I had a strange and rather disappointing experience the other evening.
I had been invited to a fancy dress party, and decided to go as Zorro.
My outfit couldn't be faulted.
I was fully kitted out with the mask, ridiculous hat, cloak, boots with silver spurs and my trusty épée at my side.
But here's the rub.
I had barely stepped across the threshold before friends and acquaintances alike came bounding up, greeting me with "Hello Dave, how's it hanging?" and other such witty epithets.
The ultimate indignity was when one of them asked me who I was supposed to be.
All of which got me thinking.
Having watched, with my children I hasten to add, the Return of Zorro, starring a somewhat breathless Anthony Hopkins, well past his sell by date for such a physically demanding role, I was impressed with his devilish disguise.
Out on the day job, masked, booted and spurred, he executed deeds of derring do and put the world to rights, and as he dashed from one flashpoint to another, nobody shouted out "Hey, Don Alejandro de la Vega, what are you doing dressed like that?" Back home for a quick shower and change of clothes before a glass or three of sangria in the local cantina, not one of the regulars propping up the bar spotted the similarity between Zorro and the noble Don.
They were either very slow witted or the disguise worked a treat.
And much the same can be said about the Lone Ranger, who in real life, as we all know, was none other than good old Joe Paloky.
He too was conspicuous for his outlandish outfit, the mask, white horse and silver bullets, accompanied as ever by his faithful native American companion Tonto, which, as any student of Spanish will tell you, translates as 'idiot', but then who am I to cast the first stone?Anyway, I digress.
The point is that nobody bounced up to our intrepid hero, on or off duty, and said "Hey Joe, how's it hanging?" And as he rode off into the sunset, and the locals gathered round to give him a good send off, they all asked, to a man, "who was that masked stranger?" and nobody replied "That was good old Joe Paloky".
So back to my devilish disguise.
Am I missing something here?
I had been invited to a fancy dress party, and decided to go as Zorro.
My outfit couldn't be faulted.
I was fully kitted out with the mask, ridiculous hat, cloak, boots with silver spurs and my trusty épée at my side.
But here's the rub.
I had barely stepped across the threshold before friends and acquaintances alike came bounding up, greeting me with "Hello Dave, how's it hanging?" and other such witty epithets.
The ultimate indignity was when one of them asked me who I was supposed to be.
All of which got me thinking.
Having watched, with my children I hasten to add, the Return of Zorro, starring a somewhat breathless Anthony Hopkins, well past his sell by date for such a physically demanding role, I was impressed with his devilish disguise.
Out on the day job, masked, booted and spurred, he executed deeds of derring do and put the world to rights, and as he dashed from one flashpoint to another, nobody shouted out "Hey, Don Alejandro de la Vega, what are you doing dressed like that?" Back home for a quick shower and change of clothes before a glass or three of sangria in the local cantina, not one of the regulars propping up the bar spotted the similarity between Zorro and the noble Don.
They were either very slow witted or the disguise worked a treat.
And much the same can be said about the Lone Ranger, who in real life, as we all know, was none other than good old Joe Paloky.
He too was conspicuous for his outlandish outfit, the mask, white horse and silver bullets, accompanied as ever by his faithful native American companion Tonto, which, as any student of Spanish will tell you, translates as 'idiot', but then who am I to cast the first stone?Anyway, I digress.
The point is that nobody bounced up to our intrepid hero, on or off duty, and said "Hey Joe, how's it hanging?" And as he rode off into the sunset, and the locals gathered round to give him a good send off, they all asked, to a man, "who was that masked stranger?" and nobody replied "That was good old Joe Paloky".
So back to my devilish disguise.
Am I missing something here?
SHARE
