Home of the Free-ks

AITOOW wonders what was the impetus for our contemporary zeitgeist? The wimp/victim ethos. I know all "civilized" people get soft and their tastes become perverted. I mean what did it to us. I was going to blame Elmo and the esteem movement fostered in the Nineties by the Clintons. Then I realized that the wimps of today were raised by pre-Elmo parents. Maybe the wussification of Sesame Street was not to blame. It created wussies before the gay Grover. I was going to question what other factors could be involved when I realized the pattern went back one more generation to the hippies. How were they brainwashed? Was it a show? School? Nazi-ism? McCarthy? All I know is, that with the exception of about five Rambo-loving, body building years in the 80's and maybe two years of post 9/11 sanity, Americans have grown a giant gash between their legs. A mottled, hipster beard (or faux hawk or stubble or tats or piercings) doesn't compensate. It actually illustrates the lack of real substance.

I Am Afro-America (And So Can You)

AITOOW doesn't understand the problem with a white woman pretending to be black? Does anyone watch Maury Povitch? I assumed all the poor ones already were. Plus there is Ziggy Azalea and Gwen Stephani. And most athletes. I won't count Christina Aguilera because she is half (ie Latin). And don't forget Justin Bieber and all the other little white enablers. The ones who enable black guys to their pussy. Other unsurprising factoids surrounding the scandal. NAACP initially circled the wagons when questioned on it/her. She was one of the more productive leaders.

Intolly Coddlers

AITOOW thinks America is a land of tattle tales and nit pickers? It's like the whole country is a younger brother following you around ready to tell Mom when you do something you are not supposed to. Which would be great if we really knew what we are supposed to do. Philosophers have been arguing this point for millenia. It's almost as if a group of people tried to raise a generation of hall monitors and fact checkers/censors. Trading one type of intolerance for another. Sei You aren't possibly suggesting...? Seinfeld was right. Kids can't wait to use these terms. Racist. Sexist. Etc. However, I don't think it's innocuous. I think it's about power politics. Gaining leverage. A new crop of Children of the Corn. How does it happen?

You start by alienating them from other/competing support systems. Then you spoil them and make everyone feel necessary/important. You coddle them so they have an perverted need to be heard/noticed. You fill their minds with a dogma that benefits you. You begin by teaching them how to spot differences (without their non-indoctrinated parents realizing) using subliminal teaching tools like animation and games delivered through ubiquitous technology. You teach them that they need to accumulate points/praise to be successful. Then you give them real world points/praise for discovering non-conforming characters in real life. You justify the pursuit/behavior by making the end goal seem ethical (because the smarter/older ones will eventually question the program and some won't be satisfied with point accumulation). You call the goal - tolerance. You choose a pitiable/sympathetic group or groups (as your poster child) to be tolerant of. You can manufacture these in the indoctrination/game period if there are no naturally occurring groups that appeal to all. You align your group with them.  You justify the fact that your goal is hypocritical because it requires intolerance to non-conformists by saying there is no other alternative if you are to succeed (end justifies the means). You assuage lingering hesitance towards the intolerance by stigmatizing that group (just like the things in the games) and promoting "ends" philosophy. You keep the poster child groups from competing for control of the group by keeping their emotions stoked by pressing their hot buttons and fomenting division between the disparate groups. This leaves everyone "informing" on and policing each other. Now you have control of managed chaos. Think this alarmist? Think this Kafka-esque. Orwellian? Look around. Tell me we aren't in the middle of it.

Rodhammer

AITOOW thinks that Hillary Clinton and her acolytes come off as the smarmiest, high pressure sales associates? Every time I hear them speak, I feel like I'm being sold by the worst kind of hustler. It's not even the condescending script sales approach. It's that desperate, manic, "I'm spouting one hundred percent bull shit and lying through me teeth", intimidation and bullying sales blitzkrieg.

Role Call

AITOOW who thinks it's typical that minority groups are crying foul that Emma Stone is cast as an Asian? All we hear is how wonderful stunt casting is when it works the other way. But God forbid the ledger should ever be evened out. God forbid we ever look past labels. God forbid special interest groups can't use shame to advance a manipulative agenda. Then it's verbotten. Jonny Storm and Mary Magdelene can be black. But Emma can't be Asian. She's Irish so who's to say there isn't some Asian DNA in her? Anybody complain when Hallie Berry played an Asian in Cloud Atlas? You want more roles in movies? Here's an idea - make some yourselves instead of waiting for massa's scraps. You have a video camera on your phone.

Sty-lish

AITOOW thinks the way they space the word Gotham on that show looks like Got Ham?

Gloabalization

AITOOW liked it better when all these people lived in their rain forests?