1. The other day -- Thursday, to be exact -- I thought of someone I hadn't thought of in many years: famous Formula One race car driver Sir Jackie Stewart.
I never actually followed racing, but sometime in the mid-1970s, I was visiting my friend Wayne, who was watching some sports program on TV (probably ABC's Wide World of Sports) where Jackie Stewart was a "color commentator." Something about this cocky little Scotsman appealed to me, and I saw him a few more times at Wayne's.
So, as I said, I hadn't thought of him for years, but his name just popped into my head on Thursday.
At this point, you may very well be thinking, Uh-oh, every time David thinks about someone whom he hasn't thought about in ages, that person dies! (At least, I'm assuming you thought that, as well as assuming that you correctly used "whom" rather than "who.")
Well, I wasn't too worried that I would jinx this poor guy as I searched for his Wikipedia entry, because I was pretty darned sure that I'd heard he'd already died a few years back...
And I was wrong! I was quite pleased to learn that he was still alive at the ripe old age of seventy-eight.
That was Thursday.
On Friday, I was doing something I rarely do, namely, sitting in a bar having a couple of beers. Less than five minutes after I arrived there, one of the bar's half-a-dozen televisions began playing a Heineken commercial, and said commercial actually showed some VFX-enhanced archival footage of... none other than Jackie Stewart. At the very end of the commercial, it showed him as he looks nowadays.
I followed up by doing a little research on the commercial itself, only to discover that it's over a year old.
Over a year old. But I never saw it until one day after I thought of someone whom I otherwise haven't thought of for several years.
What are the odds?
* * * * *
2. Ever since the "fall" of Harvey Weinstein and the increasing activity of the #MeToo movement, I've been seeing more and more exposé-type articles bemoaning the fact that multiple instances of sexual harassment and/or sexual assault have suddenly been "discovered" in one industry, or occupation, or whatever. And people are shocked to discover that such things have been taking place in this "new" walk of life.
Oh, really?
Why the hell is anyone surprised?
Anything involving more than one person, whether they're male and female mixed, all male, or all female, is a potential situation for sexual harassment/assault. And this behavior is carried on by cosmeticians, sanitation workers, Uber drivers, juice bar employees, butchers, bakers, candle-stick makers...
People just suck, okay?
You want to be outraged by sexual harassment or assault? Good. You should be. You want to speak out against it? More power to you! You want to try to actually do something about it? My proverbial hat is off to you!
But if you're actually surprised that such behavior exists in any occupation?
Don't be.
Thanks for your time.
Well, I hope you at least drank a Heineken.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the odds? Welcome to my world of strange and unusual synchronicity.
I am glad he is still alive!
Good Night...
I'm glad, too!
DeleteThat is weird indeed that you'd see the commercial just when you started to think about him.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it is everywhere. Being surprised that it is in one thing makes one kinda naive. People are blah indeed.
Coincidental things like that happen to me all the time.
DeleteHere's the latest thing that bugs me: Garrison Keillor was ousted from Minnesota Public Radio because of inappropriate behavior. Keillor said he knew what had happened--he had accidentally touched skin while patting a woman on the back. She was shocked, and he apologized. Then she became his #METOO accuser. Keillor said he'd had a good run and it was okay if he had to go. MPR's reply was that there had been multiple accusations about Keillor over a number of years. If that's the case, then why did it take #METOO for them to do something about it? How could so many companies disregard long-term allegations? They use the information that it happened for a long time against the man, but how many of them have said, We were idiots to let it go on so long? It's important to "out" abusers, but the companies where they worked, where many people supposedly knew the truth about them and did nothing for years, need to take more responsibility.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I agree. I keep wondering, "Was it permissible then, but suddenly, it's not?" I can understand victims remaining quiet for years, due to various reasons, but companies or people who knew and allowed it?
DeleteSurely we are living in the pit and the pendulum keeps swinging from one extreme to the other. For true sexual harassment was generally ignored for years, and just looking at woman from across a room when she does not welcome it is now a chargeable offense. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Jerry. In order to assuage its guilt for years of tolerating "bad" things, society goes too far in the opposite direction. It's like "affirmative action" in hiring, where suddenly a qualified minority member or woman (or both) gets a job instead of an equally-qualified white male. People are trying to compensate for years of bigotry.
DeleteIt cracks me up that, let's say you and I work together, and both ask the same co-worker for a date. (Neither you nor I touch her, of course, or phrase anything in an inappropriate way.) She's perfectly willing to date you, but doesn't like me "that way." You get a date, and I (possibly) get accused of harassment.
OMYGOD I saw this commercial but I never thought was him,
ReplyDeleteIm impressed!!
I was certainly surprised.
DeleteWhat an incredible coincidence about Jackie Stewart! I hope he doesn't die because you mentioned him.
ReplyDeleteThe sexual harassment stuff drives me crazy. On the one hand, there's Garrison Keillor, as Janie mentioned, and at first it seemed like his was an innocent "oops" but now it turns out they've sat on other information for a long time. WHY? And then on the other side of things, as Jerry mentioned above, a guy can't even give a second glance to a woman anymore without being accused of something. Gosh. Fight the real stuff, people, and stop looking for bad intentions where there are none.
And RIP Jackie Stewart. (Just practicing for your post three weeks from now.)
You and I both seem to agree with Jerry's observation, Lynda. (See the second paragraph of my reply to his comment.)
DeleteAnd so far, Jackie Stewart's still with us. But just last night, I watched the original 1963 Beach Party film with Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. Dorothy Malone (probably best known from her role on TV's Peyton Place) appeared in the movie as well. I wondered if she was still alive, and checked online. Unfortunately, she's passed away, but only about six weeks ago!
I remember watching the Anita Hill hearings. She was composed and graceful - I was very impressed. He was the idiot and worse that he still is.
ReplyDeleteI don't follow racers, except that Speed Racer was a childhood crush.
Thanks for always keeping us informed and entertained, Silver Fox.
Speed Racer was a product of "my" era (meaning when I was a kid) but I never saw it then. I did watch some of the other Japanese cartoons during the late 1960s on local UHF channels. (Remember UHF channels?!?)
DeleteYes, I actually thought, Oh darn, he's dead.... I mean, what are the oods he isn't? Good thing the learn that he is still very much alive despite the fact that you mentioned his name ;) As for people sucking... It's a fact. Not all people, but it's a species that will never learn.
ReplyDeleteOrson, The Great and Powerful looks great and powerful. I may be biased, being a cat person.
I'm so glad I didn't kill another one!
DeleteLife is full of weird coincidences.
ReplyDeleteDamyanti
That's for sure!
Delete