They were still reeling from how BBC and CNN had twisted their words in their last interviews. BBC had called them “symbols of traditional values” while CNN ran with “American Icons Defend Conservative Family Ethos.” "First of all," he began, "we’re not ‘symbols of traditional values.’ I don’t even know what that means. I practice Reiki. I meditate twice a day. I haven’t touched a tractor since 1985." Ruby nodded, leaning in earnestly. “We’re pacifists. We spent most of the '60s protesting…well, everything, really. War, pollution, Nixon.” She shook her head, still bewildered. “But BBC just cut all that out! They made it sound like we’re out here plowing fields and quoting the Bible.” The Real Talk host chuckled. “And the pitchfork?” “Oh, the pitchfork.” Ray rolled his eyes. “Look, it’s a prop. We use it to aerate the compost, sure, but they made it sound like I’m standing guard over some…some farm empire.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I told BBC we wanted to be painted holding roses just like how we met them, but the artist insisted on the pitchfork. Said it was ‘more powerful.’” Ruby threw up her hands. “And CNN! They kept trying to get us to say we represent ‘the American spirit of hard work.’ We run a rose farm, for Pete’s sake. We make organic soap and meditate under the stars. The only ‘hard work’ we do is setting up for our weekend drum circles.” The host laughed. “So, what do you actually want people to know?” Ray and Ruby exchanged a look. Finally, Ruby leaned into the camera, a mischievous glint in her eye. “We’re hippies,” she said. “Always have been. Always will be. We believe in peace, love, and recycling. If you’re looking for some corn-fed, conservative American icons, we’re not your people.” Ray nodded solemnly. “And that pitchfork? It’s officially retired. And we’re also kinda chubby, because our neighbor Rose makes amazing challah and bagels and we eat them too much.” Real Talk TV aired the interview unedited, finally giving Ray and Ruby a chance to share their truth. But sure enough, the next day, headlines spun the story again: “American Gothic Couple Fakes New-Age Spirituality while preparing to vote for Trump.” Ray sighed, tossing the newspaper aside. “Ruby, next time, we’re just doing a podcast.”
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"First of all," he began, "we’re not ‘symbols of traditional values.’ I don’t even know what that means. I practice Reiki. I meditate twice a day. I haven’t touched a tractor since 1985."
Ruby nodded, leaning in earnestly. “We’re pacifists. We spent most of the '60s protesting…well, everything, really. War, pollution, Nixon.” She shook her head, still bewildered. “But BBC just cut all that out! They made it sound like we’re out here plowing fields and quoting the Bible.”
The Real Talk host chuckled. “And the pitchfork?”
“Oh, the pitchfork.” Ray rolled his eyes. “Look, it’s a prop. We use it to aerate the compost, sure, but they made it sound like I’m standing guard over some…some farm empire.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I told BBC we wanted to be painted holding roses just like how we met them, but the artist insisted on the pitchfork. Said it was ‘more powerful.’”
Ruby threw up her hands. “And CNN! They kept trying to get us to say we represent ‘the American spirit of hard work.’ We run a rose farm, for Pete’s sake. We make organic soap and meditate under the stars. The only ‘hard work’ we do is setting up for our weekend drum circles.”
The host laughed. “So, what do you actually want people to know?”
Ray and Ruby exchanged a look. Finally, Ruby leaned into the camera, a mischievous glint in her eye.
“We’re hippies,” she said. “Always have been. Always will be. We believe in peace, love, and recycling. If you’re looking for some corn-fed, conservative American icons, we’re not your people.”
Ray nodded solemnly. “And that pitchfork? It’s officially retired. And we’re also kinda chubby, because our neighbor Rose makes amazing challah and bagels and we eat them too much.”
Real Talk TV aired the interview unedited, finally giving Ray and Ruby a chance to share their truth. But sure enough, the next day, headlines spun the story again: “American Gothic Couple Fakes New-Age Spirituality while preparing to vote for Trump.”
Ray sighed, tossing the newspaper aside. “Ruby, next time, we’re just doing a podcast.”