Once upon a time I had an online friend named Laura B. She was funny, smart, clever, and supportive. Laura was also a librarian, which doesn’t have anything to do with this story, but what a cool gig.
Anyway, Laura ran a little blog, and her most popular recurring feature was “Choose and Defend Wednesday.” Each week the funny, supportive librarian would give us a choice between two things and — you guessed it — ask us to defend our choice in the comments.
Laura passed away unexpectedly a couple of years ago. For those who knew her personally I imagine the loss was profound, as those of us who only knew here as a person trapped inside the intergooglewebtubes felt like we’d lost a great friend.
And so it is with nothing but love and respect that I’ve decided to bring back Laura’s recurring feature. I hope you’ll play along — it’s a lot of fun.
For this Friday, here’s is what you must choose. You can only have one, and you better be ready to defend your choice! Those who break either of these two rules are doomed to an eternity of watching Three Stooges movies, and not the good ones. We’re talking Curly Joes here.
Your choice is delivered to you tax-free at no cost (not even shipping), no strings attached. Would you rather have:
– A rare painting:
– A rare automobile:
Answers must be between 1 and 100,000 words, and come on people — let’s make Laura B. proud.
Why It Matters 
Responses to “Choose and Defend: The Million Dollar Decision”
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Tough choice. I have to go with car, especially if it’s a fast one. The feeling of freedom gained from driving a rare automobile is one that I can only imagine (and believe me, I’ve cast myself in that role many times). While a painting would be cool, for me, it can’t touch the lure of the open road and a super sweet ride.
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A rare painting would be definitely be one of a kind. But I think I’d feel a bit selfish just putting it on my wall. Plus I’d always be worried about theft, fire, etc. Something like that would be difficult for me to let go too, so I think I’d opt for the car. I’m not a big car guy. It’d be fun to have for a while, but I think I’d probably sell it to fund a space flight at a later date. That would be a lot easier than thinking about selling the painting.
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A little fence sitting and indecision there, but when all is said and done that’s a vote for car!
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This is a terribly difficult decision because it depends so much on the vehicle and painting. My son’s pencil drawing of a bunny with a dragon’s tail, frog feet, and vampire teeth is extremely rare (one of a kind even!). So, too, is my grandmother’s heavily modified Lincoln Mercury Coach station wagon with wood paneling, blue shag carpeting, mother-of-pearl insets on the dashboard, and built in insulated cooler for her lipstick located between the two front seats. (It never contained lipstick – just gin. And it was kept cool.)
I’d hate to destroy your tied scoreboard with my input so I’ll go for what’s behind door #3 — the blended option. I would get a famous painting applied onto a rare car. Perhaps Van Gogh’s Starry Night on a BMW McLaren or maybe Munch’s The Scream on a Hummer (to represent what art enthusiasts, Hummer enthusiasts, and environmentalists all think of the combination).
But if I had to pick, I’d go with my buddy @MiloKilledPunk’s suggestion: The car. Not because it was rare, or even because I derived enjoyment from it, but because those ugly, gas-guzzling, hot, stuffy beasts filled to the brim with crap represent a healthy chunk of my childhood memories. And the power of whatever is evoked is what it’s all about.
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JC brings it back to a tie! Excellent choice.
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I would rather have a painting. The pleasure and enjoyment would last longer. The automobile may give immediate pleasure but fleeting.
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Another from Twitter: 250 GT California Spider duh, because that car is timeless and worth as much as a Monet lol. 5-4 cars. Come on, art collectors!
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We’re all tied up at 4-4. Will Mona Lisa or Testarossa earn the checkered flag?
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Diggy from way downtown for three!
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“HOW” “…was HOW emotionally invested we get.”
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The unexpected phenomenon of social media was the emotionally invested we get with complete strangers. Even relatively anonymous accounts like mine aren’t immune. – but I digress.
To own a rare car, one must consider upkeep and storage. On the plus side, I could become fairly wealthy touring the car at auto shows. The down side is vandals, drunk drivers, pot holes, and road salt. — I live in a city where salting the road each winter is practically a law.
To own a rare painting, one must only dust. The big advantage is that a painting doesn’t need electricity to be enjoyed, I don’t need to add fuel, and if I lose brain cells in my old age the painting will always be new! Just as with a rare automobile, I could lend the painting to museums and become fairly well known, though probably not as wealthy.
I’m too much of an introvert to enjoy the car show circuit. A rare painting would bring me much more joy. — Add some good music and a bottle of wine and I’m in heaven! 🙂
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Ha! Score one for sprucing up the double-wide!
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A prudent defense!
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I am going to have to say the artwork. A rare painting would make me feel cultured and wealthy on even the worst of my redneck white trailer trashiest of days.
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A rare auto. Only because the Mona Lisa would dominate my life, swamp my imagination. Whereas I care nothing for cars, so that would leave me free.
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Yes! The art world gets some love!
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Not into cars…. So if its a Frida Kahlo, I’m going with painting. Otherwise, put me down for either and I’ll sell it and take a big trip. (Which may be cheating)
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Another vote from the Twitters: A rare auto is much more likely to have personal significance/shared memory/family history then a rare artwork.
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And the cars zoom ahead! 2-1, cars.
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That’s hard. But I would go with the car since I really like cars and would love to have a classic. A really nice classic. Muscle or luxury, either one would be fine. But defiantly the car.
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We’re 1-1 here. Who dares to break the tie?
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And the counterpoint from a commenter on the WIM FB page: How excellent. Most paintings don’t strike me in the feels at all. Pictures do. Sculptures do. And a car can be art that you can drive. And get chicks with. And go to the drive ins to watch my favorite form of art – movies. With the car I kinda get both?
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Some great logic from a Tweeter: Peace to Laura’s family and friends ///painting-easier to maintain, protect, store. Less tempting for kids to “borrow”
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