Other than chance encounters, We can only encounter in reality what we have perviously encountered in fantasy. --Gordon Hirshhorn  What must have been the effects on their self-understanding and form of life, for working and middle class 1940's Americans, who had no notion of alternative appealing cultural forms and also lacked anthropological perspective on the relation between persons and their symbols, of being immersed in a social environment permeated by this kind of imagery, and enjoying it (partly, of course, because this environment encouraged them to want to believe they enjoyed and wanted to enjoy it)? How would this imagery shape the persons' perspective on the real problems and opportunities in their lives? How would it shape their social and intimate relations? How would it shape their expectations and their aspirations in life, their hopes and their "dreams"? How does this differ from persons' imaginative involvement with spectatorship of professional sports today (2003)? Perhaps it differs a lot, since professional athletes live a different life than ours, like royalty and high prelates, whereas.... The imaginative world of the "musical comedy" often represents supposedly ordinary persons like ourselves, only singing and dancing their (i.e., our) daily life activities: How does it affect persons to have in mind imagery of persons like themselves singing and dancing their daily life activities? How does, e.g.: "I'm singing in the rain, just singing in the rain, What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again..." help persons deal with the vicissitudes of weather [and other issues: sickness, aging, loneliness...] in their (our) lives? Can America become happy again if we reclaim our heritage of singing in the rain?   Return  to images of 21st century American middle-class life.   Discover  what's Somewhere, under the rainbow.... How about  strapless dresses & pillarless coupes? Read  one 1940's American's life story (my father: Robert McCormick, 1920-83). Learn  how escapist fantasy helped North Korean apologist ("philosopher") Hwang Jang Yop cope with job stresses (Quote #9).   Read  transcript of excellent BBC documentary how America got to where we are in 2005: The Power of Nightmares.   What's new on this website? Go to website Table of Contents. Return to Brad McCormick's home page. Go to site map.   http://www.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/sq/astaire.html Copyright © 2003 Brad McCormick, Ed.D. bradmcc@cloud9.net 31 March 2006 (2006-03-31 ISO 8601) v04.02