The Real Story - February 14, 2014

8/13/2019 The Real Story - February 14, 2014

1/8


2/8

News & Commentary February 14, 2014THISISREALMEDIA.COM

2

Perspectives:

"Downton Abbey" - Why We Love Rich AristocratsI recently watched Winters Bone, aong and depressing movie about an Ozarkamily struggling through poverty, cold,

and inbred mountain family jealousies. isas no Eugene ONeill country - the brutal

errain of Mourning Becomes Electra,here the Mannon family destroys itself in

a melodramatic grand guignol of greed,ealousy, spite, and power - but a sloghrough the mud and cold. Each character

as backward, ignorant, and dumb; andheir attempt to find some kind of reconcil-ation and meaning was implausible andmpossible.

I switched the channel and began toatch e Tudors, a series about the life

and times of Henry VIII. It had everything:opulence, elegance, manners, and majesty.It was engaging, sumptuous, and dramatic.

othing could have been farther from theOzark trailer trash of Winters Bone than

he court of King Henry. e women wereall beautiful, the men dashing and confi-dent. Cardinal Wolsey, always concernedabout pomp and appearance as well as

ower, dressed to the nines: crimson cape,old chain, ceremonial cap, satin slippers.

He rustled through the chambers of power.He had an air of sanctity and authority.

Chrystia Freeland, writing in the Nework Times (1.30.14) about the popularity

of Downton Abbey, says that, in additiono the costumes, the opulence, and the

dcor, Americans are drawn to the series for

another, more important reason:

Another source of the shows appeal isthe profound similarity between thevast economic, social and politicalchanges that drive the action inDownton Abbey and our own time.

en, as now, new technologies werecreating vast fortunes, but causingsome, like Mrs. Patmore, the cook at

Downton, to worry that their jobs willbecome redundant. en, as now, in-come inequality was surging. en, asnow, these changes were shattering so-cial restrictions and liberating individ-uals from the old constraints of gender,class and even sometimes race, but alsomade many feel insecure.

Nonsense. Yet another view throughthe lens of race, class, and gender. Anotherforay into academic history-babble. We

tune in to Downton Abbey because welike to watch the super-rich, the Englisharistocracy, and lives of quiet elegance. Inother words, all that we will never have.

Victorian England has always had ahold on America. Empire, Churchillian val-ues, confidence, reverence for God, King,and Country, the discipline of Eton andHarrow that made leaders of men and,above all, pomp and ceremony. In Edwar-dian soap operas, like Upstairs, Down-stairs, we may have rooted for the scullerymaid or the footman and admired the ca-

maraderie and earthy enjoyment of thestaff, but we cared only for the toffs.

Victorian and Edwardian Englandseems remote, but our Founding Fatherslooked like Englishmen, dressed like them,behaved as aristocratically as their forefa-thers, and built English-style homes asgraceful and elegant as the country manorsof England.

Aristocratic England is appealing be-cause it is remote and impossibly unattain-able. We would fumble and drop our forksat Downton Abbey or trip over the Persiancarpet at Montpelier. English Lords andtheir estates, fox hunting, understatement,and chauffeurs are way beyond us. We can-not imagine having a beer with the irdEarl of Hereford.

ere is much more to DowntonAbbey, of course, than just displays ofwealth and privilege. e growing storm ofwar and its threat to the English aristocracyare perfect backdrops to the unfoldingdrama of the Crawley family, who knowwhat a world war will bring, but are just aspowerless as Nicholas to do anything aboutit.

Viewers are fearful for the fate of theCrawleys, for neither they nor we want tosee the old aristocratic order threatened. Al-though we may be democratic to the bone,we will always side with the aristocrats.

Northern intellectuals hate the South

and would like to finish the job that Sher-man started: burn all vestiges of plantationlife. e very existence of manors and es-tates is anathema and a constant reminderof the evil history of the South, but few othese Northerners can look at the architec-tural beauty, impeccably tasteful interiors,long, live oak-lined alles, formal gardens,and sweeping lawns without some envy.Image and romance trump political philos-

ophy any day of the year.e genius of Downton Abbeyis that it

allows good, democratic-minded Ameri-cans, salt-of-the-earth and intellectualsalike to enjoy themselves. ey can admire,desire, and romanticize about the lives othe rich and famous, and revel in their fall.

