By Jon Howard Santa Monica
I recently had the privilege of dining in the 17th Street Cafe at 1610 Montana Ave. and to enjoy its fine wines and wonderful California haute cuisine. After a sumptuous meal, an excellent glass of Sonoma County cabernet sauvignon, and some exquisitely selected coffee, I needed to use the men’s room.
Inside on the walls of the bathroom hang two photos, both of homeless men. One, entitled “3rd Street Executive,” shows a sorrowful and downtrodden soul reading a newspaper with some modicum of dignity in a well known coffee shop. The other, entitled “For Sale,” shows a homeless man sleeping next to all of his worldly possessions in a shopping cart, and a “For Sale” sign also appears in the frame of the photo.
I cannot tell you how hilarious, uproarious, jocular, whimsical, droll, and rich this photo parody of some of the most unfortunate people of our society was! I was rolling in the aisles. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) listed the top 10 funniest things in his contemporary society and human deformity was listed as number one. Imagine!
On a more serious note, the repugnant, cynical, and arrogant folks who find photos like these witty, comical, and merry enough to post on the walls of their fine dining establishments should be thrown in the dungeon and fed hog slop.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 7, 2008. Read the original PDF.