The Old Statue of Liberty Play

There are all kinds of jobs in this world, some better than others. If you need the money, you can do just about anything, anything legal that is, to bring in a few bucks. I don’t know that there are any jobs that I would consider beneath me, but one job does stir feelings of sympathy for the individuals involved. As I was driving down the street yesterday, I noticed a young man employed as a living roadside advertisement. Usually these people are sign twirlers trying to generate interest in local businesses by gyrating a huge arrow sign to call attention to a used car dealer, a housing development, a furniture store grand opening or some such event. Sometimes they can get quite creative with little dance routines to go the extra mile for their clients. When the weather is bitterly cold, my heart goes out to all such day laborers.

But fair weather or foul, there is one particular species of human billboard that always moves me to empathy - the poor devils who have to dress up in Statue of Liberty costumes. I don’t know if this is a nation-wide thing or if it is endemic to the Washington DC area, but for some reason Lady Liberty has become an advertising icon. The costume is always the same – long robes and foam headpieces (to simulate the trademark spiked headgear of the original) in a shade of green intended to represent just the right patina of verdigris. Unfortunately, this green is more reminiscent of the shade of kitchen appliances that have long been passé. The really incongruous part is that these re-enactors are always young men. Add to this the impromptu costume additions that are often weather related, such as ear muffs or ski masks, and the overall effect can be quite disconcerting. Since it was sunny and relatively warm yesterday, the baseball cap I saw the young man wearing under his tiara just caused me to notice him more than usual.

Sometimes I feel like just stopping my car right then and there and letting them know that I feel their pain at having to do such a job, but I don’t know what would happen to me if I did. A young man who has no qualms about being dressed up as a Lady Liberty impersonator probably would freak out if some old guy came up to him and started blathering about dignified labor, so I will continue to just drive on by and keep my vague feelings of unease to myself.