Downton Abbey is todays Gonewith the Wind. We enjoy the excesses it de-picts partly because we know that the elitecavorting on our screens has had its real-life

comeuppance. Better still, when it comes toclass, privilege and wealth, DowntonAbbey lets us have our cake and eat it, too.e show gives us a voyeuristic peek at thepleasures of being an Edwardian aristocrat,but it also allows us to feel smarter and bet-ter than the blue bloods of that period.

Ron Parlato is a writer living in Washington, DC.He has close ties with Columbus, which he visits fre-quently. His writings on literature, politics and cul-ture, travel, and cooking can be found on his ownblog, http://www.uncleguidosfacts.com.

I think the city should considerselling the name Columbus tothe highest bidder. We could bebranded, like a domed stadium.Imagine Pepsi, or Draino, orWham-O Mississippi. Americancompanies only. - Ms. Use_________________________

We should have a program to re-move billboards. Why do we al-ways do, but never undo? - Myeyes hurt_________________________

Columbus bills itself as a beauti-

ful city, a tourist attraction. Is thiswhat we want visitors to see asthey drive into town? - Pilgrim-age Girl_________________________

Why not?! We need to do what-ever we can to get more shop-pers at our stores and businesses. Sam K._________________________

No! No! No! What we need arenew politicians, not new signs! -Fed-up Freddie_________________________

I say, they can do whatever theywant, as long as they dont raisemy taxes! - Martha_________________________

As a fictional movie characteronce said, Stupid is as stupiddoes. F.G._________________________

Why dont we hire a consultantto study the idea? at seems tobe our answer to everything,doesnt it? Marcus R._________________________

Weneed to do whatever we can

to keep up with cities likeStarkville and Tupelo, whichseem to be passing us by. busi-ness owner_________________________

Sure! Next thing you know, wellbe selling ad space on city vehi-cles and buildings! - Olive_________________________

NO! Nuff said! T.J._________________________

Between the billboards that wealready have and the politicalsigns that get le up to rot, thereis enough clutter. I vote no. Mr. Columbus_________________________

Look for a new question to be

posted on our website, thisisreal-media.com, a few days before eachprint edition (every other week).Submit your ideas for a question [email protected]

THE REAL STORYP. O. Box 403

Columbus, MS 39703

PUBLISHER

J.B. ST. JOHN

MANAGING EDITOR

CHRIS HANNON

ART DIRECTOR

AIMEE SHAW

NEWS REPORTER

PAIGE CANIDA-GREENE

CONTRIBUTORS

ABBY HATHORNCHASIDY HATHORN

EMILY GAITHER

RON PARLATO

Should the Columbus City Council lift the ban onnew billboards within the city limits?


3/8

News & CommentaryFebruary 14, 2014 THISISREALMEDIA.COM

3

Posing As An Adult:

The Column With Many SubjectsIm having that kind of week, where I

find focus somewhat difficult. is columnis a bit of a hodgepodge, as a result. As I typethis, Birmingham is preparing for two morebouts in as many days with winter weather.Im confused. Birmingham is still in Ala-bama, correct? We are in the South, as I un-derstand it. I have seen more winter weatherhere this year than I almost have in my entirelife. I generally really enjoy the cold weather,but I will be quite pleased to see spring thisyear, allergies and all. I have had enough

weather panic to last me a while. Not onlycan we not properly deal with it, my heatingbill is going to cause me to sell a kidney onthe black market.

In other news somewhat unrelated tothe weather, I would like to ask you to prayfor my family this week. If the weatherdoesnt cause a reschedule, my mother ishaving surgery to remove a tumor, and weare hopeful that the surgery will eliminatethe need for further treatment. Were opti-mistic, and her doctor seems great, but any

time I hear the word cancer, it sends a chilldown my spine. Suffice it to say that I havebeen mildly terrified since she was diag-nosed, but I have been uncharacteristicallypositive for her sake and maybe trying toembrace fake it til you make it, in the hopesthat I will actually become a naturally posi-tive person. Nearly anything is possible, Isuppose.

