- Sep 22, 2013
- 4,956
- 250
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This is a values-oriented TrumpUSA parable inspired by Three Fugitives and My Fellow Americans, and it reflects my love of movies and comic books.
Since it's overly-political (capitalism-biased), I didn't feel right posting it in the Writing section of USMB, but what do you think?
====
A band of robbers wearing creative homemade Mardi Gras masks decided to rob a bank in New Orleans on New Year's Day [2019]. The gang called themselves the 'Christian Fanatics' (sarcastically) and was led by a French-American anarchist/writer named Eric. The Christian Fanatics believed their New Year's robbery would make headlines and remind everyone of the basic human value of rebelliousness in a time of great commercial vanities and traffic claustrophobia (i.e., 'TrumpUSA'). Eric wondered if he himself was actually a 'sincere Christian' and therefore 'qualified' to be the leader of the Christian Fanatics. Nevertheless, Eric's gang pulled off a successful robbery and walked out of a major Louisiana bank with $10 million.
Of course, Eric was a 'humble robber.' He didn't want to steal $40 billion in gold or large shares on Wall Street. He just wanted enough for his gang and himself to be able to retire to Fiji and spend the rest of their lives managing a beach bar. Eric studied at Dartmouth College (Ivy League school) and considered himself to be a 'democracy-vigilante' and therefore wanted his robbery to go off smoothly and hopefully nonviolently so no one would say, "This anarchist was involved in a violent robbery on New Year's Day." During the robbery, Eric almost had to kill one of the bank-executives who held the key to the main vault, but Eric managed to bribe the man and gain access to the vault easily.
When Eric and the Christian Fanatics fled to Fiji, Eric's two friends (Steven and Albert) began coordinating their funds and plans to open the beach-bar. Meanwhile, Eric began doing what he always wanted to do --- making horror-comics paintings. So Eric sat on the beach and made comics-renderings of iconic American horror-film characters like Leatherface, Chucky, and Frankenstein. The Christian Fanatics loved Eric's paintings and wanted them to be mounted in the beach-bar they were going to open. All the members of the gang either shaved or dyed their hair or grew mustaches/beards to radically alter their physical appearance to ward off any pursuits by the police. Eric's favorite painting was of Leatherface, the chainsaw-wielding cannibal from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The bank the Christian Fanatics robbed was a considered a 'monument' of capitalism and pluralism traffic in the USA. It saw customers from all walks of life and investors of all ethnic backgrounds. Most of the customers/patrons were extremely wealthy individuals of New Orleans who wanted their funds to be placed in a secure place. That's why this particular bank only kept small amounts on any given day in the main vault. On the day of the Christian Fanatics' robbery, the bank only kept $10 million in the main vault. Eric was very pleased, nonetheless.
Meanwhile, in a world away, movie-superstar Leo DiCaprio and eco-activist Angela Williams were involved in an agriculture-politics conference in Virginia regarding organic soybeans production in America. Because South America was way ahead of the USA in organic soybean production, Leo and Angela urged corporations/farmers and politicians to consider the value of investing in alternative forms of marketing to keep pace with the increasingly eco-conscious modern world. Leo and Angela, arguably just like Eric, were something like 'TrumpUSA diplomats' (or democracy-celebrities!). Leo and Angela were sociocultural 'models,' while Eric was a 'capitalism-daredevil'. Leo and Angela read about the Christian Fanatics' robbery in the press and wondered what they should think.
Leo and Angela decided to release a joint press statement about why the Marvel Comics characters Lilandra (a power-merchant and feminism-diplomat) and Gray Goblin (a mutant terrorist and symbol of modernism paranoia regarding capitalism-corruption) were excellent modern world 'avatars' for the evaluation/discussion of traffic-related populism politics. Leo and Angela wanted Lilandra and Gray Goblin to be featured in various media-ads about youthful marketing regarding 'democratic art' meant for Christian values in an otherwise consumerism-gluttony spiritually endangered modern civilization. Lilandra and Gray Goblin were very unusual comic book characters but ideal for Leo and Angela's pedagoguery.
