Warning: this post is going to be about Miley Cyrus – at least partially.
Now, I’ll admit that I’m a long-time fan of Saturday Night Live. Fangirl status aside though, I thought Miley’s recent SNL spoof of “We Did Stop” about the government shutdown was, as my roommate so perfectly phrased it, “pretty ace.” Regardless of one’s political views, I thought the video was funny, plain and simple. Also, the song has been stuck in my head all week.
My favorite lines? “If anyone had planned to see a grizzly bear/we are so shut down here…” Why? Well, these lines related perfectly to my sad weekend run-in with the current lack of government. (*Picture a rippling, suddenly blurry screen in full-on flashback mode…*)
Last Saturday morning, I woke up in utter confusion. Hmm, that’s weird – my phone say it’s 9 a.m., I thought blearily. Background information: I never wake up at 9 a.m. on Saturdays unless absolutely necessary.
“CAITLYN!” I heard again, meaning that either I was having one of those eerily vivid dreams that strangely mirror reality, or that someone was actually calling my name. I picked door number two.
As it turns out, I was right. If my life were a 1950’s game show I would have just won a new washing machine (or whatever random appliance/car/vacation was usually behind those mysterious doors). Anyway, one of my roommates – I have five total – was in fact waking me up.
My roommate is in charge of costumes for UD’s upcoming student-run play A Streetcar Named Desire. I’m doing the hair and makeup for the actors in this production; in other words, I make sure everyone looks pretty and she makes sure everyone is wearing clothes. Anyway, as two people under the same roof involved in the same production, we were about to embark on a mission: to find great 1940’s clothes – and hair accessories – at the best Philadelphia thrift shops.
Fast-forward past some intense thrift shopping (the soundtrack of choice for this post is Macklemore), some excellent Americanos in Old City, a trip to the famous Jim’s steaks, and our task was complete. So, naturally, I wanted to go around and be a ridiculous tourist. I mean, I’m from Connecticut…so I don’t really know Philadelphia well at all. I decided to voice my idea.
“Let’s go to the Liberty Bell! And that museum where Rocky was filmed! I wanna explore everything!!”
This Liberty Bell sign was the closest thing to the actual attraction that I saw…at least this time!
“Caitlyn…I hate to break it to you…but the Liberty Bell’s closed.”
And then it hit me, like I was being smacked with the full force of the iconic bell itself: the government!
As Miley sings, “’Cause we came to shut it all down now/no government around now.”
I hope that the next time I unexpectedly go to Philly, the Liberty Bell will be open for business.
