Say what you want about the Catholic Church, but those folks know how a few traditions and mumbled Latin can turn a little meeting into a full-on event.
The Church has been picking popes for hundreds of years now, but the whole thing might as well be a made-for-TV production. The cardinals arrive! The secret conclave! The white smoke! The new pope’s reveal! It’s all the ingredients for a perfect reality show that just happened to come together a few dozen generations before Philo Farnsworth was even born.
The secret sauce here is the pope has a truly great entrance. And everyone knows it’s all about making an unforgettable entrance.
I can’t say I’ve ever made an entrance that’s even halfway to a ripped-tux-full-spin. And given my Jewish side, I’m betting I don’t have a great shot at Pope … though now that I say it, they did pick an American this time, so maybe?
But I do have a fun story about a co-worker’s entrance (and exit!)
About 20 years ago, there was a big murder case in the city where I worked. A copy editor at my newspaper, The Post-Star was called for jury duty and was part of the potential pool. So he trooped on down to the courthouse, sat down, and then heard from the lawyers, with the defense attorney going on a bit about how they were going to get to the real facts in the case and not just what was in the headlines in the local paper.
My co-worker was near the head of jury pool, so after the opening statements the judge then asked prospective jurors about what they did and if they could serve. He was third in line, so it was shortly after the defense attorney had spoken. When asked by the judge what he did, he said immediately: “I write the headlines in The Post-Star.”
Everyone cracked up, judge and defense attorney included, and about 30 seconds later he was on his way out the door because being a journalist will almost always get you out of criminal jury duty. A great entrance, a fast exit, the perfect getaway.
So, my fellow Deadsplinterians, have you ever made an entrance that really wowed people?
Oh, and happy weekend!
Ridiculous really, how they even timed it with the Stanley Tucci Conclave movie this year, too! Like people learned about the process who didn’t already know with everyone’s favorite zaddy.
This should have been the new pope’s entrance music, with WWE-style lighting and smoke effects.
“I’m gonna do it like you never knew it.”