When Eric read about Leo and Angela's comics-exploits regarding capitalism-critique and corporate corruption and neglect of organic farming oriented modern politics/governance, he realized that Leo and Angela were very similar to him. Eric decided to write Leo and Angela an anonymous/aliased fan-letter in which he told the two 'TrumpUSA celebrities, "I was an Ivy League student and an anarchist; I robbed a bank with two friends and fled to Egypt (or somewhere); I read about your love of Lilandra and the Goblin and wondered if you'd like to meet on a beach in Fiji someday to discuss the 'political symbolism' of 'offbeat socialism'." When Leo and Angela received/read Eric's letter, they wondered if they were communing with a political-radical or a new age psycho(!).
Leo and Angela decided to visit Eric in Fiji and when the two TrumpUSA celebrities arrived on the beach/island, Eric welcomed them with Pina Coladas and showed them his horror-comics paintings before entertaining them with a showing of the robbery-comedy film Three Fugitives (Nick Nolte) on his large-screen Samsung HDTV. Eric told Leo and Angela that he too was something of a 'TrumpUSA celebrity' interested in Christian values, since he was exploring the sensitive relationship between anarchy and theatrics. Leo and Angela wondered if they were like characters from the Nolte film in this steadily-unfolding 'capitalism-critical drama.' It was still nevertheless all rather...lighthearted.
Leo and Angela decided to part ways with the rather eccentric Eric, but they kept one of his horror-comics paintings as a memento of their engagement/friendship. Leo and Angela promised they'd continue corresponding with Eric about the progress of their comics-marketing of Lilandra and the Goblin and how such marketing reflected/represented 'TrumpUSA values.' Eric promised he'd continue following the two celebrities in the news as he continued painting horror-comics art. You see, under TrumpUSA, there are no real guidelines for 'creative etiquette.' Isn't that the real drama/comedy of modern consumerism --- cotton-candy imagination?
====
{Mac Gargan, aka, 'Scorpion'}
"My name is Mac Gargan. I was an Army soldier 'recruited' into a secret government-experiment about a strength-enhancing serum which ended up mutating me into a toxin-filled brute. I call myself Scorpion. I can climb walls and cloak myself as invisible. I escaped from the clutches of the government and now wander around U.S. cities in the late hours of the night, prowling for interesting TrumpUSA late-night traffic. I read the media-stories about Leo, Angela, and Eric involved in various TrumpUSA/capitalism-critique ballets and I liken them to the three characters from the robbery-comedy film Three Fugitives (Nick Nolte). Perhaps TrumpUSA is host to a new form of 'political philosophy'. I'll be around..."
Since it's overly-political (capitalism-biased), I didn't feel right posting it in the Writing section of USMB, but what do you think?
====
A band of robbers wearing creative homemade Mardi Gras masks decided to rob a bank in New Orleans on New Year's Day [2019]. The gang called themselves the 'Christian Fanatics' (sarcastically) and was led by a French-American anarchist/writer named Eric. The Christian Fanatics believed their New Year's robbery would make headlines and remind everyone of the basic human value of rebelliousness in a time of great commercial vanities and traffic claustrophobia (i.e., 'TrumpUSA'). Eric wondered if he himself was actually a 'sincere Christian' and therefore 'qualified' to be the leader of the Christian Fanatics. Nevertheless, Eric's gang pulled off a successful robbery and walked out of a major Louisiana bank with $10 million.
Of course, Eric was a 'humble robber.' He didn't want to steal $40 billion in gold or large shares on Wall Street. He just wanted enough for his gang and himself to be able to retire to Fiji and spend the rest of their lives managing a beach bar. Eric studied at Dartmouth College (Ivy League school) and considered himself to be a 'democracy-vigilante' and therefore wanted his robbery to go off smoothly and hopefully nonviolently so no one would say, "This anarchist was involved in a violent robbery on New Year's Day." During the robbery, Eric almost had to kill one of the bank-executives who held the key to the main vault, but Eric managed to bribe the man and gain access to the vault easily.
When Eric and the Christian Fanatics fled to Fiji, Eric's two friends (Steven and Albert) began coordinating their funds and plans to open the beach-bar. Meanwhile, Eric began doing what he always wanted to do --- making horror-comics paintings. So Eric sat on the beach and made comics-renderings of iconic American horror-film characters like Leatherface, Chucky, and Frankenstein. The Christian Fanatics loved Eric's paintings and wanted them to be mounted in the beach-bar they were going to open. All the members of the gang either shaved or dyed their hair or grew mustaches/beards to radically alter their physical appearance to ward off any pursuits by the police. Eric's favorite painting was of Leatherface, the chainsaw-wielding cannibal from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The bank the Christian Fanatics robbed was a considered a 'monument' of capitalism and pluralism traffic in the USA. It saw customers from all walks of life and investors of all ethnic backgrounds. Most of the customers/patrons were extremely wealthy individuals of New Orleans who wanted their funds to be placed in a secure place. That's why this particular bank only kept small amounts on any given day in the main vault. On the day of the Christian Fanatics' robbery, the bank only kept $10 million in the main vault. Eric was very pleased, nonetheless.