AhhValentines Day. at commer-cially lauded holiday devoted to making us

feel bad in some way. (Example: you arealone, you buy the wrong thing, your partnerbuys the wrong thing, your partner ignoresthe day, etc.) I have always loathed Valen-tines Day with a white-hot passion, regard-less of dating status, and so I pledge this. Ihave said before that maybe this day is an op-portunity, to contact at least one ex and say,ank you for no longer being a romanticpartner. Had we gotten married, one of uswould be in jail, just to mix things up. I maytry it this year.

I have had the pleasure of working withso many wonderful people over the years.Yesterday, the world lost one of the greats.My former co-worker, Joe Ray Roberson,passed away aer an extended illness. Hecould easily be described as one of the fun-niest people with whom Ive ever worked. Hehad a catchphrase, a sort of nasal Hawright,

that he said no less than 50 times a day. Hewas a great photographer and by some (in-cluding mine) standards, a Lowndes Countylegend. He will be missed.

Emily Gaither is a former resident of Columbus,who now lives in Birmingham, Ala. Read Emilysblog at http://msdemocrat.blogspot.com/.

Ken Hargett Named Volunteer Of The Month ForJanuary 2014 By Community Volunteer Center

Ken Hargett was named recently as the Janu-ary 2014 Volunteer of the Month by the UnitedWay of Lowndes Countys Community VolunteerCenter.

Hargett has been a faithful supporter of Fa-ther's Child Ministry for many years. At first, hisinvolvement consisted solely of being a monthly fi-nancial donor. However, three years ago, when hetook the opportunity to volunteer at a ManhoodCamp, he was very impressed and became a regu-lar, faithful volunteer. Since then, Hargett has been

a member of Father's Child Ministrys Board of Di-rectors for three years, including serving as presi-dent in 2013.

Hargett was nominated for the award by FCM.

Hargetts passion for helping others has ex-tended all the way to the Dominican Republic,

where he not only sponsors and mentors a bright10-year-old Haitian boy named Joselito Feliz, buhas also made several trips to the town of Barahonawith other concerned individuals affiliated withColumbus Mt. Vernon Baptist Church. Hargett,along with other volunteers, has assisted with theconstruction of a school, and has participated inother projects to benefit the less fortunate in thatcountry. Currently, they are working to build amedical clinic. Future plans include the construc-tion of an orphanage.

Hargett, a local businessman who has longbeen active in civic efforts in Columbus, has alsoserved on the board of the local chapter of theAmerican Red Cross.

Kudos to Ken Hargett for all that he does tohelp others!

for more great articles, visit www.thisisrealmEdIa.com


4/8

Events Calendar February 14, 2014THISISREALMEDIA.COM

4


5/8

C i


6/8

Community February 14, 2014THISISREALMEDIA.COM

6

Sweet Sorghum Living Short Tales:

Picking Daffodils And Singing LoudlyI dont know about yall, but I am ready

o see some daffodils and forsythia in bloom.Oh, how I miss that pop of yellow shiningbrightly in a winter landscape! Seeing thegreen blades pushing through the sleepinggrass brings hope that winter is almost overand a new season is on the way. Each day, thegrowth will become more pronounced, andsoon a bud will form. en, almost magi-cally, a flower will burst forth overnight toannounce the arrival of spring. e transi-

tion from winter to spring is my favorite timeof year because it is the awakening of natureand of my own soul. I become inspired toplant, to create, and to take long strolls. Withjust a little touch of yellow, life is renewed.

It has been a long, cold winter for us heren the Deep South, and it is time for us to feelhe warmth of the sun and to see the colors

of spring. I love how the rebirth looks like aJackson Pollock painting. Yellows, reds,pinks, and shades of green splattered allaround - from the wildflowers in the pas-tures to the robins hopping around in thebackyards. e red on the redbuds looks ex-tremely bright against the grays and browns,and the white on the bridal wreaths spirea isso fresh and bright against the monotonehues of winter. Even the weeds take on a re-freshing beauty during this time of year.

