And your little dog too

ArtRageous is an annual multi-gallery art opening and late party benefiting Nashville CARES. It has been immensely popular, and by 1996 had become the world's largest reserved-ticket fundraiser. Just before I moved to SF, I was the Digital Media Director for ArtRageous 9: Moving Pictures (I also did their Web page, back wen the Web was very new).

This year is the 20th anniversary and some of my friends are chairing the event. Other CARES friends are heavily involved as well, and with round-trip airfare a paltry $200, I'm going home for the weekend for the event. I haven't been back since ArtRageous 13: Bewitched.

While a CARES benefit, ArtRageous has always been an event for the broader community (i.e. not just the gays), and with its enormous success has become the public social event of the year. Lots of flash, and lots of fun.

This year, the 20th, has a Wizard of Oz theme, because if you flip 20, you get OZ.

The Art Director this year has done an amazing job of stylizing the Wizard of Oz theme (my personal favorite is the art deco Tin Man), including save-the-date invitations with a tarot card look that rotates Oz and 20 (I can't find the animated version at the moment).


With such a gay party, and a gay theme, I thought that I and my cohort should step up. Originally I was planning on going with some of the organizers but they are way too busy. Keith and I made a plan to join some of his friends on a limo instead of a Van Go (host committee coaches). When Mac and Emily heard I was coming, they decided to go too. They usually go to ArtRageous, and have chaired the host committee in the past, but with a nine-month old at home, were thinking of taking a pass. Joe & Cynthia invited Mac & Emily, and me, to join them on their Van Go, which they have named "The Whizz." (I had to explain the play on words to my mother. Surely you need no such help.)

I have been thinking about what to wear. One needs a little flair for this sort of thing. Or as RMJ puts it, a wardrobe that is "contextually flaming." I have ruby red slippers boots (well, they are made from stingray), so there's that. I thought about making a pair of blue gingham pants and having a Dorothy sort of look to go with the boots, but pale gingham pants and a white shirt did not sound terribly slimming. I have designed a thematic take on the scarecrow, involving jeans, a dark green shirt, and gold fringe; and have spent too much money on it already without hot glue gunning "sewing" it together yet.

During the e-mail exchange regarding logistics, transportation, and appropriate attire, someone made a joke about flying monkeys.

I thought, "THAT'S IT!"

Flying monkeys: a costume that would be cheap, easy--just accessories really--would be festive, attract attention, and unite the group to each other and to the event.

My enthusiasm was not shared with the goup.

Straight people.

Some are claiming they aren't "joiners" or "theme people." Um, you're going to a huge gay party with a Wizard of Oz theme. I know it would be social shame to miss this party, but if you are going, you need to step up to the event.

Cynthia suggested I put together a proposal as people weren't really getting the idea. It took me a while just to to find the time to make the illustrations, not to mention the time just to draw it up and make the pitch page.

But here it is, my modest proposal.

Of course now that I have spent $150 on the scarecrow design, I'm kind of over it and don't care so much anymore if I am alone in my context or not. But a murder of flying monkeys would be hilarious for this event.

[I so wanted to embed the Simpson's clip of Mister Burns releasing his flying monkeys, which plummet to their death, and then turning to Smithers and saying, "Continue the research." But Fox had the clip removed from YouTube. Doh.)