In The Simpsons episode "Catch 'Em If You Can," Homer was traveling by air and got upgraded, with his wife Marge, to First Class. As they were enjoying living the life of the jet-setting upper class, Homer told Marge, "Look at me, I'm reading The Economist. Did you know Indonesia is at a crossroads?"When Marge asked his opinion, Homer simply replied, "It is!"
Someone at The Economist had a good sense of humor. Four days later, with its customary dry wit, The Economist magazine alluded to the quote, and published an article about Indonesia referring to the "crossroads". The title of the issue was "Indonesia's Gambit". About seven months later, an Economist editor told me, The Economist ran a cover headline reading "Indonesia at a Crossroads."
The Simpsons is an American animated television sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its eponymous family, according to a Wikipedia entry. They include father Homer, mother Marge and their children Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show usually lampoons American culture, society and television.
My son, Norman Harsono, is a big fan of the series. He usually watches the series on Star TV.
Crossroads means an intersection of two or more roads. It also means a point at which a crucial decision must be made that will have far-reaching consequences. Many editors, including those at The Economists, like to use this word.
-- A fictional story that I learned from Simon Long, Asia editor of The Economist magazine