Its not only the colors that make mesmile, but also the memories that this timeof year conjures up. Oh, how I loved pickingdaffodils for my grandmother and mother!I would pick as many flowers as I could holdin my little hands. Each one was pluckedwith such care. Each one was sniffed and ad-mired before going into my fisted hand. As I

wandered and picked flowers, my dad wasbreaking up the ground for his garden. esmell of fresh dirt is so distinctive. Some-times, I would follow behind him - bare-footed in the cool dirt - until I spotted a patchof tiny purple wildflowers. Such a prettyshade of purple! Yes, I spent a lot of timewandering, being one with nature, andsinging impromptu songs to Jesus. I was agenius at making up songs, singing off-keyand as loud as I could. Jesus didnt mind, and

my dad didnt either. Besides, he was on histractor, singing just as loudly. ose are thethings you do not forget: picking daffodilsand your dad singing silly tunes while plow-ing his garden.

As we wait for winter to release its gripon us, let us remember days gone by. Daysthat were simpler. Days that were not

crowded with Facebook newsfeeds, emails,text messages, and Candy Crush levels. Letus find some daffodils to smell and birds towatch. Well, my lovely readers, it is time forme to put on a pot of coffee and call my dad,to catch up on the latest news back home. Iencourage yall to do the same.

Chasidy Fulcher Hathorn is an up-cycler, junlover, blogger, mom, and wife who enjoys creatinunique pieces of art, tearing up houses and puttinthem back together, and lazy walks on the beach(ok, TV she enjoys watching TV). She can breached at [email protected].

A t & C ltF b 14 2014 THISISREALMEDIA COM


7/8

Arts & CultureFebruary 14, 2014 THISISREALMEDIA.COM

7

Local Authors To Speak At Columbus LibraryOver the next two weeks, two local au-

hors will share their works with the publicat the Columbus Lowndes Public Library, lo-cated at 314 7th Street North.

On Wednesday, Feb. 19, Adele Elliottill read from and discuss her debut novel,

Friendship Cemetery, as part of the Friendsof the Library Table Talk series.

According to Elliott, Friendship Ceme-

tery is the story of Emma Grace, a smart,but naive girl, whose perception of truth islimited by her youth, and upbringing in thevery sheltered world of Columbus, Missis-sippi. She longs for a message from her deadfather, and the acceptance of her distant andcritical mother.

e main theme of Friendship Ceme-tery is that truth is limited by perceptionand experience.

en, on Wednesday, Feb. 26. DeborahJohnson will read from and discuss her latestnovel, e Secret of Magic, which is set inthe fictional town of Revere, Miss. in 1946,and focuses on a young female attorney fromNew York City, who attempts the impossible:attaining justice for a black man in the DeepSouth.

Johnson received critical acclaim for aprevious novel, e Air Between Us, which

was also set in Revere.

Both authors will have their books for

sale at their respective appearances and willbe available to sign copies.

e Table Talk programs begin at 11:30a.m. Guests may bring their own lunch to theevent. Iced tea will be served. e authorswill be introduced at 12 noon. ese eventsare free and open to the public.

Woo Boutique Holds First Lingerie ShowTo Rave Reviews

Woo Boutique, a relatively new businessn downtown Columbus that specializes inintimate apparel for women, held it first

semi-annual lingerie fashion show to show-case their Spring 2014 collection on Jan. 31.An enthusiastic but respectful audienceseemed to appreciate the effort put forth bynot only the three models who strutted therunway, but by the evenings emcee, Jah-meela, and the shops owner, Winnie Young.Upon arrival the guests were greeted by thecongenial and accommodating Winnifred,

ho invited them to partake of a delightfularray of hors doeuvres and beverages.

Before the actual runway show started,those in attendance were treated to a chore-ographed number by the three models Ter-ica, Carlie and Shonda who were wearing

hot-pink short-sleeve pullover blouses andblack ankle-length pants.

Every seat was filled, as the fashion showbegan with Terrica showing off a two-piecebabydoll outfit that featured a keyhole open-ing. Carlie then modeled a two-piece baby-doll with piping. Closing out the first set wasShonda wore a long mesh-and-lace gownwith front split.

Aer a brief intermission, the second setcommenced with Terrica wearing a two-piece babydoll outfit. Next, Carlie modeleda two-piece babydoll with lace detail. Finally,Shonda vogued wearing a two-piece baby-

doll, also with lace trim.

Another brief break led into the third and final set of the evening, with Terrica

leading off with a two-piece bra set with laceoverlay. Carlie then came out wearing a two-piece skirtini with garter and bra. Last,

Shonda modeled a two-piece ensemble withskirt and garters.

e Woo staff pointed out that most ofthe items that are sold there including thestyles that were worn that night are avail-able in a variety of colors.

