TOP DRAWER SATIRE
Doom and Gloom
by
HL Carpenter
Celebrity media darlings Doom and Gloom will sing a new version of an old song this Saturday at the Economic Recession Jam in Washington DC.
The wildly popular duo re-recorded the timeless tune “Headed to Heck in a Handbasket” last December. Once released, the haunting lyrics spread rapidly throughout the US. When national and global media picked up the refrain, residents of Washington finally began singing along.
These days, Doom and Gloom are tracked by reporters, bloggers, pundits and prognosticators. In a true sign of success, the act has been parodied on Saturday Night Live.
“There are so many stories out there about us, it’s overwhelming,” says Doom. Partner Gloom adds, “Most of them are exaggerated, if not downright false.”
Promoters of Doom and Gloom downplay rumors of hyperbole, and insist they are simply selling what people want to hear. They point to millions of frenzied fans as proof of Doom and Gloom’s ever increasing popularity.
Despite the pressure to join the stampede, some Americans are weary of the relentless drumbeat.
“Eventually people will have heard enough Doom and Gloom,” says one optimist. “Then we can get back to listening to classics like Reality, Common Sense, and Ray of Hope.”
Originally published December 2008.
***
HL Carpenter, an experienced investor and a CPA, specializes in reader friendly financial and tax topics for individuals and small businesses, and publishes Top Drawer Ink, a newsletter that's chock full of humor and common sense information.
***
Last update: January 9, 2011
Like what you're reading? Subscribe here:
Top Drawer Ink is a free newsletter. After you complete the opt-in process, a new issue will arrive twice each month, direct from our email box to yours.
Subscribe via RSS feed
Top Drawer InkWhat's RSS? Click here