July 18, 2007
Mojo

Can you lose what you didn’t know you had?  It’s Fortune’s fault.  The latest issue came out of the mail box first last week and on the magazine cover was the headline, “Has Harvey Weinstein Lost His Mojo?” 

Now Harvey Weinstein I don’t know from a posthole.  The article claimed him to be some sort of a movie maven.  It seems Mr. Weinstein used to be responsible for hit after hit but ever since being the distributor of record for Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11. according to the article, has been hitless. 

So if mojo is about hits then it must be something our Colorado Rockies leave home every time they go on the road.  But the question remains, what exactly is mojo? 

Don’t think me totally “mojo” ignorant.  Clearly remembered is Chicago bluesman extraordinaire Muddy Watters and his signature song of the late fifties telling the world how he had his “mojo” working. 

Buzz Bissinger’s “Friday Night Lights” was a terrific read about Odessa, Texas Permian High School’s extraordinary devotion to football.  And that most famous of Texas high school football factories has been synonymous with “Mojo”.  It’s their rallying cry.  In fact the Lone Star footballers from the Permian Basin are so mojo’d you can purchase “mojo” sweatshirts,  ball caps and jackets and t’s at Odessapermian.com 

Wander our land an you’ll also discover “mojo” radio, “mojo” magazine and, for all we know the latest model of Hyundai could be the “mojo”.  Were that true it would be one case where your “mojo” could be stolen as opposed to lost. 

Still one is left wondering what exactly is “mojo”?  For Mr. Weinstein to misplace his he first had to have it in his possession or possibly others must be convinced of his “mojo” aura.  But can a person lose something they’re not sure they have in the first place.  Is their a “mojo” litmus test. 

Can one driving a mini-van have “mojo”?  Or be the alum of a land grant college?   Do women have “mojo’?  Even if they watch Dr. Phil?  What about bagpipe players?  Can they claim “mojo”  wearing a kilt even thought they’re not playing “Amazing Grace” for a funeral or marching in a parade. 

Has anyone from Iowa, North Dakota or Rhode Island ever possessed major “mojo”?  Is it possible to run for President and be thought to have “mojo magic” or is it a quality that quickly vanishes the moment one looks into a TV camera declares, “I want to bring about a change in America.” 

Sitting in front of the tube watching ESPN with my grandson awaiting “Web Gems” on Baseball Tonight, the four letter network was hyping their search for today’s most “Now” athlete.  While not being really clear on the details it appears to be an exercise that in comparison makes pro wrestling appear to be invented by MENSA.  The ESPN talking heads were discussing, with a straight face, who was more “Now”, Kobe Bryant or some French soccer player.  “Grandpa”, came the question “What are they talking about?”  The temptation was to mumble something about “mojo” but that just bring about a second unanswerable question.  “You tell me” was the reply.  But in the back of the brain flashed the thought, “Not the kind of reply you’d get from someone who actually had “mojo”.