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Sunday, October 16, 2011

Magpie Tales: Duck Soup

Photo supplied as prompt by Magpie Tales

If I’m going to write this, I’d better hurry before someone else (Roger O. Green, where are you?) does it first.

This is my submission to
hosted every week by Willow of Willow Manor.

IS IT TIME FOR
DUCK SOUP AGAIN?
The last movie to star four of the Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo) became a classic achieving almost cult status in the 1960s but was a failure when it first appeared in 1933.
Mussolini banned it in Italy, and is it any wonder? It lampooned dictators, authoritarian government, and Fascism.
In the US, the satiric film’s blatant anti-war message antagonized a nation suffering through the Depression, and its irreverent treatment of government of all kinds annoyed everyone from Roosevelt to the neighborhood dogcatcher.

I don’t know much about US politics, although I’ll admit I still harbor high hopes for Barack Obama, a brave young man who deliberately walked into the fiery furnace in an effort to save his country, and who is now being blamed for his apparent failure to right the untenable situation left him by the outgoing Bushies.
However, here in Canada, I’m thinking it might be time to roll out the old movie again. What we now have in Ottawa is the next best thing to a fascist (far-to-the-right-of-right) dictator leading an authoritarian (bash the protestors) government after declaring he isn’t interested in what the people of Canada want (to be heard).
Who better to poke holes in his ego than Harpo Marx and his bombastic brother Groucho? Harpo, like Stephen Harper, didn’t like to speak, so, after trying it onstage once, he simply refused to do it again.
Just ask any reporter, after a Parliament Hill press conference, what the Prime Minister had to say for himself.
“Who? Harpie?” the reporter will reply. “He didn’t say anything. He didn’t even whistle, blow a horn, or play a harp to express his emotions, so I’m beginning to suspect he doesn't have any.”

20 comments:

Tess Kincaid said...

Hail, Hail, Freedonia, land of the brave and free...excellent post...

Kay L. Davies said...

Thanks, Tess!

anthonynorth said...

That move towards creeping totalitarianism is infecting much of the west. Very worrying.

jabblog said...

Hey, hey, Kay - keep it up!!

christopher said...

Thank you for sharing. I felt drawn into Canada with you through your essay.

Jim said...

Hi Kay ~~ Thank you for this informative story about the Italian treatment fo the Marx Brothers.

I loved them although I was born a little too late enjoy them to the fullest. I do remember Groucho's TV program, You Bet Your Life. I watched it or listened on the radio every chance I got.
..

EcoGrrl said...

I love this and I love how you didn't take the picture literally in your magpie :) I agree, I have high hopes for Obama. I think he's folded on a couple of critical things that he shouldn't have, but the man has gotten more stuff Done (legislation passed) than any president in history, which is pretty amazing.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

I love those roast duck, but thye don't have much meat.

robkistner said...

Some crispy hot food for thought here Kay, well done...

Christine said...

There are those that say that OZ is going down the totalitarian path, too. An excellent post that has me thinking....

Martin said...

Here's to Harpo!

Maggie said...

Yep, I thought of them as well. This is better than anything I could have done.

Obama in the soup, indeed.

Other Mary said...

:o) Really good one Kay!

Brian Miller said...

you certainly spun us far afield...politics...perhaps they should get the duck treatment...just shaking my head...nice write...

chiccoreal said...

Dear Kay: Didn't know Canada had political pundits! You're the first one! Really Duck Soupy! :)

Tumblewords: said...

Excellent! Brava!

Isabel Doyle said...

I suspect I wouldn't recognise the place after all these years. Fine post.

Maxwell Mead Williams Robinson Barry said...

lovely thoughts on politics.

Nanka said...

Interesting politics from your region!! Could be true elsewhere too, even here!! As the people in authority take off the people become 'dead ducks' or sitting ducks!! :D I like the soup we find ourselves in, after all we are the electorates!! :)

Arnab Majumdar said...

Politics somehow remains almost the same everywhere, doesn't it? It's human nature to abuse power... and it's the concentration of that power which is the root cause of corruption.

Nicely written.

Cheers,
Arnab Majumdar on SribbleFest.com