Well, Hooray for the Bulldog

There are some lines in movies which are not great quotes. They will never make a list of the most memorable movie quotes. If I were to say them, I would guess that most people would not know what film they are from. Moreover, they will probably not make any sense in any context beyond the film. Sometimes the way these quotes are said make them stay with you. They become a pathetic inside joke between you and the film. They just some how stick with you. Such a quote for me is the tile of this post. In one of the more desperate scenes of Citizen Kane, the title character turns to his wife, who can barely stand the sight of him anymore, to inform her that the bulldog has gone to press. The bulldog is a term that I had to look up, after this quote has stayed with me, to find out what it means. The bulldog is the early edition in the press cycle of a newspaper. It is the last version of the paper produced early in the morning in order to compete for the most up to date news. The wife Susan turns to her husband and in a moment of clear annoyance says, "Well, hooray for the bulldog." This is delivered in such an overly sarcastic manner that I can not forget it. Susan does not give a shit about the bulldog. She wants to know what has happened to her life since she has married this wealthy, but tragically flawed individual. She finds her self stuck in a huge mansion doing puzzles over and over again. She has nothing to talk to her husband about anymore and is just waiting for a moment to lash out at him. Hooray for the bulldog, indeed.

I have found that this line pops in my head fairly often. It is usually when someone tells me information that I care so little about that I do not understand why they have even opened their mouth. Let's do some examples:

"My son just made the honor roll at his pre-school"
"Well, hooray for the bulldog"

"I ate so much bad food last night and now I have to eat salad"
"Well, hooray for the bulldog"

"I have three children; the youngest one is seventeen, the oldest is thirty and the middle just started college"
"Well, hooray for the bulldog"

"I can't believe they voted (insert name) off (insert reality show)"
"Well, hooray for the bulldog"

"Ooh I don't like this, Ooh I don't like that. Oh I don't think much to all this. Oh fancy using that wallpaper. Fancy using mustard. Oo is that a proper one? Oo it's not real. Oh I don't think it's a proper restaurant unless they give you finger bowls. Oo I don't like him. I'm going to have a baby in a few years. Quite frankly I'm against people who commit suicide, I don't like that sort of person at all. I'm plain people and I'm proud of it, my mother's the salt of the earth, and I don't take the pill 'cos it's nasty. Oh I don't like him. Do you know what I mean. Do you know what I mean. I mean do you know what I mean. Do you know what I mean. Do you know what I mean. I mean do you know what I mean. All men are the same. I don't like that. There's dust on here. I don't think it's a proper meal without a pudding. My husband's an architect. Oh I don't like that. I think it's silly. It's not a proper sketch without a proper punchline. I mean I don't know much about anything, I'm stupid. I'm muggins. Nobody cares what I think. I'm always the one that has to do everything. Nobody cares about me. Well I'm going to have a lot of bloody babies and they can bloody well care about me. Makes you sick half this television. They never stop talking, he'll be the ruination of her, rhythm method."
"Well, hooray for the bulldog"

My point in talking about this is two fold. First, anyone who says they have never been in one of these scenarios with a stranger is a liar. People are bizarre and they just talk on and on about nothing assuming that I care about their nonsense. So, here is my gift to you. Please use this line whenever you see fit. I tend to say it in my head. If you would like to say it out loud that would be even better. Maybe it will someday pass into slang for "something to say when a stranger is babbling on about something boring assuming everyone should care about their lives." Hopefully, in some way, it will give the unfortunate listener solace.

My second goal in sharing this expression is to make one aware of their boring tendencies, or their need to shout their opinions nonstop. I am sure I am guilty of being the "bulldog" once or twice. Maybe if we all were made aware of this we can prevent boring conversations. I mean it is really horrible being stuck there listening to...oh, nevermind...I know what your thinking...
"Well, hooray for the bulldog"