Down on the corner, out on Main Street

media types crack me up. the very people that are paid to put a creative, interesting spin on the bland old news of the day will seize any opportunity to take the easy way out and use easy plays on words or other phrases and terminologies that are supposed to stick in our minds. "the palin effect" comes to mind recently (kimmel has a great couple of videos splicing footage of all the talking heads using the phrase that pays) among a handful of others.

but all pale in comparison to the one dominating the headlines recently: "from wall street to main street." i find this laughable because the ones that created this corny tagline are undoubtedly from areas devoid of any true main street. furthering the insult, politicians--the ones living in fancy houses (like 13 of them, perhaps?) in large metropolitan areas or their richer suburban climes--have adopted the saying as well. it makes for a catchy campaign term, but the fact is that the idealistic "main street" both media and politicos so fondly talk about no longer exists, particularly in their necks of the woods.

before cell phones, the internet and ATMs, there was a "main street" america. it was at the heart of all the smallest towns, hamlets, villages and unincorporated areas of the country. even the larger cities had an area or two that conjured up nostalgic feelings of community and of a central gathering area. but that idyllic painting faded years ago as people in cities retreated to their offices and homes, suburbanites moved to exurbs and rural dwellers no longer had much need for a main street because they could simply accomplish most anything they needed to from home.

i'm amazed at how out of touch these creative minds really are with the reality of our society. the truth is that while there is most certainly a Wall Street (or what's left of it anyway), there just isn't any longer a Main Street--either because it's been renamed for some local sports hero or because people just no longer congregate as they used to--leaving their coup de grâce of clever wordplay and imagery out cold...on the street.