Meanwhile, in a world away, movie-superstar Leo DiCaprio and eco-activist Angela Williams were involved in an agriculture-politics conference in Virginia regarding organic soybeans production in America. Because South America was way ahead of the USA in organic soybean production, Leo and Angela urged corporations/farmers and politicians to consider the value of investing in alternative forms of marketing to keep pace with the increasingly eco-conscious modern world. Leo and Angela, arguably just like Eric, were something like 'TrumpUSA diplomats' (or democracy-celebrities!). Leo and Angela were sociocultural 'models,' while Eric was a 'capitalism-daredevil'. Leo and Angela read about the Christian Fanatics' robbery in the press and wondered what they should think.
Leo and Angela decided to release a joint press statement about why the Marvel Comics characters Lilandra (a power-merchant and feminism-diplomat) and Gray Goblin (a mutant terrorist and symbol of modernism paranoia regarding capitalism-corruption) were excellent modern world 'avatars' for the evaluation/discussion of traffic-related populism politics. Leo and Angela wanted Lilandra and Gray Goblin to be featured in various media-ads about youthful marketing regarding 'democratic art' meant for Christian values in an otherwise consumerism-gluttony spiritually endangered modern civilization. Lilandra and Gray Goblin were very unusual comic book characters but ideal for Leo and Angela's pedagoguery.
When Eric read about Leo and Angela's comics-exploits regarding capitalism-critique and corporate corruption and neglect of organic farming oriented modern politics/governance, he realized that Leo and Angela were very similar to him. Eric decided to write Leo and Angela an anonymous/aliased fan-letter in which he told the two 'TrumpUSA celebrities, "I was an Ivy League student and an anarchist; I robbed a bank with two friends and fled to Egypt (or somewhere); I read about your love of Lilandra and the Goblin and wondered if you'd like to meet on a beach in Fiji someday to discuss the 'political symbolism' of 'offbeat socialism'." When Leo and Angela received/read Eric's letter, they wondered if they were communing with a political-radical or a new age psycho(!).
Leo and Angela decided to visit Eric in Fiji and when the two TrumpUSA celebrities arrived on the beach/island, Eric welcomed them with Pina Coladas and showed them his horror-comics paintings before entertaining them with a showing of the robbery-comedy film Three Fugitives (Nick Nolte) on his large-screen Samsung HDTV. Eric told Leo and Angela that he too was something of a 'TrumpUSA celebrity' interested in Christian values, since he was exploring the sensitive relationship between anarchy and theatrics. Leo and Angela wondered if they were like characters from the Nolte film in this steadily-unfolding 'capitalism-critical drama.' It was still nevertheless all rather...lighthearted.
Leo and Angela decided to part ways with the rather eccentric Eric, but they kept one of his horror-comics paintings as a memento of their engagement/friendship. Leo and Angela promised they'd continue corresponding with Eric about the progress of their comics-marketing of Lilandra and the Goblin and how such marketing reflected/represented 'TrumpUSA values.' Eric promised he'd continue following the two celebrities in the news as he continued painting horror-comics art. You see, under TrumpUSA, there are no real guidelines for 'creative etiquette.' Isn't that the real drama/comedy of modern consumerism --- cotton-candy imagination?
====
{Mac Gargan, aka, 'Scorpion'}
"My name is Mac Gargan. I was an Army soldier 'recruited' into a secret government-experiment about a strength-enhancing serum which ended up mutating me into a toxin-filled brute. I call myself Scorpion. I can climb walls and cloak myself as invisible. I escaped from the clutches of the government and now wander around U.S. cities in the late hours of the night, prowling for interesting TrumpUSA late-night traffic. I read the media-stories about Leo, Angela, and Eric involved in various TrumpUSA/capitalism-critique ballets and I liken them to the three characters from the robbery-comedy film Three Fugitives (Nick Nolte). Perhaps TrumpUSA is host to a new form of 'political philosophy'. I'll be around..."
