A celluloid-obsessed friend of mine had an interesting metaphorical observation on America today....

[marmar]

..... He said this country is like an aging movie star, unable to accept that his starring role days are over, clinging desperately to past glory, even as he becomes less and less relevant.
And you know, it kinda made sense. (Then again, everything makes sense after five SoCos with lime. :toast: )

[Redstone]

1. Or like an aging boxer who doesn't realize that he's punch-drunk from

all those shots to the head over the years...

Redstone

[libnnc]

2. We're Margo Channing

but without the class.

[Benhurst]

7. Yeah, and somebody better go tell Mr. Demille we're ready for our closeup.

[libnnc]

8. Works for either movie

My reference was to All About Eve but it works for Sunset Boulevard as well

[Benhurst]

10. You're right of course. I was thinking of Norma Desmond.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

3. so who is going to wind-up face down in the swimming pool?

I figure that is where your comming from,

[QC]

4. Big? I AM big.

It's the pictures that got small.

[pansypoo53219]

5. are we betty davis

or mary pickford tho?

[liberalmuse]

6. America is Norma Desmond?

I like your friend's analogy.

[Neshanic]

9. After watching the opening ceremonies, I thought that this may be the begining

of our decline. The Chinese will surpass us and Japan as the biggest economies. The big bump the country will get from a succesfull Olympics will continue. Meanwhile I watched as our "President" stumbled and acted like some freak as he was taken to his seat.

The interplay of images of what China is and will become as they showed what they can achieve, then a shot of Putin and the Monkey King having an animated converstation was a picture that might of well of been in black and white, grainy and old.

It was this moment seeing our imbecile acting the clown on worldwide television, oblivious that we are mortgaged to the hilt,the economy in a shambles, a war with no end in sight, and he sits in a stadium that defies the naysayers and the China of the future.

It was not particularly pleasant having that realization that on 8.8.08 our decline began officially.

[SoCalDem]

11. A beautiful woman with a dirty neck

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=3534527

America.. A beautiful woman with a dirty neck

Edited on Sat Jun-28-08 12:42 AM by SoCalDem


I heard that phrase used the other day on a documentary..not about US..but the more I thought about it, the more it "fit"..

We have been the "beautiful woman", almost since our inception..... The beautiful woman that all who gazed upon, wanted. She's always been a bit apart from the rabble, even though she grudgingly accepted them when there was dirty work to be done.. The beautiful woman would stand and watch as they toiled..quite apart from her.

All who saw her wanted to be near her, but she only gave the orders from a safe distance.. Her station in life was to be the beacon, the unattainable perfection, and to watch over those who worked in her service, but not to allow actual intimacy.

People from all over worshiped the beautiful woman and sought her counsel..she was happy to give advice and tell others what to do. She never hesitated to tell anyone who would listen, about her generosity and wisdom.

Surely a woman so beautiful and wise would always stay that way.

Over the years, the beautiful woman has let her guard down, and people can now get close to her..the fancy clothes that looked so grand...from a distance..are actually worn and shabby, she smells a bit..and her neck is quite dirty..