…of Shoes, of Ships, of Terrorists, of Pokémon and Bling

Had Lewis Carroll lived to witness the events of the past several weeks, he might very well have returned to his nonsensical drawing board, stuffing Alice and the White Rabbit back into their hole, ashamed by the lack of inventiveness. Indeed, reality and fiction have switched places on the scale of strangeness, and now we rise every morning wishing for a world as peaceful and predictable as those found on Alderaan or the halls of Hogwarts.

The month began with the senseless killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, quickly escalated with the cold-blooded murders of five police officers in Dallas, and seemed to reach a horrific apex with the murders of three more police officers in Baton Rouge. These events were grotesquely bookended by terrorist hate crimes, which killed 49 innocent club-goers in Orlando, and 84 Bastille Day celebrants in Nice, France.

In the face of these calamities, our political leaders did their best to add to the absurdity. President Obama became as ethereal as the Cheshire Cat, popping into view for every photo opportunity, but disappearing with a grin when needed the most. Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump provided enough vitriol to make even the Queen of Hearts tremble, but offered no meaningful solutions and fanned rather than quelled the rising tensions. Desperate for guidance, people turned to the unlikeliest of places, taking cues from NBA stars such as LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, who eloquently called for peace and understanding, while others screamed for single-sided justice.

Against this backdrop, the smartphone app, Pokémon Go was miraculously launched onto the planet. Gloriously simplistic, and both addictively childish and satisfyingly nostalgic, Pokémon Go has galvanized the world’s population in a way no politician or celebrity could possibly achieve. Suddenly, men and women of all ages--all races and creeds--have found common ground in their love of Pikachu. Strangers huddle together outside of malls and public buildings, eagerly comparing their Pokémon collections, united for the moment by a common quest, unaware of the differences that threaten to divide them.

Beyond all reason, Pokémon has saved the Universe, and Carroll would undoubtedly marvel at the stunning irrationality of that idea. In comparison, Wonderland appears as bland as white bread, as surprising as a sunrise. If written today, Alice would carry an iPhone, and between texts to the Mad Hatter and the Dormouse, she would certainly find a Poké Stop to collect her Mewtwo.

#rants