Obscene Wealth

Steve Martin used to do the very best imitations of rich people's cluelessness and how we middle class folks vacillate from thinking being filthy rich is obscene to wishing it was us.  Remember his "King Tut" song about the time the Tutankhamun wealth and jewels were being shown around the US?

Now when I die,
Now don't think I'm a nut, 
(King Tut) 
Don't want no fancy funeral,
Just one like ole King Tut,
(King Tut)
He coulda won a Grammy,
(King Tut)
Buried in his Jammies.
(King Tut)

Now, today, I read this in the paper:

CAIRO - Radar scans of King Tutankhamn's burial chamber have revealed two hidden rooms....Antiquities Minister Momdouh el Damaty declined to comment on whether any treasure or more mummies might be in the rooms.  

So we regular folks have to again deal with (sometimes long time dead) rich folks getting richer.

Another outrageously funny bit was SNL's "Steve Martin's Christmas Wish List."  The list started

with this:

If I had one wish that I could wish this holiday season, it would be for all the children of the world to join hands and sing together in the spirit of harmony and peace. 

But Steve ends up with this:

First, the sex - we go with that; second, the money.  No!  We go with the power second, then the money, and then the kids.  Oh, wait, oh geez!  I forgot about the revenge against my enemies!   Okay...revenge against all my enemies, they should die like pigs in Hell!  That would be the fourth wish!  And of course, my fifth wish would be fore all the children of the world to join hands and sing in the spirit of peace and harmony.

Somehow, these old Steve Martin routines seem so relevant.


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