#9: What about 2084?
I'm waiting for a flash movie to download. My ice-aged modem tells me I have 17 more minuets.
Plenty of time.
You see boys and girls, it’s time for me to vent. That’s what these columns are all about, really. That’s the reason they exist. Over the past few months, I haven’t written a Contribution because nothing has really moved me to write one. I’ve been angry, of course. But not about anything you’d care to hear about. Personal crisis, mostly. And that I can handle.
It’s the little things that bug me. The little things that are, when you think about it, threats to the most important liberty on the planet Earth.
Two days ago I walking to one of my many frequented video stores. I had some movies to drop off and some late fees to pay. My transactions completed, I wandered around the store for awhile. I had the notes for two reviews simmering at home, and a little voice in my head told me I really should restrain myself. Backlogs can be deadly.
So I acted wisely. Instead of selecting anything, I browsed the stores, letting the force guide me. Venturing into the New Release section I happened upon that great piece of social protest filmmaking: South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. It brought a smile to my face.
Unfortunately, warning labels had obscured the beautiful cover photo (showing the entire cast, from Cartmans fat ass to Terrence and Phillip’s flapping heads). Lots of warning labels. ''Parents, we strongly advise you against renting this film.'' ''Mature audiences only.'' ''Mature only.'' ''Under 18 not advised.''
I took the box to a secluded corner of the store, peeled off as many of the warning labels as I could, and stuck them onto a copy of Pokémon: The First Movie. People should get their facts straight.
After my little bout of adolescent revenge, I felt much better. Until today. Today I walked into my local (even though it's 50 miles away it still counts as "local") Hastings Entertainment Superstore. For once, I had a list in my hand. If I go into a bookstore without a list I'll almost never come out.
My list included some CDs to recharge my music collection. You can write without music, but I wouldn't advise it. It helps to set your mood before you set a character's mood. The list included Limp Bizket's Significant Other. And what did I find gracing the cover?
That's right. Warning labels.
Covered in its plastic sheets, my revenge was denied. I couldn' take song number 4's advice and simply "Break Stuff". So I bought the CD (which you should all buy, if you're into that sort of thing), came home and started typing.
The reason this moved me to write, and the reason it pisses me off so much, is simply that I appear to be the only one who sees something wrong with this. I am thoroughly pissed off by the current climate of society, which judges people, not as individuals, but as age groups. I'm tired of being carded every time I want to buy an R rated movie at Wal-Mart (and what the hell else am I going to buy at Wal-Mart). I'm tired of parents who let TV be their babysitter, and then act all rowdy when they find their child listening to or imitating Marilyn Manson or Slim Shady. I'm tired of the fact that, if these idiots actually sat down and taught their kids that killing your baby's mama, declaring yourself the anti-Christ, or screaming "I just don't give a f*ck," in a public place is wrong, then maybe their children wouldn't do it. I'm tired that parents don't seem to recognize this fact.
But mostly, I'm scared. I'm scared of the day when I can’t buy a book because it has "naughty language," in it.
Oh, you don't think it's gonna happen? You don't think that day will come? Well then, let me tell you, man, I'm happy for ya. I'm happy for the state in which you live. I wish I could crawl back there, but I can't.
Years ago, George Orwell wrote one of the most important books ever written: 1984. And he sure as hell wasn't talking about the Soviet Union. You want something to be scare of? Really scared of? Then forget terrorism. Forget nuclear annihilation. You want something to be afraid of, be afraid that one day your children, or your children's children wont be able to read what they want to read, say what they want to say, or believe what they want to believe.
You want to be afraid for your kids instead of being their parents? Fine. But don't be afraid of the f-word. Be afraid that someday, right here, in good old first-Amendment protected America, they won't be able to say that word or even think that word. Be afraid that someday, right here, in good old first-Amendment protected America, saying or even thinking that word or hundreds of other words will be a capital offence, punishable by death. That's what you should be afraid of, people. 1984 may have come and gone, but what about 2084? What kind of tyranny will it bring? And what will its excuse be?
Even better, if you wake up tomorrow in 1984 what's your excuse going to be?
Time to go watch my movie.
--5:12:0:0