J Fortuna wrote:

What do you think about the mentions of orchids in pop-culture, books,
movies, and what-not?


You mean in books other than the Nero Wolfe mysteries? Wolfe was
always portrayed as a knowlegeable orchidist. I understand that the TV
series used silk orchids instead of real ones, but that's not a
surprise. Keeping orchids fresh under the hot lights of a film set
would be a big challenge.

Then there's Raymond Chandler's --The Big Sleep--.

Orchids( and other exotic plants) appear in Huysmans' --A Rebours-- as
symbols of the main character's decadent personality and tastes.

I don't think the mass-market availability of orchids has filtered down
into pop culture yet. People still think of them as exotic, expensive,
finicky plants, the playthings of the rich and eccentric.

Folks express surprise and awe when they learn I grow orchids in my
basement.
They wrongly assume I am rich; though they may well be right about the
eccentricity.

The fact they can buy orchids at Krogers or the local home improvement
store makes no difference.


J. Del Col