September 7, 2005
Week 19 - Impossible Dreams 6
Episode 3
Powell talks with Celeste Weiss in her office.
Celeste holds up a blue shirt. Sewn onto the chest is a patch in the shape of a silver frying pan. "This will be the top portion of Pan Boy's costume," she announces.
"Um... I still haven't agreed to that name," Powell says.
"But the name is wonderful! It perfectly encapsulates the radical absurdity of the entire endeavor."
"That's just it... the whole thing is crazy... I don't know how to pretend to be a superhero's sidekick!"
Celeste lays down the shirt and picks up a cardboard mask. The right eyehole is shaped like a "P" and the left like a "B". "What do you think?" she asks.
"I can't wear that!" Powell shakes his head. "Jesus, what am I doing? I feel like such an idiot!"
Celeste tries to hand the mask to him, but he refuses to take it. "You don't appreciate the opportunity you've been given," she says. "Masks and costumes are transformative. When you wear one you can completely lay aside your previous identity and forge your consciousness anew. You can refashion yourself however you like, become whatever you want."
"I don't want to refashion myself. I... uh, I like myself the way I am."
"Only the spiritually dead are truly satisfied with themselves as they are. The spiritually dead and complete fools." She pushes the mask forward again. "Come, take it. Let's see how it looks."
Powell reluctantly reaches for it.
"Go on," Celeste says, "put it on. The straps just Velcro together."
Very slowly, Powell raises it to his face and snaps it into place.
Celeste claps her hands and smiles. "Pan Boy! It's perfect... Now try on the shirt."
Powell takes off the mask. "I... uh... I really don't think I can do this."
"It's your destiny. You can't fight it."
"It's, um, my destiny to make a buffoon of myself?"
"It's all our destinies to make buffoons
of ourselves. You're just going to get to
announce it a little louder..."