Serious Side of Jokes

Once, when I was still very  young, I was told that the best jokes have a basis in reality. The other side of that is that the very best must take us to places that surpass our normal waking state. Sometimes, the masters of theater and story-telling can let us see things we could not fathom without their help. These are the change agents that I always have respected and honored, studying their deftness to attempt to understand their practice and prowess. Although we may not understand fully what we have learned, there is a ticklish feeling that comes from being profoundly changed. once learned, the gem-like messages within a joke often work to change our "normal" waking state forever. There are still jokes that change the way I hear words or link a word or two to whole stories, concepts and the jokes that they refer to or appear in.

A good friend and I have a game that we play where we just banter punch-lines and the whole of the jokes is made clear! Who hasn't heard the one about...

 I received a forwarded e-mail joke today. Oddly, it sounded like the "joke" revolved around a handbook for street theater and direct political action. Many in the past have taken their own unique steps to "sticking it to the man". I once witnessed a group of three women turn an entire table sized display of bras inside out. Their realization that their boobs, and the straps and cups that were manufactured to keep them "under control", were actually tools of oppression. Their tiny political protest in a matter of minutes had the power to poke a hole through the business as usual approach that most 1%ers use to take our money. Suddenly the sales staff was clucking and having to undo their dastardly deed rather than sell product. This ironic act of civil disobedience takes flight in this "joke" about Target. Any large chain store will do...I include the e-mail here, just as I received it.

After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Target. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse.

Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Target:

Dear Mrs. Harris ,

Over the past six months, your husband has caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against your husband, Mr. Harris , are listed below and are "documented by our video surveillance cameras":

1. June 15: He took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's carts when they weren't looking.

2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3. July 7: He made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.

4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away'. This caused the employee to leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from her Supervisor that in turn resulted with a union grievance, causing management to lose time and costing the company money.

(This would be funny if there were actually unions for Target employees.)

5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&Ms on layaway.

6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told the children shoppers they could come in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department to which twenty children obliged.

8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?' EMTs were called.

9. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

11. October 3: Darted around the Store suspiciously while loudly humming the ' Impossible' theme.

12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.

13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'

14. October 22: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed the fetal position and
screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!

15. Took a box of condoms to the checkout clerk and asked where is the fitting room?

And last, but not least:

16. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, and then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here.'

One of the clerks passed out. 

Get creative people! One of my favorite disruptive acts is still to wheel through a drive through and ask, 'Do you have the vegetarian burger on a gluten-free bun yet?' This usually results in at least another question or two during which occasionally a manager gets called. A favorite response was "Are we supposed to?" I love people! Whatever momentary hiccup goes through the body capital, it surely interacts with many who would otherwise just show up wanting the same old same old. Some like to post a note on the ordering kiosk at the drive through. Free Drink or fries if you sing "Happy Birthday" to yourself, then drive up and at the top of your voice sing it. Just stopping in a drive through lane, especially when the line is about to get long, never intending to order anything can slow the grinding gears of fast food purveyors. Once upon a time I knew a radical who taught me a few things about theater for social change. He carried type-written, lucid graffiti and a small bottle of Elmer's glue, it saved time, didn't damage the restroom walls or products that he tagged and the commentary was far more respectable because it was not destructive. 

Social change agents need to remind themselves (me included at times) that our ability to change the world is not only about placing stumbling blocks for our oppressors to stub their toes upon, but to teach our fellow wage slaves of the way to survive an impending crash. Just as our own taking flight requires tireless attention to our responsibility to others, sending a message that all is not as it seems is just the first part of a larger conversation. Multi-national corporate interests seem uninterested in what we want, so the way to undermine them is to borrow some of their profit time to ask the simple question. After twenty years of asking, 'Do you have the vegetarian burger yet', I finally heard that they do have one IN FRANCE, OR JAPAN!