Elephant and Jackass show by dreamtrove

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Elephant and Jackass show

POSTED BY: DREAMTROVE
UPDATED: Thursday, October 28, 2010 17:09
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VIEWED: 613
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Thursday, October 28, 2010 5:37 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_and_pony_show

The way this game is played is that the Elephant scares the Jackass, and the Jackass jumps. It's like good cop/bad gop. After the show is over, the Elephant and Jackass yuck it up backstage, laughing at the audience.

In this show, the Elephant is always the aggressor, and, like Tom, is always cast in the role of villain even when the donkey, like Jerry, clearly has the upper hand. See, it's the fear of the Elephant that gets you to side with the Jackass, and jump where-ever he jumps.

But the thing is, they're in it together. They staged this whole thing long before you entered the tent. The Elephant is clearly bad gop. It stages the fear. At first, only those who are riding the Elephant are afraid. There's a wedge issue here or there:

There's a clown with a firecracker over there!
There's people sneaking into the tent without tickets!

And then eventually the Jackass will jump, and send out Carnies to hunt for the clown, or patrol the border of the tent or whatever.

Sometimes the Elephant will toss some out at the audience:

Look, that guy is wearing pink!

Other times, they will turn the tables briefly, and the Jackass will try to scare the Elephant. As illustrated in a series of 1870s Harpers cartoons.

http://www.worldsstrangest.com/mental-floss/how-did-the-donkey-elephan
t-become-political-mascots/

But the trick is still a trick. Sometimes goodies are thrown into the ring. The Elephant will pick up a bucket of popcorn and set it down for his fans, all the while knowing full well that the Jackass was going to kick it over. The Elephant never meant for you to have the popcorn, it's all part of the show, he just wanted you on his side because he was offering popcorn.

So, that's when the Jackass trots out dragging a big bin full of cotton candy. He's clearly the good guy now, because he's giving you the cotton candy. He's going to get a good laugh when the Elephant steps in it, because he knows he will, because that's all part of the show. Now you're liking the Jackass, and angry at the Elephant

And that's the point of the show: To keep you interested in the show. Meanwhile, you're all glued to your seats, except when you're getting up to fork over more cash for more tickets, and going out to get your neighbors in to watch the show.

Sadly, some people really like Cotton Candy or Popcorn, and they're under the illusion that they'll actually get it, and that this is really all about someone trying to give it to them, and someone else trying to take it away, and not about, you know, hiking up the price of tickets, bringing in more audience and building a bigger tent... or whatever it is that might be going on outside the tent.

But don't you worry your pretty little head about that. The show is about to begin! Enjoy!

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Thursday, October 28, 2010 5:47 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

So who's Barnum and Bailey then? Who be TPTB? Who's training Dumbo? You're the next act Dream, the Political Magician, make them appear!

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Thursday, October 28, 2010 6:15 AM

DREAMTROVE

Pizmo,

The trainers and organizers of the event prefer not to be seen by the audience, and the funders of the event prefer not to be seen by mortal humans.

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Thursday, October 28, 2010 11:20 AM

FREMDFIRMA

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LateArrivalSpoiler?from=Mai
n.YouShouldKnowThisAlready

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Thursday, October 28, 2010 11:36 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

Quote:
Originally posted by dreamtrove:
Pizmo,

The trainers and organizers of the event prefer not to be seen by the audience, and the funders of the event prefer not to be seen by mortal humans.

Like Yahweh? Zeus? Apparently they are so good at hiding that even you don't know who they are ;)

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Thursday, October 28, 2010 2:02 PM

DREAMTROVE

Up your old tricks again Frem? Just jealous that I spelled it out so neatly? Or were you referring to my non-disclosure of the circus owners. Of course I have my list, and it's probably very similar to your list, but you know there are certain things that we don't talk about on a public forum, and it's just bad karma to betray your friends...

BTW, Kudos for clever use of the query function, but I thought you might have man, not main?

The Donkey and Elephant show dates back to before any of the current runners were even players, ceptin' a couple of financial institutions to whom I'm related, but you have to figure that the business has been sold on one or more occasion, which is why I say...

Step right up... Hurry, Hurry Hurry!

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Thursday, October 28, 2010 5:09 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Perhaps a little, besides, as a Trickster it's not like *I* don't have a little PT Barnum goin on there as well, smoke and mirrors has always and ever been one of my best defenses, when no fortress would suffice - you can smash down a fortress, you can crush a man... you can do neither, to a fistfull of smoke, can you now ?

-Frem

I do not serve the Blind God.

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