Jekyll Island Beach 2012

Jekyll Island Beach 2012

Saturday, October 30, 2010

AT THE BALL, a Saturday Centus

The Rogue Speaks:

It is way too early on a Saturday morning to write something for Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus, but if I don't do it now, I may end up at the bottom of the entries, and mine won't get read. Jenny has thrown a wrinkle into this week's centus, and we can only use fifty words! Well, here goes:

"Abraham Lincoln is a lot shorter than I thought he would be,"
she commented to her best friend, Emma.

"Why, Mary Todd!! He's taller than the rest of those men! Now get back into the ball room and smile! He wants to dance with you!"

"Oh, I suppose you're right, Emma. Tell me though, does this dress make my butt look big?"

36 comments:

Unknown said...

HA! Funny...and I do believe the ball gowns of the era were designed with the express purpose of giving the illusion of a larger derrière!

Kat said...

This made me laugh out loud. The more things change... Great use of the prompt! Kat

Anonymous said...

I thought this was great!

Ames said...

This is too hilariuos! Very good use of the prompt. I don't see anyone topping this one! LOL ~Ames

Deborah said...

Great one!!! well done :o)

Viki said...

Oh no, even back then women worried about their butts LOL. Funny, funny!!
I liked that you included Mary Todd.

Susan Anderson said...

Loved this one, Judie. I'm still chuckling about it, even as I comment.
[
=)

jfb57 said...

Great one! I can see them there ladies dancin'!

Judie said...

Sue, you're just chuckling because you know I was half alseep, and that I watch way too much t.v.!

Cher Duncombe said...

Hystericcal, Judie, especially given some of the paintings I've seen of Mary Todd. Well done!

Splendid Little Stars said...

Ha ha! That's SO good!

Jackie said...

Hi Judie, the man was certainly tall , no quams about that, and some people like big butts :) It's all good .

Judie said...

Jackie, have you seen the ad for an insurance company that features two actors portraying Abe and Mary? Mary is modeling her new dress for Abe and she asks him if he thinks it makes her look too large in the rear.

No buts about the fact that Lincoln was taller than most any man of his day, especially when you consider the average height of men back then was 5'6". Several scientists believe that Lincoln suffered from Marfan syndrome, a disease of the connective tissue, characterized by tallness, long, thin arms, a pidgeon chest, and a thin, boney face.

Anonymous said...

For some reason I pictured Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler at the dance too. It's getting late!

Well done.

Jackie said...

Ooooooooh no, I haven't seen that commercial :)

Unknown said...

Thank you Judie, for visiting my SC26-post! Where did you get your facts about Abe?
Your post is really funny, but not very respectful. Somehow I doubt that Mary Todd would use that kind of language.

I haven't seen the commercial you mention. But that's ok. I know who Abe Lincoln was. Maybe it was the top hat that all the men wore at that time that made his seem so tall.

Best wishes,
Anna

For the benefit of other readers:
Anna's SC-Shake-up-post Week 26

Judie said...

Anna, I am very interested in science and medicine. When I lived in Atlanta I worked for Emory University Hospital creating teaching tools for the doctors who were professors in the medical school. I also wrote patient teaching material, and illustrated it for the nursing staff. I continue to be interested in the medical field, and read interesting articles when I have time.

Americans have an accepted way of being able to make jokes about deceased politicians and their wives without appearing disrespectful. If Abe and Mary were alive today, I certainly would not make a remark about her big butt. BUT they are not. They are dead.

There is an outside chance that I will see the ghost of Abe Lincoln at my door tomorrow night. I hope he likes Mardi Gras beads, because that is what I am giving out to the trick or treaters.

Thank you for your interesting comment.

noexcuses said...

I love this one! Funny you should mention the TV commercial, because that's the first thing that came to my mind. Great story!

Susannah said...

Nicely done. I loved it. :-)

Cheryl said...

Yes, Mary, it does! Fantabulous take on this. You rocked it, without a doubt!

Jenny said...

Judie! I loved this. You totally cracked me up here! What a clever, and totally unexpected direction to take this.

You're a nut!

And I really admire your many, many artistic skills!

Malisa said...

Oh, my! Too, too funny! Loved your last line!

I just posted my story. Hope you will stop by and read it.

Malisa

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Judie, you are so great. I love the last line. You made this gal laugh loudly. Thank you!
xoRobyn

Tracy said...

fabulous post loved it

Terra said...

oh how cute! I wonder if she danced? This was clever...very clever.

nothingprofound said...

It's probably that big butt that caught old Abe's eye in the first place. And the taller you are, the better the view. By the way, I love that song.

Judie said...

It took me a while to get the music right, but I think I did. I love that song, too. Thanks, Marty!

Cher Duncombe said...

Judie,
I am always amazed when commenters are so literal that they lose the essence of humor. The best of humor is based on life and our perceptions, not necessarily facts. I was taken aback when someone here asked you about "facts," Come on, this is humor. Sometimes great wit is lost in an empty room. I, however, still hear much applause at you delicious and witty post! Write on my soulful and funny sister!

Judie said...

Cher, thank you! And thanks, too, for the offer of a ransom to save me from the horrors of pig-latin! xoxo

RockiBottom said...

ok, the whole thing was good but that last line made me snort! i luv that commercial!!!

Judie said...

I love the look on her face when she stomps out!!

cj Schlottman said...

I am shaking with laughter! Well done, as usual.

Thanks..........cj

Tgoette said...

LOL! Too funny! I bet poor Mary Todd is spinning in her grave for all the attention her butt is getting! Great job, Judie!

Unknown said...

Dear Judie,
You commented on my comment!
Thank you for telling me more about your professional life. Sounds interesting.
Forgive me for sounding like a 'stick-in-the mud'. Re-reading my comment now, I see that I seem totally humour-free! Sorry.
No, your post was funny.

But just because someone is dead doesn't give you the right to poke fun at them. I think it is fairer to poke fun at the living, because they can defend themselves.

My comment was about how I imagine that these people spoke. But the truth be told, I have no idea how their language must have been. I am only guessing that Mary Todd would have expressed herself in different words. But I don't know. Your text is meant to be funny, a joke. So I'll leave it at that.
Humour is something that can vary from person to person.
Best wishes,
Anna
For the benefit of other readers:
Anna's SC-Shake-up-post Week 26

Unknown said...

Dear Judie,
What is Marfan Syndrome? You mention it in a comment on Koby's blog. DNA-technique is a great tool to finding answers to even some historical questions. I wish you could do that. But no one would want to exhume Lincoln, would they? They did DNA-tests on Charles XII (KarlXII) one of the eighteenth century Swedish kings, to find out if he was murdered by one of his own.
Best wishes,
Anna
See my post about Karl XII here:

http://annasadornments.blogspot.com/2010/07/one-more-button-this-week-with.html

For the benefit of other readers:Anna's SC-Shake-up-post Week 26

Unknown said...

Dear Judie,
Never mind. I scrolled up and found your explanation of Marfan Syndrome. Very interesting.
Best wishes,
Anna