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Will Durst

Will Durst

Posted: June 6, 2010 07:10 PM

The Brightside of the BP Oil Spill

What's Your Reaction:

To say the news coming out of the Gulf is not what you call encouraging is like saying it's been a rough week for Dennis Hopper. And its making people crazy. No. Really. Crazy. Louisiana native and Democratic strategist, James Carville, went off on the President like a string of overstuffed firecrackers in a pot- bellied stove. And for Carville to savage the leader of his own party either means he's mad as hell and can't take it anymore or his wife, Mary Matalin's naggingly oppressive monotonic brain-washing has achieved full saturation. I would hazard a bit of both.

You got Republicans calling for domestic government intervention. While on the other side of Loopyville, some Dems are screaming for the military to take over. The hell do they expect the Army to be able to do that BP can't, shoot it? Surround the mile deep spill, capture and occupy it? Proceed to win its hearts and minds? Hey, Alice, which way out of this rabbit hole?

Outside of that stone plug that Jack used in "Lost," BP appears to have tried everything: Top Hat. Top Kill. Top Cat. Top Chef. Topkapi. Topographical maps. Topol. Topamax. Topo Gigio. But thus far, the only thing they've managed to accomplish is to make the spill very very angry. Not as angry as folks near the affected areas who just want to get back to their lives. Especially in the wake of the recent "We're BP and we're so sorry" ad campaign that's costing millions to air in lieu of expediting financial claims. Destined to rank right up there with marrying a Kardashian, for worst PR move, EVER.

Now word comes down the plumey pike that the wound we opened in the lower epidermis of the Earth might not be closed until a relief well is finished sometime in August, so perhaps we should accept the fact that the Gulf is short-term doomed and start to seek out the Brightsides of the BP Oil Spill.

America has always been the Imperial Wizard of the International Optimists League. And now is a perfect time for us to jump back into the silver lining business. Because when this country is handed lemons, we make lemonade. All we need is a couple of dump trucks full of sugar, and ironically, some clean water.

TOP 15 BRIGHTSIDES OF THE BP OIL SPILL

• Your shrimp dish comes pre- marinated.
• Newly affordable water front properties.
• Frolicsome beachside tar ball fights.
• Gulf Coast salad dressing: just add vinegar.
• Jet Skis able to refuel mid- trip.
• Lubricated Jelly Fish.
• Mortared with oil and tar, sand castles now tide- proof.
• Fewer silly election year cries of "Drill, Baby, Drill."
• No more squeaky oysters.
• Need an oil change? Wander down to water's edge and squeegee a duck.
• Hot enough day, and voila: the world's largest fish fry.
• Don't bother drilling for oil, the oil is coming to us.
• Romantic beach bonfires 24/7.
• Wriggling out of your tight swimsuit is a breeze.
• Every Gulf dock and pier instantly doubles as a Slip and Slide.

Will Durst is a San Francisco based political comedian who often writes. This being an evident example.
Catch his one man show, "The Lieutenant Governor from the State of Confusion" at a performing arts center near you.
His new CD, "Raging Moderate" from Stand Up! Records, now available on both iTunes and Amazon.

 

Follow Will Durst on Twitter: www.twitter.com/willdurst

 
 
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09:12 AM on 06/12/2010
Cheney's Chernobyl wrought behind closed doors all those days ago. "Drill. Drill I say. I don;t care about the danger. We need more oil. Drill. Screw the environment. Who wants to live without cars? NO ONE. You fool. If it blows it blows. No one cares about the "state" of Louisiana or the state of Louisiana. Goddamed swamp anyway. We'll be doing the world a favor. So a little gets on Florida. Jeb'll understand."
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DavidBeckwith
Social Media Humorist & Advisor
07:10 AM on 06/12/2010
Good to see that even the darkest clouds can have a silver, or silver-plated, lining...because the clouds are liable to get a lot darker, especially as the killer hurricane season transforms the darker, warmer waters into even more ferocious and spiraling oil dispersant systems. If only we could think of a use for oil!
02:46 PM on 06/08/2010
The only brightside is that people will FINALLY take ALL SAFETY precautions for future oil sites

The fact that BP and others throw caution to the wind to make a few more bucks is disgusting
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MNKen
Eschew Obfuscation
01:35 PM on 06/07/2010
Topo Gigio? You are showing your age Will. (and by admitting I know who that is, yes, I am admitting mine.)
thebigbike
ran away to be a cowboy
11:08 PM on 06/06/2010
Never underestimate the ability of the dems to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. At this rate oil won't even be greasy
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Jacqrat
09:15 PM on 06/06/2010
It's time to stop calling it the "BP Oil Spill", because everyone knows it's really Cheney's Chernoybyl. #CheneysChernobyl
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jamenta
There are other human values besides greed.
07:27 PM on 06/06/2010
Hmm... not that funny Will. Now the president spending more time at basketball fund raising events and leaving it up to BP - the very company who's criminal incompetence led to this environmental disaster - now that's funny.
08:47 PM on 06/06/2010
The feds are working on investigations and filing criminal charges; false and misleading statements, etc. perjury. It was Bush and Cheney AKA Enron, not Obama.
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jamenta
There are other human values besides greed.
12:21 AM on 06/07/2010
Yes. But what is laughable is we're still trusting this damn company. And their track record before this disaster hit should have been warning enough.

I just don't get it. Why do Americans place so much trust in Big Business? We trust corporations with our health, our money, and our environment. It's frakken nuts.