Ben and Franklin's Thanksgiving 2010
Last year we were introduced to Ben and Franklin, the odd couple among Meleagris gallopavo’s in their black and white anthropomorphic world sharing a Thanksgiving feast.
Once again we find Ben and Franklin gathered together this Thanksgiving, reflecting upon their bounty, booze and blessings, particularly the one that enabled them to enter this world as wild turkey’s exemplifying all the attributes befitting America’s National symbol.
During this past year, Ben acquired a large sum of money, the beneficiary of the untimely death of a rich uncle, affording him the opportunity to introduce a little color and a new painting into his life.
Of course Franklin just goes along for the ride.
Let’s peek through the keyhole and listen in on our two compadre’s…..
(fade in Dvořák : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kHNw...eature=related)
“…..You’re getting things mixed up; Bach is not the Messiah! Handel composed the …Oh, what’s the use? You’re impossible Franklin”
“Hey Ben, looks like you got a new pretty picture there on the wall. Say…I’ve seen that picture before”
“Yes, I recall…it was in Chicago inside some old building with a couple of green lions out front.”
“Get the waddle out of your brain Franklin. What you saw at the Art Institute, is pure unadulterated tripe! A cheap knock off by some ghastly human named “Hopper”!
“A knock off of this!…the real McCoy you see before you now…”
http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...rigreduced.jpg
“Ok…ok, simmer down. Sounds like someone woke up with their snood on the wrong side of the beak”
“So tell me about it. How did you manage to get your wings on it?”
“Franklin my beaked blunder, what you see before you is none other than Edward Butterball’s “Night Turkey’s”, completed in 1942. “Butterball was an odd bird, but quite creative in expressing mood with the effective use of light and shadow.”
“I was fortunate to have a rich uncle, but even more so when he died.”
“However, I nearly broke the bank out bidding the competition at Christies.”
“So, as you can see, I was forced to take a minimalist approach with the meal, opting instead for a platter of finger foods.”
“These are delicious Ben. What do you call them?”
“Buffalo Fingers”, I picked them up at Hooters.”
“Just one question Ben”
“Yes”
“If these are considered finger foods, then why are we using forks?”
“Happy Thanksgiving Franklin”
“Same to you Ben”
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Edward Hopper’s - ‘Nighthawks”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nighthawks
James McNeill Whistler’s - “Arrangement in Grey and Black: The Artist's Mother”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistler's_Mother
Ben Franklin on the Wild Turkey:
(Excerpt from a letter he wrote to his daughter)
“…I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”
A platter of chicken “Buffalo” wings:
http://tipsfortips.files.wordpress.c...08/hooters.jpg
From Ben and Franklin’s Thanksgiving 2009:
http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...ving600dpi.jpg
Happy Thanksgiving to all
Gilliatt
