Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Okay, not really any chance of meatballs, either coming from the sky or elsewhere. The above is, however, the title of one of my favorite children's books. I used to pore over the illustrations, which were hilarious; to wit: the huge pancake (with accompanying syrup!) that landed on and closed down the school, the day it rained broccoli and gorgonzola cheese, Ralph's Roofless Restaurant (no reservations needed). Only recently did I realize that the family in the story (written in the 1970s) consists of two kids, a mother, and the grandfather who tells the story of "the tiny town of Chewandswallow" -- no father.

Anyway. It's cloudy out but not raining, so the title came to mind.

Last night I saw Chicago, and while high expectations and the fact that Renee Zellweger is constantly referred to as "cute" when she in fact looks like a chipmunk wearing rouge did effect some disappointment, I did like it overall, and hereby apologize to Dave for not going to see it in college when he suggested going to see the actual stage production in New York. I think Bebe Neuwirth was playing Velma Kelley at that point, so I'm even sorrier I didn't get to catch the live version -- while Catherine Zeta-Jones does a fantastic job, Bebe woulda been worth the $75 I didn't have in college. Dave, Dave, Dave. You were ahead of your time then (and had more money to burn than the rest of us).

One of the previews last night was for Bowling for Columbine, the Michael Moore documentary that won the Oscar this year. Okay, I'm as much a fan of heavy-hitting documentaries as anyone, but I was in the mood for escapism. I mean, I went to see Chicago. Music, dance numbers, murderous dames dancing in lingerie, slick lawyers -- that's what I expected. I did not expect and was completely taken aback by a series of ultra-liberal interpretations of U.S. geopolitical actions in the past 50 years culminating in a shot of the Twin Towers as the second plane crashed into it, with the caption: "In 2001, Osama bin Laden used his CIA-provided training to kill 3,000 people." Even writing about it this morning makes me feel queasy. I don't excuse U.S. actions that have deposed elected leaders and installed murderous dictators -- these facts should be known, should be taught, should be learned -- but such a presentation is as prejudicial and narrow as any Rush Limbaugh show.

I guess you could say that you hafta fight fire with fire (i.e., we need the Michael Moores to balance out the Sean Hannitys) but the series of images and captions felt exploitative. Oddly, watching the second plane hit last night shook me in a way that the events, while happening, never did. I felt like crying.
----------------------
In totally different news, I received yesterday a very special package from BC: the Yale Herald compilation of Wide Gauge comics. Wide Gauge was drawn (but more written) by Ken Moon, on whom I had a omigodit'shim! kind of crush during college. (Except for an art show I helped put together where he was one of the artists, we never had contact, though.)

Ken remains the only KA guy I've ever remotely liked, while Wide Gauge remains the only comic featuring dung beetles that I know of. I spent an hour last night reading and laughing over them, and was surprised to have a great deal more sympathy, recognition, and understanding of the angst coming out of those dung beetles. In college I think I just thought they were funny, or slightly gross, or both.

Does the fact that I like and understand them better now mean that Ken was a genius, or that I was more immature in college than your average college student? Huh. Lately I feel like my maturation rate has been incredibly slow throughout my life. I'm not trying to dog on myself, I'm just saying I feel like I lack a lot of the life-knowledge/self-knowledge/common sense that other 27-year-olds have.

Good god, am I really 27?

Many, many thanks to BC for such a funny, dear gift. You know me too well (and still like me!). I'd completely, utterly, totally forgotten about the KM obsession. (Hm, wonder what he's doing these days. Maybe I should google him...) (Hah hah -- NOT!) (Well, a little, but not much.) (Oh, LORDY.)