Don't call the minister Frodo

First thing's first: holy blizzard, batman!  Today started innocently enough, with just a few more clouds than usual. But when I headed home during rush hour, I was stomping through 3-inch deep puddles of slush in a zero-visibility snow storm, bent over like an old woman to prevent the wind from literally bowling me over. You couldn't see one centimeter of platform space at T-Centralen, there were so many people taking public transportation to avoid the weather.

Anyway, to the post:
Stu and I decided to move to Stockholm from DC in March/April 2009, shortly before Daily Show segment the Stockholm Syndrome was aired (I tried desperately to embed the video, but Blogger was not having it. You'll just have to follow the hyperlink on Stockholm for Part 1 and Syndrome for Part 2.)  We thought it was hilarious, but only recently watched it again after *moving* to Stockholm, with more understanding of some of those things the Wyatt Cenac describes. Even funnier, because they do actually offer massages at Moderna Museet, on Tuesdays!

Another instance, I had NO idea who Leif Pagrotsky was in Part 2. And I didn't even really get why Cenac called him Frodo Baggins in the episode. I just thought it was because Pagrotsky was being kind of a stodgy douche...why not use lovely Swedish women to illustrate the insanity of the Swedish tax rate?!? But he was the Swedish Minister of stuff that included culture until a few years ago. Now, according to Wikipedia, he is apparently advising Greece on how to prevent more financial melting.

So, fast forward to Friday night, when I attended a very Who's-Who-in-the-Swedish-art-scene party at Moderna Museet to welcome the museum's new director. It was fun! The party was sponsored by Absolut Vodka and the food served was part of a relational aesthetics performance piece by an artist (meatballs and spicy noodles?) I had several "Oh My God, that's so-and-so" moments. The Swedish art scene is tiny, after all, but Joseph Kosuth was there!

As was Leif Pagrotsky. I didn't recognize him, really, until I was standing quite near him in the crush of people at the bar greedily awaiting another Absolut cocktail. Which was about when the interview with Wyatt Cenac slowly started replaying in my head, but it wasn't Leif Pagrotsky that I recognized this guy as, it was totally Frodo Baggins. I couldn't think of anything BUT Frodo Baggins!

This guy standing next to me, I have seen him before...what the eff was his real name again?!?

Sometimes words come out of my mouth before the filter kicks in, especially if I have had a drink or two, so I actually repeated in my head several times "Don't call him Frodo, Don't call him Frodo" while standing in line. Not that I introduced myself to him or anything, but did the whole hello & head-nod in recognition thing. How awful that my only knowledge of this apparently well-known and respected man is that he slightly resembles a well-known and respected hobbit. He is not a very tall man. Gah.

That particular drink was my last of the evening. Probably for the best.