Copyright Roger Bultot
“Hell’s teeth, Ethel, whoever took this photo shoulda told Chelsea what she looked like.”
Ethel peered over Norman’s shoulder.
“She’ll have taken that herself, Norman. They do that now.”
“Why’s she pulling that idiotic face, then?”
“That’s a pout, dear.”
“She looks like someone stuck her to a car windscreen.”
“She does look weird,” Ethel said thoughtfully.
“The things they get up to these days, dear God…”
“D’you remember, Norman….”
“What…?”
“Those cardboard cut-outs at the sea-side, fat ladies in bathing costumes. We’d stick our heads through the holes where the faces should be and… Norman?
I wrote a banker for this week’s Friday Fictioneers, and went off to the gym in the hope that the cross-trainer might elicit further inspiration. It didn’t – sorry – so apologies to Henry Fonda and Kathryn Hepburn for putting words into their mouths, and thanks once again to Rochelle, our inspirational leader.
castelsarrasin 
That made me laugh
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Job done, then. 🙂
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You know, I’ve never seen it. I think when it came out the thought of watching old people put me off – callow youth that I was. Lovely bit of dialogue and they sound like a very sweet couple. Nicely done
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I loved this film. I think I must have watched it three times now and it never fails to touch me. Thanks for reading, Lynn.
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My pleasure Sandra 🙂
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Just brilliant dialogue. These two are so real.
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Thanks Claire.
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ha ha ha, very good. There’s idiocy in all of us 😉
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As a commodity, it’s been fairly evenly distributed. 🙂
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That was funny, Sandra. Especially the bit about the car windscreen. That’s what we do these days, right? 😀 I even have one of my whole family doing the pout in my blog 😛
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I found a photo of myself doing something similar, more years ago than I care to remember. Long before it became the custom that it is today.
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Dear Sandra,
This is hilarious. My husband has the same issue with what they charmingly call the duck face. Norman’s windshield comment nearly had my spewing my coffee. I totally get it. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’m totally glad you do. 😉 Thanks for visiting, Rochelle.
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This was a lovely funny tale between two people… I get the impression Norman may have a touch of alzheimer’s? Maybe I’m wrong and he just doesn’t understand todays youth!
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He was beginning to exhibit symptoms in the film. But I think most older people are puzzled by the need to make duck faces when you’re taking a selfie. Or indeed, the need to take a selfie at all… 🙂
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Witty piece. I like the dialog. My middle daughter is named Ethel, so I was automatically drawn in. 😉
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That’s unusual. A pretty name, though.
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Haha, you don’t have to be a sold as Norman and Ethel to be left bewildered by the selfie craze – among other things that the youth do today. Loved the generational comparison at the end too. 🙂
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When newspapers publish articles about something dire that’s happened, they always seem to accompany them with these kind of images. Seems so terribly inappropriate, but I guess they just lift them from Facebook.
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Well I haven’t seen the film, but the couple are universal so the story was still great.
Thanks for the chuckles, Sandra
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Henry Fonda did ‘cantankerous’ so well, I decided to model myself on him. 😦 Thanks for reading.
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Oh you really did mean that film. For our honeymoon many years ago, my wife and I stayed in a bed and breakfast in Napa, California. One evening we decided to see a movie and it was “On Golden Pond.”
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It was one of those films I felt I should see, but I put it off for ages. And then I watched it twice more in later years.
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This made me laugh. We are quick to disparage others when we have been guilty of equally foolish behaviour!
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So true.
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So many selfie’s, some regretted. But that is life. A well painted image Sandra
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Thanks Michael.
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This made me smile. Lovely dialogue.
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Thank you.
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She looks like someone stuck her to a car windscreen. I’d never thought of selfies like this put you are (or Norman is) right. So many look like this. Thanks for a wonderful Wednesday laugh. I love your dialogue peices.
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Thaks Alicia.
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I chuckled all the way through this one, Sandra. I almost went with a reprise of “On Golden Puddle” about the bladder leakage again, but I don’t think it would have topped this tale.
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So glad you restrained your urge, Russell. So few of us can, these days. 😉
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I agree this had some really nice dialogue. I could hear my and my hubby having this same conversation.
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🙂
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Thank you for the laugh Sandra. I think I’ve written a few things about duck faces. I do like the windshield comment.
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Thanks for reading Sascha.
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I so loved the movie. Thanks for reminding me. Let me check if it’s on Netflix 🙂
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One of my favourites too.
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Haha. Great dialogue and the selfie – not got into that yet.
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I got a new phone and took one – I look like everybody else – like an alien.
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You’ve described the selfie craze perfectly! Absolutely brilliant.
Click to read my FriFic!
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Glad you liked it Keith.
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What happened to Norman? Did he switch off his hearing aid? Husbands have a habit of not listening when you fail to agree with them!
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You’ve noticed that? 🙂
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Sorry, Sandra, no laughs here. Not sure why. I’ve read several times. Nothing tickles my fancy unfortunately. I’m sorry. Maybe if I heard you read it…
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Hell would freeze over before I’d do that, Kelvin. No worries – not a big deal.
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Thanks. I shouldn’t have commented. I uumed and aahed then I did.
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Hahaha good one. Great dialogue between the two! 😉
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Thanks, Laurie.
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Awww this is cute. The overdone selfie rage is so wonderfully described here.
Fun read this.
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Thanks, Natasha.
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Ha, fun! I like that Ethel sees the parallel between the selfie and the old beach pictures with the cut-outs. It’s not just a young generation thing…
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Thanks for reading.
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I love the fluent dialogue; you’ve given the couple good distinctive voices.
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Thanks Penny.
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Hilarious!
Are they talking about Selfie?
Then I am with him!
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Thanks for reading.
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I like them.
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So love that movie and have to agree… I can’t stand the bloody duck face
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I am just on the edge of the selfie generation, and I must say, I don’t get it either. Duck faces and all.
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I loved this. I often wonder why the younger generation keep changing their Facebook picture for yet another pout but as your last line points out, we probably had our own version of this behaviour back then.
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Such a wonderful conversation, framing generational difference. Loved the voices, especially, ‘That’s a out, dear.’ – so telling.
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Enjoyed the banter between the two.
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Enjoyed your “rendition” of the film. It was complimentary and accurate as best as I can remember.
Scott
Mine: https://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2017/10/31/reckoning-friday-fictioneers/
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