Volume 6, Issue 16
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you, wo wo wo
What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson?
‘Joltin Joe’ has left and gone away, hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
This tempest resulted in a massive cultural explosion and grassroots revolution.
The song “Mrs. Robinson” may have originally referred to Eleanor Roosevelt. But Mrs. Robinson (played by Anne Bancroft) in the movie represented metaphorically what was left of the ruined system of the post-war world. Composite in this was the much greater age-old metaphor of whether to settle for the temptation of instant gratification without consideration for the long-term goal of a productive life. Benjamin Braddock (played by Dustin Hoffman), as a recent college graduate, was consistently asked, ‘what do you want to do with your life?’ In a changing world of societal chaos, the answer was not so easy. Traditional morality and eternal principles were being challenged and turned upside down. The Graduate was confused.
As you probably know, Benjamin falls into the trap and makes a bad choice. The love of his life, Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, Elaine (played by Katharine Ross), reacts predictably and is outraged in conscience. Mrs. Robinson continues to give controlling bad advice and provide solutions from a dying past. Elaine is about to marry her mother’s choice who is not naturally her soul mate, thereby settling for someone from the current system yet reformed. Benjamin rushes to the church to save her, and himself, from a lost future.
The lyrics containing Joe DiMaggio’s name were added by the writer, Paul Simon, at the end of the song. When asked why, Simon, reportedly replied, “I didn't mean the lines literally… I thought of him as an American hero and that genuine heroes were in short supply.” Later, in a 1999 New York Times op-ed after Joe DiMaggio’s passing, Simon reflected, “In these days of Presidential transgressions and apologies and prime-time interviews about private sexual matters, we grieve for Joe DiMaggio and mourn the loss of his grace and dignity, his fierce sense of privacy, his fidelity to the memory of his wife and the power of his silence."
It is this legacy of a hero that America needs today in these times. We all seek such a hero in our own way.
Paul Simon is an avid New York Yankees fan. Mickey Mantle is the reason why. As a youth growing up in Oklahoma, I can relate to this. All ball players wanted to play on Mickey Mantle’s childhood field at Commerce, Oklahoma, the shrine of baseball. But I didn’t know what Joe DiMaggio meant to me until I encountered him with Bobby Richardson, a former Yankee.
Bobby Richardson decided to run for Congress in 1976. I had the honor to advise him on the legal and political procedures of running for office. In the discussion at his kitchen table about how much money it would cost to run a Congressional campaign, he questioned whether such an amount could be raised. He asked me if former Yankee greats could be helpful with fundraising events. Of course, I advised, “Absolutely!” He then said, “Let’s call a couple and see if they’ll do it.”
I was immediately transported back to my youth as he called various members of the 1962 Yankees World Series championship team. Each time he got someone on the phone, he would tell them what he was contemplating, and then he would hand the phone to me to explain and discuss fundraising possibilities. This, of course, was one of the most memorable days of my career. I was doing fine until he called “The Yankee Clipper.” He too was excited and willing to help. When Bobby handed me the phone and I heard the Great Yankee’s voice say hello, for the only time in my life, I literally could not speak. It was not that I couldn’t find the words. I physically could not utter them. Bobby took the phone back and politely told Joe that I was a little choked up. I was determined to recover. I took the phone back and had a wonderful conversation with Joe DiMaggio. As advertised, he was dignified, reflective, and willing to do whatever he could to help his friend. I then realized what his character meant to me.
I find a relative comparison of Paul Simon’s thoughts and sentiments in celebration of Joe DiMaggio to how badly America needed a hero then, and how badly America Needs a Hero today.
Why?
The current invective dialog between the President of the United States and the former Director of the FBI, continued racial strife, the raiding of a U.S. President’s legal counsel’s office, and the unease of geopolitical and economic negotiations are no less unnerving to the public than the epic turbulence of the 1960s.
There is additional comfort in the refrain of “Mrs. Robinson.” Intentional or unintentional, consciously or subconsciously, it is relevant today.
And here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know, wo wo wo
God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray, hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
In these times, we each need individually a hero that represents character in which we can take refuge. A man or woman who reflects courage and commitment to truth and eternal values. It may be a teacher, a coach, a family member, a minister, or a neighbor who, in his or her essence, gives us peace of purpose.
We pray for such heroes. And when found, we will find further peace and satisfaction if we reflect, in ourselves and to others, what our heroes represent.
My name is Marc Nuttle and this is what I believe.
What do you believe?
P.S. In his last game at Yankee Stadium, Joe DiMaggio came to the plate every time to thunderous applause. On his next-to-last at bat, he lined a ball to left center field. He rounded first base on his way to second with an easy stand-up double. He could have stopped there, a hall-of-fame career completed. Yet he rounded second and dug for third, sliding in safe just before the throw. When asked after the game why he risked stretching a double to a triple, the Clipper replied that he was concerned that any kid who had come to the park for the first time should know that it was incumbent on everyone to give total effort all of the time, and to respect their God-given talents with total commitment.
Joe did, in fact, host an event for Bobby. He signed 1,000 baseballs.
Bobby narrowly lost the election as a Republican in a state that went for Jimmy Carter in a landslide.