Brooklyn Then and Now

This morning IPR began a "one-day" fundraiser at 6:00 am. One of the musical segues was "How Deep is Your Love," by the Bee Gees. Corny, and not altogether appropriate for the circumstance, I thought. We are "living in a world of rules breaking us down," but public radio fundraising is not that world.

And, I could not get the song out of my head. Dylan, my two-year old silver standard poodle, pricked up his ears as I sang out loud, a capella. Not pretty. Not sure he liked it. And I started thinking about the movie from which the song emanated, "Saturday Night Fever." I came to work, went to the movie area on the 1st floor, retrieved, and checked out ICPL's copy of the 30th Anniversary Special Collector's Edition. I plan to immerse myself in the song and eliminate its worminess. At least that is my hope.

I asked a number of staffers if they had seen SNF, and, being alot younger than I, to a person all had not seen the movie. And I was a bit disheartened. I was asked if it was about dancing. And it is about dancing. And it is John Travolta's breakout role. But it is also, and more importantly, about socio-economics, and finding a way out of the neighborhood, in any way you can. In this case, the neighborhood is Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. In the 70's. When it was not hipsterish to live there. When it was a place one yearned to leave by whatever means possible. Paint store clerk loser by day, dance floor king at night.

Times have changed. Now Brooklyn (okay, I was born there) represents the arts, and craftiness, and cooldom. But I like to think the spirit of Tony Manero lives on, despite Brooklyn's renaissance and emergence as the hippest place to be (okay I was born there).

So I'm gonna go home, put on the 30th anniversary edition, remember where I came from, and how it used to be, and dance my a off.