Three different stations aired the premier and last night's finale of the Bonnie & Clyde mini-series. I'm more intrigued by their love affair and to-the-death devotion than their life of crime. So was the rest of the world in the early 1900s, since apparently the rumors and legend of the gangster duo doesn't exactly mesh with true life accounts.
What a surprise.
I thought…
- Bonnie was the criminal mastermind.
- Clyde was lovesick.
- They were bank robbers.
- They were married.
- They were a two-person operation.
However…
- Clyde was the hardened criminal.
- They were both smitten.
- They did more than rob banks…kidnapping, stealing, murder.
- Bonnie was married to a man named Roy and Clyde never married.
- There was a gang, including Clyde's brother and his wife
According to the various websites I read during uncomfortable parts of the mini-series, it seems that Bonnie rarely participated in the gunslinging. She had a penchant for photos, and police found a camera with undeveloped film left behind after the Barrow gang made their escape.
The famous photos of Bonnie weilding a gun and smoking a cigar sensationalized the pair, adding a carnal stigma to an otherwise small group of outlaws. One article suggested that had those pictures not surfaced, America may never have cared about Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.
The dating lessons to be learned can be applied to almost all relationships:
- You become like the company you keep.
- Guilty (and dead in Bonnie's case) by association.
- Love doesn't put you in harm's way. Love protects.
We turned off the mini-series after I gave Justin and our friend a run-down of what historians believe truly took place during their lifetime and after their ambush. I'm sure the series sensationalizes their love story, but in actuality, it's rather sad.
And vexing.
Clyde seemed to be on a mission for revenge against the Texas Correctional System, and probably would have met with the same fate regardless of Bonnie's involvement. However, her story could have been completely different.
What if she and her husband had stayed together?
What if she had said goodbye to Clyde after he went to prison?
What if she had left after the first murders?
Why didn't she listen to any of the warning signs? Some may say it's romantic to die for love, but I think it's stupid. Don't be like Bonnie and follow a man who seeks trouble. Pursue your own dreams…healthy dreams…and remember…
Love protects.
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