Mel Brooks via Gene Wilder

[bill_schubert]

When Blazing Saddles first came out I saw it open in a theater in North Carolina.  Then I went and found a friend and went back the next night.  It was ground breaking and fresh and hilarious.  And had a black lead who was just perfect for the role.  And it dealt head on with racism.  It had its faults and has not necessarily weathered the years as well as I would have wished.  But one of the great lines resonates with me when I think of the american sovereigns who think that Trump will ascend to the presidency today.

"You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers.  These are the people of the land.  The common clay of the new West.  You know.  Morons."

I cop to being an east coast elitist and all the other white male labels around.  But that quote delivered by Gene Wilder to Clevon Little [if you watch you can see that Little can't help but telegraph the laugh... obviously they had to shoot it more than once] explaining why the town is so prejudiced rings like a bell to me whenever I hear about people who think the government is illegitimate since the presidency of Grant.  

Lord knows I try not to obsess.  But it's not easy.

Comments

[msconduct.livejournal.com]

I try not to obsess too, but I admit I was one of many today going to Reddit to see what the Qcumbers had made of the lack of inauguration of Trump. (Qanon seems to intersect with sovcit, flat earthers and pretty much every other loony theory you can think of.) It's years since I've seen Blazing Saddles but it was a masterpiece. I needed to read that quote today:).

[bill-schubert.livejournal.com]

I've actually stayed away from QAnon and all that idiocy. I'm not good at detaching and the there is a physical toll on me to listen or read direct screeds. All of my information comes from predigested discussions and analysis by the least biased news sources I can find. So I miss a lot or catch glancing blows of it or hear interviews of reformed members who tell the stories. It is enough. Nothing has changed in my lifetime other than the medium. John Birtchers just became QAnons. It was Guy Fawlkers in the day. Once the time has passed and we look at it through a long enough lens it becomes interesting. The live feed is too raw for me but I do keep up letting others do the dirty work.