I went to the newly renovated American History Museum today, (I took the day off to get in just one more day of New Year's celebration). I'm not sure I'm as impressed with it as I was supposed to be after, ya know, a multi-million dollar multi-year renovation.
But it was still not too bad.
Because, because, because, because, because...
Because of the wonderful Wiz he is...
Perhaps I'm just more of an aficionado of the art at the National Gallery and the Portrait Gallery, rather than our national treasures. Or, should I say, the treasures they have on display at the museum.
I will, though, admit to marveling for a few moments at the Star Spangled Banner, all ensconced in its dimly lit, but shiny new digs. Although, I was a little annoyed to see the first explanation in the exhibit describe what Francis Scott Key wrote described as a "song." It was a poem first, and wasn't a song until later in the week.
The Woolworth's lunch counter from Greensboro also moved me deeply as well. The greatest example of what coalesced at that counter will be on display here in D.C. starting the Tuesday after next. That'd be the inaugural for those who can't read a calendar.
I was inspired by the display of the Axelrod Quartet. All four instruments in the display were crafted by Antonio Stradivarius and are valued together at $50 million. And they're still played. How cool is that?
In an exhibit near the musical instruments were a uniform worn by Roberto Clemente; Kermit the Frog and Oscar the Grouch; Pat Summit's whistle; Fab Five Freddy's boom box and Grandmaster Flash's turntable. And right there out front were Dorothy's ruby slippers.
Comment overheard from one teen girl to another while looking at the slippers:
Girl 1: She had fat feet.
Girl 2: No she didn't.
I read the card, the slippers are size 5s. If that's her opinion of what fat feet are, I weep for the future. What's more likely is someone with feet considerably larger than Judy Garland has, at some point in the past 80 or so years, attempted to jam their giant dogs into two of the icons of Americana. (Yeah, the movie's that old.)
Anyway, you've read this far so I'll get to the point.
One other tidbit on the card explained how in the original book Dorothy Gale's slippers were actually silver but, because the red showed up better against the Yellow Brick Road in Technicolor, the editorial change was made.
Huh, never knew that, obviously I haven't read the book. I guess the museum's not that bad after all.
And here's where the weird coincidence enters stage left: Resting comfortably on my DVR is most of season 2 of Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I'm trying to get through them but we all know what it's like trying to watch backlogged episodes of shows. But I knuckled down tonight and watched episode 5 "Goodbye to All That."
In the episode the lovely Lena Headey as Sarah Conner, kidnaps a young boy to protect him from a horrible death sent from the future. While she's protecting him he tells her he has a book report due Monday and it's already Friday and he hasn't even picked out a book yet (you can see where this is going, right?).
So, the super hot Summer Glau hands him, wait for it, yeah, The Wizard of Oz saying "It was one of John's favorites." The kid tells Sarah his teacher doesn't like them doing reports on books that have been turned into movies and she tells him not to worry, the book is much different than the movie.
"Dorothy's much younger, around your age, and her slippers were made of silver."
What are the odds I would have two ruby/silver slipper references in the same day? Wait a minute, on the other hand, don't answer that one.
