Fine, yes, I'm talking about Paris, Texas. Did you see the 1984 movie by the same name, directed by Wim Wenders, starring Harry Dean Stanton? It was all about the idea of distance, both geographic and personal. "Have you ever been to Paris?" one estranged brother asks another. The asker means Paris, Texas. The askee, who happens to have a French wife, thinks they're talking about Paris, France. Classic movie situation, but the discrepancy is never clarified, because the underlying point is that it doesn't matter. Either way, Paris is a remote place that exists, to most people, more as an idea than a reality.
I have been to Paris, France twice, when I was in my early 20s, so I think of it mainly in terms of expensive cheese and Jim Morrison's grave. But my association with Paris, Texas is mostly about the movie, so it's a bit jarring to see all these practicalities associated with it. Princess Cruises? Norwegian Cruises? Carnival Cruises? Why is going on a faraway cruise such a popular vacation for those who live in... Paris? Well, come on... how an you not think it?
I have been to Paris, France twice, when I was in my early 20s, so I think of it mainly in terms of expensive cheese and Jim Morrison's grave. But my association with Paris, Texas is mostly about the movie, so it's a bit jarring to see all these practicalities associated with it. Princess Cruises? Norwegian Cruises? Carnival Cruises? Why is going on a faraway cruise such a popular vacation for those who live in... Paris? Well, come on... how an you not think it?
