Angels and Assholes #16…2016 - A Humorous Angel

When I started with A and A it was intended, I hope you realize, as a tongue-in-cheek attempt to point out social injustices and to champion people and events that remind us we are all human. With all the horrific events, such as Orlando, commanding a presence in the social media today, I have been reticent to post anything. Levity seemed inappropriate; already too much serious, tragic shit to read. But…

I was rereading James Thurber’s short story, “The Greatest Man in the World,” last night. If you don’t know Thurber, he is considered, along with Mark Twain, to be America’s greatest humorist. It blew my mind, although written in 1931, it totally portended the reality of Donald Trump.

The third sentence, “It was inevitable that someday there would come roaring out of the skies a national hero of insufficient intelligence, background, and character successfully to endure the mounting orgies of glory prepared for aviators [not a bad analogy] who stayed up a long time or flew a great distance”…leapt off the page and screamed at me: “Trump!”

When I googled the story, I discovered I was not the first person to have had this realization. If you think Trump is an angel, don’t waste your time. If you think Trump has some a-hole tendencies, google “The Greatest Man in the World.” You can read the short story online, which I’d recommend to get the full, delicious flavor of this satiric foretelling, or, if you’re short on time, listen to Keith Olbermann read the last paragraph. You’ll get the idea. (Remember: Thurber is a humorist.)

I think this might be worth “sharing.” It seemed a timely use of humor questioning a most serious issue?