Damn I hate government lingo. An issue is not "transparent," dammit -- it's "clear." "Transparent" is what I want in gift wrap tape. "Transparency" is what a teacher writes on or displays on an overhead projector.
On a completely unrelated note, I'm living in a time warp. I'm watching shows that are new here that were old by the time I left the States. And things are edited out -- things that someone deems inappropriate. Things like "bad words" are muted out, rarely with any effort to dub less offensive words back in. Things like two men kissing are chopped out completely, replaced by a momentary black screen and confusion.
Normally, I appreciate that there are some controls in place to protect those who need protection from these things. But when someone is deciding for everyone that a certain word mustn't be heard, or deciding that it's not OK for me to see it because it offends them, that's annoying.
It's not all that important (though it is amazing how much they censor here) since I don't watch much TV here, but it makes me wonder something: how screwed up are the minds of all of our military-affiliated people if they are this coddled? One would think we'd want them to be aware of the real world, not shut away from it. It's a frightening thought.
I guess that may be partly the reason for the attitude many military service members seem to develop. The attitude of "I put my life on the line so your civilian ass can enjoy what you have and/or have the right to [insert random activity here, which is often actually a privilege rather than a right]."
Sorry, but: 1) cruising around on the cushy base in Seoul in a HumVee isn't "putting your life on the line;" 2) you haven't protected me from anything; and 3) there's no draft; you chose to serve. Don't complain about someone else enjoying civilian life. That's just bitterness.
I think I need some time away from people with mentalities significantly different from mine -- whether they're Korean or military. I think I actually feel better around the Koreans, because I expect them to be different. And I see why people around the world hate Americans, since our soldiers are among those with whom other cultures have the most contact.
And THAT is scary.
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6 comments:
Well you know if you weren't such a you would realize how much better off you are with that removed and sanitized for your protection. The mind is a terrible thing to give choices.
I think that we should start our own company that puts IN inappropriate things in movies and TV shows, we could make billions.
Aren't you always around metalities different from yours?????
Glad to hear about your stuff. Keep it up! -Jason
Speaking of You got the right to fight, I recently purchased the Beastie Boys new album, To the 5 Buroughs. A pretty good album. They kinda of in their own way gone a little old school and the album has the taste of their Licensed To Ill.
I think you've got Cabin Fever, Paul. I usually take target practice at dumb stuff too when I feel caged in (i.e. Winters at Morris, 1st job outta college, feeling obliged to finish Cryptonomicon after reading the first 400)
Be glad so many alpha males have volunteered to serve; if they didn't, there would be a draft. Or we'd be speaking pidgin something right now.
"Clear" -- clear-cut, crystal, lucent, lucid, luculent, luminous, pellucid, perspicuous, translucent, TRANSPARENT, transpicuous, unambiguous, unblurred
Throw "pellucid" at 'em...they'll be diving for their censored dictionaries.
TV: What shows are you talking about? Is the government showing Will & Grace, or something? As for the "muting out" versus the "dub," I've always preferred the former, since the overdub usually involves some poorly paid schmoo off the street to repeat the offensive lines and replace "fuck" with "fool," as in "fool you, man," and "I'll fool you good, bitch!" Bitch usually stays, in my experience.
In any event, please remember that you are, at present, married to government property. The censorship machine is just one of many tools designed to keep government property thinking the right way. And their spouses, too, I guess.
Also remember that Uncle Sam can censor as it pleases in its role as an employer, just as Blockbuster can take all the penises out of the movies it carries.
As for censorship shielding soldiers from the real world, you can't possibly mean that soldiers need to be shielded from foul language. They live in it like fish in polluted water. And same-sex kissing? All soldiers have girl on girl action in their footlockers; boy on boy action usually results in a fight.
so has the new clutch arrived yet?
Taking a shot or not, apparently I need to clarify my target(s). I am NOT talking about soldiers in active combat with real risk of injury or death. I am talking about those stationed at "cushy" posts (say, like Yongsan garrison in Seoul) bitching about their "sacrifices" not being appreciated.
I -am- glad it's them and not me, but I'll repeat: they volunteered, so they should accept it.
Shane: I know clear is similar in meaning to transparent, but they don't have the -exact- same meaning.
Censorship may be the easiest way to brainwash these people, but I'm not going to accept it.
It's not the language so much that they're shielded from but anything sexy, anything controversial, anything that someone out there thinks they shouldn't be exposed to.
The new Clutch has not arrived -- it hasn't even been ordered yet. But I'm about to remedy that.
Transparent vs. Clear...the battle rages on.
I love thesauri. Lots of words that mean the same thing from time to time. Of course, I would never say something is "crystal transparent." But I also never use "clear" in legal briefs unless I am absolutely positive the law is, indeed, clear.
I'll concede that soldiers complaining about nobody honoring their "sacrifice" is lame. Of course, they are in South Korea, which is next to North Korea, which is still not a particularly safe place to be. It's not Najaf, but it's also not Vancouver, either.
In any events, complaints about all self-imposed problems are, as a rule, lame. Take, for instance, my complaints regarding having to study for the bar exam. Or your complaints about being marooned on the other side of the world with no prospects for a game of history of the world in sight. Or Ben Affleck's complaint that nobody will take his acting seriously anymore after "Bounce," "Daredevil," "Paycheck," and J.Lo.
We'll miss you tomorrow.
Only -part- of my situation is self-imposed. Being halfway around the world is. Being assigned to live on the military base is not. Up until shortly before we arrived, embassy personnel were living in a separate part of Seoul, away from the targets of my complaint.
Have fun. I'll try to do the same. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. ;-)
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