The "Jar-Jar Effect"

I recently read an article in Jacksonville's weekly liberal rag Folio Weekly in which the author coined a new phrase called the "Jar-Jar Effect" to describe what she sees as racial stereotypes that have been transposed into various alien species in science fiction films and video games (I managed to track down an online version of the same article here).

I haven't played Halo so I can't speak for her assertions that the aliens caricature jihad-crazed Arabs, but I just can't agree with her statements that Jar-Jar Binks spoofs Jamaicans and Anakin's boss in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is a stereotypical Jew-cum-alien. I mean, if you really, really reach for it, I guess you can come up with these analogies, but I don't get it.

I think it's good to really think about the meanings behind things, but this is a little much. I trust my gut, and I did not think, "Ooh, these are racial stereotypes!" when I saw Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

Workplace Politics

It's happened again here at the Weapons School building at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.

One of my more fervently conservative co-workers thought he'd start the week by posting some neoconservative propoganda in the breakroom for all to read. This time, it's a printout of an article about the "Hillarygate" senate campaign finance fraud allegations in which Hillary's campaign is said to used some creative accounting. Interestingly, this article is dated June 12, 2001, which makes this the second out-of-date neocon rant I've been confronted with lately (see my previous post, "Hanoi Jane and Freedom of Speech," from May 20th) .

I may be the one to talk, but it pisses me off that someone would post anything political like this in a public building because whoever posts it either assumes that everyone else in the building shares the same political views or just doesn't care whether or not you do. And it's totally in my face.

Theoretically at least, politics are meant to be kept out of the workplace. This is one reason why I have a blog to express my views in a (hopefully) creative, non-confrontational manner: if you are reading this you are here by choice in the first place, and the choice is yours to leave at any time. No one waved my blog in your face in the place where you work forty-plus hours a week.

The fact is, workplace conversations frequently do get around to politics. But while my co-workers and I may disagree on some things, we can converse with one another and share our opinions in a mature, non-judgmental way. Posting a one-sided article like this is like political masturbation: you are only pleasuring yourself without involving anyone else's participation. It's like shouting through a megaphone while wearing earplugs.

If you're going to put out your opinion like this, at least stick around to hear my response. Political discourse is a two-way street, so now your sheet is in the garbage where it belongs.