The Scarecrow was eventually elected mayor of the Emerald City.
Covered in the 2nd of the 14 (!) books in the Wizard of Oz series, each of which I read to our son Danny.
There was much more Land of Oz detail in the books than movie; many – or at least the “Wizard of Oz was laden with political allegories Podcast” – believe they were laden with political allegories:
The 4 quadrant geography (DC?), with the Emerald City in the middle (US Capitol);
The struggle between the gold standard (Yellow Brick Road) and silver currency (Dorothy’s shoes silver in the books); the latter escaping from a Chinese lab.
Dorothy representing the common man, the Scarecrow farmers (derided as food growers! by the East coast press), the Tin Man labor, beholden to fossil fuels! and the Lion William Jennings Bryan, presidential candidate;
The Wheelers were terrifying!
Toto, Dean Martin’s first movie role;
Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy. Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln!
Tip the boy becoming Princess Ozma, an early 1900’s transgender story. Fortunately, no women’s sports then, so that controversy averted.
And other alleged political allegories – the reflecting pool vandalized by the Wicked Witch or Tucker Carlson – inciting a war on social media. If it existed at time of publication, of course.
Who knew the fly-over states could be so interesting? Hoping L. Frank Baum sold lots of copies.
Even without Amazon self-publishing.
(Insert subliminal mention of Love Is Not Enough).
Unfortunately, not a single mention of the Nifty in the 14 books.
Fortunately, the NIFTY LIVES!
My Captor and I in Omaha this week for a family wedding; too long since I’d seen my family – going for a long weekend.
Omaha my hometown, and the Wizard’s – in the books, but becoming “An old Kansas man myself” in the film – forming the very loose psychic connection of today’s post. And early Hollywood trickery.
A good time had by all.
The Nifty a bar frequented by my dad and his father-in-law, becoming ‘The Shining Beacon on the Hill’ – or a joint on the Radial Highway – and I’m linking to (attempting) past ‘Why Beers at the Nifty’ posts.
The first visit:
The return:
My Captor and I made it to the Nifty on Thursday afternoon: Our 3rd visit – almost regulars!
A lifelong friend and his partner picked us up and off we went!
A halting start, though: The un-Nifty bartender didn’t drink draft beer, generally unhelpful on drink choices. And with her general cheerlessness, not the best bartender.
Probably why no comment cards available…
We eventually settled on the Grateful Dead Juicy IPA, which was groovy – and fit the OZ theme, Garcia playing guitar at the scarecrow’s mayoral inauguration.
Unlike prior visits, no one knew my father or had their taxes prepared by him; their plaques had been removed from the bar, probably a bad sign.
Oddly, an Alex Trebek Jeopardy episode on the TV; his plaque had also been removed from the bar…
I would have given the Nifty a solid B+, but that may reflect today’s grade inflation.
The theme of the weekend: Catching up with friends and family a blast!
Trip downside: No runzas or kolaches to be had; the runza a ‘sandwich’ unique to Omaha, kolaches a stuffed nod to the large Czech population.
Next time.
On the flight home, echoing Dorothy’s response when asked what she’d learned: “If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it.”
Or if pressed for time: There’s No place like home!
ENHANCE YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THIS POST, PAIR WITH THE FOLLOWING ‘AGING HIPSTER MUSIC/READING’:
Mountain Goats’s new album now available – – really good!
And Love Is Not Enough still available on Amazon. What a great read for anyone who has dealt with mental health or addiction issues. Or just wants to read about family love and recovery.