IN AMERICA, there used to be a wildly popular institution, or "cultural phenomenon" called "drive in movies". It may be that by now few people in the rest of the world are aware of this, and that few people in america remember them, or are aware of the few which still exist, or have ever been to one.
Those old enough to remember and to have frequented drive in movies can only smile and count themselves fortunate for the memories. Did drive ins ever sprout up anywhere besides america? Or is american culture alone contradictory and quirky enough to have created a popular social venue in which everyone participating was completely isolated from everyone else? (what's the point?) And isn't is kinda sad that drive ins were driven out of the entertainment market by cable television and movies on disks? Evolution.
Imagine if you will an evening at the drive in with you, britney spears, paris hilton, and, say, lyndsey lohan, all three of whom happen to be wildly successful young amarican females, all successful in a uniquely american manner.
On the big big screen that night is a double feature, "Pretty woman", staring julia roberts, and "mildred pierce", staring joan crawford. The lawn chairs are lined up in front of one of paris's cadillac convertibles, and the four of you have snacks, and drinks. You have a notepad and pen, ready to take notes on whatever comments paris, lyndsey ,or britney might make about the movies.
Both movies are great studies of american women becoming highly successful, financially, amid controversy of various sorts, much like your three movie companions in lawn chairs. Paris, forinstance, might espress admiration mildred, for being a great business person like herself.
Its anyone's guess how the three ladies would react to the julia roberts portrayal. The acting is superb, and it raises all sorts of questions about whether the viewer should be, or wants to be, sympathetic to her character.
Woman are now going to be allowed to fight and die for their country, which seems a natural evolutionary progression. Another social evolutionary process might result in a future culture in which people are always free to advance in life by exploiting their own youth, age, gender, and appearance, but find it difficult to do so, an account of lack of public interest.
And then too, there is always the hope that drive in movies will return. maybe this time we'll all leave our cars, and congregate in lawn chairs, en mass, in front of the enormous screen, with snacks and drinks, naturally.
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