The light of Day

Doris Day died today.  She lived a long, sometimes difficult but interesting life. Her name Day was a metaphor, I think, for the cultural light she reflected. I remember her well. No matter the age those who have defined an era are particularly hard to see leave us.

Sometimes I wish I could return to that innocent era where a movie like Pillow Talk with Rock Hudson could be so popular. In our age of realism the fact that Rock Hudson was gay could never be hidden and that is a good thing, however, the innocence that has been lost to a modern era that has far too much sexual realism, physical brutality and the freedom to declare the crass speech of hate okay has done something evil to our culture and coarsened it. Steve Allen entitled his book "Vulgarians at the Gate" and wrote about it.  It allows a Donald Trump to joke about killing immigrants in the Florida panhandle with no penalty levied against him for saying it. It was, he claimed, a joke after all until some sick someone who supports Trump chooses to think that a very good idea to do.

A president colors an era.  Trump's use of incorrect as well as profane verbiage defines the ugliness of our present time. There are no limits to the filth that pours out of his mouth as well as his emblem of adultery, misogyny and harassment that has defined his behavior with women.   I am sure Doris Day had something critical to say about that.  I know I do.