During each break, Jahmeela drew fordoor prizes from tickets given to the guestsas they entered the boutique.

Several guests were observed making

purchases aer the event. is fact, as well asthe turnout and the response from theguests, led Winnifred to term the event asmashing success, with plans to hold a sim-

ilar event later this year to highlight Woos fallcollection.

Winnifred, a consummate professionalbusinesswoman, is looking forward to wel-coming residents of Columbus and the sur-rounding area to her fun and stylishboutique.

Woo Lingerie is located at 417 MainStreet, in Columbus downtown shoppingdistrict. ey can be reached by telephone at(662) 359-0944. Find them on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Woo-Lin-gerie-Boutique/239652979477477.

Arts & Culture F b 14 201THISISREALMEDIA COM


8/8

Abby In The City:

I Hate Jigsaw Puzzles And Back SeatsHello, fabulouses, and welcome back to

Abby In the City! Have you ever been on aroad trip - a really long road trip - in a smallcar? Well, I have and let me tell you - it wasnot fun - but I did learn some key thingsabout packing.

Before I get started, I must tell yall thatI drive the most adorable Volkswagen BeetleEVER. It is a remake of the limited-editionTriple White Beetle that was manufacturedin the late 70s. I love old things - especiallycars. However, older cars are not as reliable

as new-fangled ones and that is why Sugar(my car) and I are such a perfect match. *CueSugars theme music.* Pour some sugar onme. Ooh, in the name of love. Pour somesugar on me. C'mon, fire me up. (PourSome Sugar on Me, Def Leopard)

Last week, the family and I took a roadtrip to Johnson City, Tenn., which is about asix-hour drive from Birmingham. We de-cided to take Sugar because she gets awe-some gas mileage compared to my dadsroomy Ford Flex. Fitting three people and a

small dog in the Beetle is challenging enoughas it is, but when you add luggage and trav-eling snacks to that it becomes like a real-lifejigsaw puzzle. I do not like jigsaw puzzles. So,

hen it came time to pile into the car, I gotstuck in the back seat with the dog and theoverflow of luggage that would not fit in thetrunk. Fabulous! Normally, I do not mindriding in the back seat, but the back seat of a

W Beetle is merely a glorified truck withseatbelts. Okay - maybe that was a bit harsh.My apologies, Sugar. You know I love you.

So, what does all of this have to do withpacking? Well, from this road trip, I learnedhow important it is to pack efficiently - veryefficiently - when going road tripping in asmall car. For fashionistas like me, yall knowhow hard it is to fit all of your cute outfits into

just ONE suitcase. It is like trying to skin acat - it is not impossible but it could result ininjury. What a horrible saying! How does asaying such as that come about? Did some-one really try to skin a cat? HmmAnd be-fore yall ask - I never have nor will I ever skina cat. I am not heartless. I just hate back seats.*wink* Now, because I love yall and want tospare you the pain of a crick in your neck, Iam going to give yall three fabulous tipsabout packing that will make your next roadtrip smooth sailing - I mean riding:

1. Pack clothes that do not need to behung or ironed.Not only will this makegetting dressed in the morning stress-free, but it will also make the ride to yourdestination stress-free, especially if you

have back-seat passengers.

2. Before you just start stuffing clothesin a duffle bag - as I tend to do - think itthrough and organize. is will mini-mize the amount of luggage you have tocarry and maximize the space in yourbag. Now, if only I can remember to takemy own advice on this one. *wink*

3. Brush up on your puzzle-assemblingskills, in preparation for packing the

trunk of your car as efficiently as possi-ble.

Oh, dear! I must be going. I have beenputting this off for several days now, but Iguess it is time to unpack and do my laundry.

I would rather put together a jigsaw puzzlewhile riding in the back seat.

Stay Fabulous!

Abby Hathorn is a freelance writer, fashion stylist,and blogger. Her blog, www.vintageinspiredpas-sionista.com, is a platform to showcase her love ovintage and modern apparel, fashion tips andtrends, DIYs, community events, and anything elsethat strikes her fancy.

Arts & Culture February 14, 201THISISREALMEDIA.COM

8

Documents

The Real Story - February 14, 2014