Life Imitates Art

[OtakuLoki]

In the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Mikado one of the characters is Pooh-Bah. I shall allow Pooh-Bah to introduce himself:

POOH-BAH I am, in point of fact, a particularly haughty and exclusive person, of pre-Adamite ancestral descent. You will understand this when I tell you that I can trace my ancestry back to a protoplasmal atomic globule. Consequently, my family pride is somthing inconceivable. I can't help it. I was born sneering. But I struggle hard to overcome this defect. I mortify my pride continually. When all the great officers of state resigned in a body, because they were too proud to serve under an ex-tailor, did I not unhesitantly accept all their posts at once?

PISH-TUSH (Spoken) And all the salaries attached to them? You did.

POOH-BAH (Spoken) It is consequently my degrading duty to serve this upstart as First Lord of the Treasury, Lord Chief Justice, Commander-in-Chief, Lord High Admiral, Master of the Buckhounds, Groom of the Back Stairs, Archbishop of Titipu, and Lord Mayor, both acting and elect, all rolled into one. And at a salary! A Pooh-Bah paid for his services! I a salaried minion! But I do it! it revolts me, but I do it!

A gentleman outside of Chicago has proven him to be a Pooh-Bah, himself. I don't know if his ego is as great, but as a municipal employee for a blue-collar community, last year he made over $450,000. His explanation was that he was holding down ten different positions: comptroller, administrator, public safety CEO, finance director, budget director, human resources director, mayoral assistant, corporation counsel, property commission director and development corporation officer.

Pooh-Bah in the play also is constantly soliciting insults - usually delivered as paper engraved with the face of some famous person, and a few numbers in prominent corners on the paper. I have to wonder just how many insults this asshole solicited.

Why am I sharing this with you? Just because I want to share the silliness of The Mikado.

[What Exit?]

Got to love Chicago politics, it makes Jersey look semi-honest and NY semi-competent.