Days" were not so good for far too many... I'd like our Country to continue to Evolve rather than Devolve. Valuing all Human Beings is a concept that unfortunately eludes too many still.
Bohemian - Like you, I would love to see the country evolve instead of the obvious effort by the Right and unfortunately many on the Left to try to devolve by recapturing the past through tainted memories that those were the days. Moving forward has always been our only option.
Gone with a wind... yeah.
Dunno if I'd become worshiping "good'al'days" of USSR one day too... it would be horrible, from my nowaday perspective. But who knows, who can choose...
hmm...I'm thinking they're praying not to die of a heart attack from all the fat and calories they are fixing to consume. But that's just me..
did you know there are several sites on facebook for military's brats? one for brats of all services and then one for each branch. I love it so much. It's so great to talk about things that mean something to just us brats. Like all of us having memories of running behind the ddt truck.
It was all an act. I have no desire to live back 1950s or early 60.
Coffee is and stay safe
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