Monday, February 06, 2006

Exhibit B



Let's play a little game. Let's call our game "what is that monstrous thing?" But, to make this game a bit more challenging, let's begin with some fragmentary images of our monster and see what we can learn.

What strikes us first here? Well, I think it would have to be the day-glo, fluorescent green color. While perhaps this charming hue might recall the garb of Milli Vanilli or MC Hammer, the association to Old Ken says something a bit more like "Look out!" or "Safety first!" Implicitly, then, there must be some sort of danger involved—a thematic reinforced when we note what seems to be a thick, bicycle-locking cord snaking its way around this beast.



Our sense of emergency, danger, and perhaps even taboo is only heightened as we look at our second detail: a rugged, white-wall tire. Now, when I think of thick, knobby tires like this, I suppose activities like mountain biking spring immediately to mind. But, one would also think that if you are going to be in the deep woods or otherwise communing with nature, you would not be in the kind of extreme emergency situation suggested by the color palette displayed here. And indeed, were you in the back woods on your mountain bike, to whom would your brightly-colored danger warning be addressed?

No, I think what we have here must be involved with transport of some highly dangerous materials in rugged setting, but one in which others would be nearby. Perhaps, what we have is a transport unit for moving munitions around army encampments? Maybe, a kind of sling used for ferrying ferocious tigers out of the deepest jungles, once safely sedated by the scientists who would study their populations and movements? Both of these would involve dangerous tasks and movements across uneven terrain.



These guesses seem to be confirmed as we look down upon our monstrosity. Trustworthy as birds and their characteristic views are, this angle provides some intimation of the object's massive scale; it must occupy over half the hallway! So, what kind of transport would be so dangerous and intrepid that it would need a beast of this kind?



Ah, the answer is obvious: a baby. As we all know, these creatures are made of solid gold, which is then covered with an external layer of enriched plutonium. This makes them extremely heavy and extremely dangerous—so we can't let those Iranians get their hands on one! At the same time, they live in the wildest haunts of the earth. These creatures are always scurrying up cliff faces, diving into dusky bramble, or sneaking around icebergs to commune with penguins. Thankfully there is now a mechanism capable of ferrying this heavy, dangerous but also extremely valuable beast home in a way that is safe, convenient and (dare I say it?) gorgeous. Well done, designer!