Mel Brooks via Gene Wilder
When Blazing Saddles first came out I saw it open in a theater in North Carolina. Then I went and found a friend and went back the next night. It was ground breaking and fresh and hilarious. And had a black lead who was just perfect for the role. And it dealt head on with racism. It had its faults and has not necessarily weathered the years as well as I would have wished. But one of the great lines resonates with me when I think of the american sovereigns who think that Trump will ascend to the presidency today.
I cop to being an east coast elitist and all the other white male labels around. But that quote delivered by Gene Wilder to Clevon Little [if you watch you can see that Little can't help but telegraph the laugh... obviously they had to shoot it more than once] explaining why the town is so prejudiced rings like a bell to me whenever I hear about people who think the government is illegitimate since the presidency of Grant.
Lord knows I try not to obsess. But it's not easy.
