(Holiday In) Cambodia
December 15th, 2020
Starring: A & B (both mid-late 20’s)
Winter break. B is standing in the living room, playing the video game Guitar Hero. They are attempting to beat the Dead Kennedys song “Holiday in Cambodia” on expert-level difficulty, locked in and rocking out. But as the song reaches its close, the missed notes ramp up, and B fails the song:
B
OH MY GOD
A walks in, hearing the commotion:
A
No dice?
B
The same place every goddamn time
A
You should save your rock power—
B
I know when to use it, ok? I beat it before, I’m the expert.
A
How did you beat it last time?
B
I was twelve, my fingers were like gymnasts.
A
Aging’s tough.
B
Whatever.
Sits, defeated:
The song’s been in my head for like three days. It’s killing me.
A
Tell that to the real Cambodians.
B
What?
A
Cambodia. The country—
B
I know what Cambodia is.
A
That’s what the song is about. The genocide.
B
There was a genocide in Cambodia?
A
Huge. One of the worst, like...ever. Pol Pot?
B
Is that the name?
A
It’s a name, yeah—
B
But is that the name of the genocide? Like how it’s called the Holocaust?
A
No. Pol Pot was the leader. The uh, Hitler. He killed like, two million people.
…
B
Well the lyrics make more sense now.
…
…
You’re judging me so hard
A
No I’m not—
B
That is a high-key judge face—
A
I didn’t say anything. You’re judging yourself.
B
I didn’t know about a genocide, how am I supposed to feel?!
A
I don’t know! It’s not like you’re the only person out there—
B
But I don’t want to be the kind of person who doesn’t know about a genocide!
A
Ok, well you didn’t know about a genocide, now you do know about a genocide. Knowledge is power! Huzzah!
...
There’s a crapload of suffering out there. If we beat ourselves up for not knowing every atrocity, we’d be a puddle of flesh.
B stares at the screen. They take off the guitar controller.
B
I think I’m done with this for a while.
…
What were you doing tonight?
A
Nothing. A movie?
B
I’d be down.
A
Ok.
Hotel Rwanda?
B
What’s that?
…
A
Nevermind. Joking.
A plops on the couch with B, pulling up Netflix:
A
Something happy.