Good Times! I was watching reruns of this hit show from the 70's and couldn't help but think of how desperately America needs another "Good Times" kind of show. You know, a family with some legit struggle, real struggle... ALL the time... and making the best of it. I think Caucasian folks in particular need this the most. My Dad told me this week that in NYC "White is the new Black". The struggles that Black people have known for far too long, now belong to a new class of people, and I'm not talking about "Rosanne" either. Some folks I know are struggling for the first time in their lives, and they need lessons on living "day to day. This is nothing new to us. Just ask people in Detroit. Detroit has been in a permanent recession since the 60's, maybe earlier. Double digit unemployment? Nothing new. This recession feels like a depression to some because they never felt struggle. Enjoying simple pleasures, like playing monopoly, the board game and not MONOPOLY, buying and owning 2 or 3 real homes (odd how that felt normal - the summer home, the winter home yada yada)... appreciating non material things like your health, and not getting a shoppers high from blowing thousands on a pair of shoes (ok, a couple of nice pairs of shoes) with your Amex Platinum Card. What was great about "Good Times", was we could relate, but we were never as down and out as they were. My Mom once said, look, you got it better than JJ (Jimmy Walker, the ultra skinny dude on the right in the Blue hat) you should thank your lucky stars you have it so good". Guess what? I bought it. Why not have a show of a once prosperous family that fall victim of the economy and find happiness with each other. But instead of a Super poor family in Good Times, how about a Madoff like family? (without the crime thingy) I was thinking about the remake of "Fun with Dick and Jane" with Jim Carrey, Téa Leoni. The only problem with that movie, just like real life, Dick and Jane lost stuff, but the stuff is what gave them happiness. Some of us have not let go of the "stuff" it seems. The great American Consumer's appetite for more has taken some serious hits, in the last year and a half, but like the creatures in "night of the living dead" the shoppers come back from the brink, looking for SOME way (like Layaway), to get more stuff. (and ok, maybe not layaway, that involves patience). And lets not pretend that a recovery is just around the corner. Pa-lease! I see this thing lasting another 15 or more years. Its going to take a long time to get this economy back in shape. The tricks that propped up American Consumption for so long (Cheap credit, corporate thievery in the stock market, and an ultra inflated housing market) those gimmicks are mostly played. I'm not go any further on it in this blog the ills of the Nation, but its crazy ugly. What the Country needs is to see the cast of say Dynasty, or Dallas, pulling themselves together, and getting by on less and having fun along the way. I'm serious, the Country needs this. There has to be a reason people are lining up to see Sarah Palin. She has that fallen from grace, going from Vogue to Rogue thing going for her. Ok, that just messed up my blog...nevermind the thought.
Just imagine, A family that had it all (or so they thought) and found it all by losing it all and having each other. Loving each other for who they are and not for how much money they make. I'm sure JJ Walker would say DYN-O-MITE! to that. I know I would. Its a good lesson for everyone. Good times!
