by Travis Mateer
What location did I choose for last night’s public display? If you can’t tell from the picture, I’ll tell you precisely where I was parked, and that’s the parking lot of the Top Hat, which is owned by Nick Checota.
Did my special location garner some productive attention? I think so, since my first visitors were curious BECAUSE of my location, considering one of them worked for Nick, or used to, I think. It’s kind of hard to keep up with those enjoying the night life when you yourself don’t consume adult beverages.
How about Virgil? Did he enjoy the evening?
Yes, he got a very nice outing when a small audience gathered to hear my tales of exploring places like Las Vegas, where my most effective teaching tool was waiting for me to find him and bring along on this very weird adventure.
If you doubt the veracity of my Vegas claim, here’s an article about the Stranger Things store launch.
From the link:
Vecna and his army of monsters from the Upside Down are headed to Las Vegas, and they’ll be here for a while. Netflix will launch Stranger Things: The Official Store at the Showcase Mall on the Strip on May 26, open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Earlier in the day, in the parking lot of the Good Food Store, it was a different story.
There I was eating my pricey salad when two paid GFS workers came out to assess what I was doing. What was I doing, they asked. Eating my expensive salad, was my reply. And what is ZOOM CHRON? They asked. My blog, was my reply, then I introduced them to Virgil, but it did NOT go very good.
I think it was when I suggested the possibility that Benjamin Franklin “fucked children” at the Hellfire Club that triggered the two women, because it was at that point I was told to “turn my sign around” while I finished my food. Ok, ladies, your wish to remain protected from reality is my command.
For some context about the show’s inclusion of a real club in its “fiction”, here’s a link that briefly explains the reference:
The fourth season of the Netflix series Stranger Things introduces us to some Hawkins High School boys who belong to a rather innocent Dungeons and Dragons club named “The Hellfire Club.” When I watched it, I immediately thought “Haven’t I read about a real Hellfire Club somewhere?”
Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive men’s clubs for high-society clientele in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century. The most famous is Sir Francis Dashwood’s Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe. (Dashwood’s earlier club was the Order of the Knights of St Francis formed in 1746.) These clubs were supposed to be places where “persons of quality” could safely take part in what were socially perceived as immoral acts. They met irregularly from around 1749 to perhaps 1766. The club motto was Fais ce que tu voudras (Do what thou wilt).
Dashwood and the Earl of Sandwich are alleged to have been members of a Hellfire Club that met at the George and Vulture Inn throughout the 1730s. Benjamin Franklin is known to have occasionally attended the club’s meetings in 1758 during his time in England. But there are no records left (these having been burned in 1774) so the list of members is often based on references in letters sent to each other. He was also known as a prankster.
Other groups using the name “Hellfire Club” were set up throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Lord Wharton was a prominent politician who led a double life as a “man of letters” and after hours as a drunkard and rake who started his own Hellfire Club which allegedly had some very prominent members. His club included many interests from poetry, philosophy, and politics, and it was also very anti-religion. It was not considered to be a dangerous group. Though the president of this club was supposed to be the Devil, members did not worship demons or the Devil, but called members “devils.”
I’m sure it’s just fun and games and nothing to get too worked up about. Merch just means true fans get to take a piece of their beloved programming home with them. Just some harmless fun and entertainment, right?
Where will Virgil and I set up shop next? I guess you’ll just have to wait and find out.
If you appreciate my unique marketing and educational services, please consider making a donation to Travis’ Impact Fund (TIF). I have one more month of rent to come up with before gaining my homeless super powers. Isn’t that exciting? So stay tuned…
And, as always, thanks for reading!
