No matter how many times I look at this photo, it still makes me howl.
It’s a visual joke, but it’s also a mistake … a blessed mistake. My parents, my brother and my uncle Tom and I went out to the Statue of Liberty. It was a great day. Really cold and glittery. I hadn’t been out there since a field trip when I was 9 years old. The sun was getting lower in the sky so the shadow of the Statue stretched across the little island, long and thin. My parents were standing directly in the shadow of the statue, and asked me to take a picture. My brother stood off to the side – trying to duplicate in his own shadow the look of the Statue’s shadow, arm in the air, etc.
The idea was that across the ground there would be two identical shadows – only one would be the huge statue’s, and one would be his. Funny, right? But I didn’t really get the joke of what my brother was going for – so I included him in the picture. Which completely killed HIS joke but made another joke on another level.
The idea was to cut him out off to the side, but include his shadow.
So it looks like my parents are nice and smiling and oblivious as this insane man crouches in a frozen isolated pose off to the right.
If I ever need a good laugh – and I often do these days – I pull out this picture.
looks like modern dance..wasn’t that Bren’s first love?? The Dance?
Next on Fox: When Mimes Attack
Mitchell – allllzzzz he wantsss to do is deeeyance.
i quit.
Oh, come on!!! hahaha
This photo is hilarious. It looks like your parents aren’t just oblivious, but like they’re willfully ignoring the crazy man, trying to smile him away while you get the photo.
Oh, and also, the way Brendan’s standing, for some reason he reminds me of Robin Williams in The Fisher King.
Erik – hahahaha yes – if you look at the picture and pretend that that insane man is not THEIR SON … then it’s even funnier! Like, who is that crazy crouching statue-man over to the right??
It cracks me up!
it would have worked. that’s the part that kills me. it would have worked. crop it in photo-shop someday…you’ll see!
and yes, mitchell. if i could turn back time i would be a dancer. an injury prone, bronchially challenged, lazy dancer.
I cannot stop laughing