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Edited on Sat Feb-25-06 08:29 AM by no_hypocrisy
it don't worry me."
No wonder I feel living through these times is a like the last scene in Robert Altman's 1975 film, Nashville. It's the convergence of many unlikely circumstances.
Here's the set-up: There's a big political rally for an ultra, ultra-right candidate running in Nashville at the Accropolis, complete with a musical appearance by two big country acts. One of them is a female singer, just released from the hospital after having a major nervous collapse in front of an audience. Her name is Barbara Jean. She's singing a song replete with American icons: a country home, the security of "Mama and Daddy", harsh but loving lives on the prairie, etc. The crowd loves it. Except one. There is a cleancut, all-American guy with glasses carrying a bag throughout the movie. In this scene, he removes a rifle and shots at the stage, seriously wounding (maybe killing) Barbara Jean.
Now here's the point: Barbara Jean is seriously bleeding, the paramedics call out that they can't stop the bleeding. Her friend and co-star on the bill, Haven Hamilton (Henry Gibson), is in a panic. He calls out the crowd to stay calm, to show the world that the people of Nashville can rise above this event, and he calls out "Somebody sing! Sing!", like that's going to make everything better.
And a woman (who's runaway from her husband to become a Nashville star) appears from the wings of the giant stage, picks up a microphone and haltingly starts singing, "It Don't Worry Me". She picks up some momentum as the gospel choir on stage joins her. The crowd joins in and the song becomes a joyous celebration, with hand-clapping and big smiles. Instant amnesia that a person has been shot in front of them. A person the crowd revered as a cultural icon. Who may have died. They could have also been shot by the guy. But hey, it's okay. They're singing. Everything is all right. No problems.
This scene makes what's going on now with our soldiers being killed and maimed in Iraq and Afghanistan more surreal. Abu Gharab. And the detainees illegally held at Guantanamo. Even when the American public is given unfiltered, relatively accurate facts about what's going on with the * Administration, the latter starts singing, "It Don't Worry Me" and the public starts singing along and swaying to the music. The devices of suspension of disbelief and disconnect from the facts.
I used to like singing along myself to this song before 2000. Now I can't bear to hear it.
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