Interior architects, lunching on a crossbeam and Rune Rudberg

I was at a party last night. My husband's friend's girlfriend turned 30. Shocker that I didn't know many of the guest. Besides, almost everyone there were interior architects, like the birthday girl. And what are you supposed to talk to an interior architect about? Interior? Architecture? I am not much interested in either. And of course, all interior architects are minimalists, as was the birthday girl, which leaves nothing to say about the interior of the apartment we were in (as there was nothing). So, this could have turned out a pretty dismal evening.

Luckily I was there with my husband, and as I'm sure you know, there's nothing like being with a person you know really well at a party where you know practically none. As long as there are people (or objects!) to make fun of, of course. This time, the first thing my husband pointed my attention to, was that the only picture the hosts had on their wall, was Charles C. Ebbets’s iconic 1932 photograph “Construction Workers Lunching on a Crossbeam.” For a long time, this picture has been a joke for the two of us. Not because of the photo itself, which is indeed a good shot, but because of the mass production of it, and most of all because it is for sale in Ikea. And as far as things for sale in Ikea, they have a tendency to pop up in thousands of homes across the nation, so also with this photograph. So, basically, it has turned into a huge cliche. But up until now, we have not had the pleasure of seeing it in any of our (close) friends' houses, we have just made jokes about what kind of people we imagine are capable of actually buying this photograph at Ikea and putting it up on their wall. Oh, the irony: Interior architects are that kind of people! What a great start of the evening!

Next, we notice a guy who looks like Rune Rudberg. Now, those of you who are not Norwegians out there probably do not know who Rune Rudberg is. Although he certainly is notorious in Norway, I don't think his fame has crossed the borders. Anywho, I always see people who look like celebrities or otherwise infamous people when I'm out, and I'm pretty used to the people I'm with not agreeing with the celebrity look-a-like. This time not so: Another friend of my husband turned up at the party with his girlfriend, and this girlfriend said the exact same thing to her boyfriend that I said to mine: "Look, there's Rune Rudberg!" Which surely had us discussing this Norwegian singer, who owes most of his fame to his boasting of having slept with more than 3000 women. Or so I thought. The other girl says: "No, it can't be 3000!" Upon which my husband quickly figured out that if this singer, given that he is 50-ish (I have to google this!) and has been sexually active since age 15, must have slept with a new girl/woman approximately every third day. Ok, I admit it: That sounds quite unbelievable. But if it was only 100 women, which was the suggestion of this girl, I really don't think that's something to brag about in the media.

The rest of the evening we spent discussing whether or not Alanis Morissette's "Ironic" can really be said to deal with ironic incidents. So, all in all, this was a very nice party indeed.

Oh, well; I have to stop now, google is awaiting me.