Encephalitic
heads, excessive 80s hairstyles, preachy dialogue, outrageous
teen behavior and drug-addled addicts: these are the priceless
elements of Scriptographic entertainment.
Scriptographic booklets are produced by a company in
Massachusetts and they cover every topic of social concern and
then some from drugs to safety and even religion. Groups or
individuals with enough money can even contract with them to
have their own booklet made, as the Disciples of Christ did in
the unforgettable pamphlet 'About The Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)'.
I admire the
way the Scriptographic booklets distill complex issues and ideas
into very simple and easy to understand concepts that just about
anyone can figure out. Also admirable, despite the
low-resolution graphics and the fact that they were written up
to 20 or more years ago, they still retain a timeless quality.
These
booklets have a wide variety of uses but the delivery is often
marred by a fundamental disconnect with the target audience. All
too often, especially the drug and alcohol messages, have the
tone of an adult (psychologist) talking, or rather preaching, to
a kid and that just doesn’t work to convince anyone. Those
subtle nuances of reality tend to subvert much of the simplified
messages. For instance drinking alcohol doesn't turn most people
into an alcoholic, drunk driving social menace just like smoking
marijuana doesn't make most people hazards to society or even
themselves. When credibility is eroded, even in just one
instance, it tends to nullify all the messages, even the valid
ones. So, although the intended message may not always be very
effective these are exactly the qualities that make it such a
perfect and nearly inexhaustible source of satire!
It seems that
the biggest problem Scriptographic booklets have is in
addressing cultural differences. While they may function
adequately well for American audiences they often fail miserably
reaching other groups. As hard as it is for some to recognize
just by drawing in an Asian guy or a black girl doesn't mean you
are actually reaching those groups and their particular
concerns.
In England
every university has a campus pub and every soldier gets a booze
ration. Germans guzzle beer by the barrel, they even buy a "McBeer"
with a Big Mac and then they hop in the Volkswagen and race down
the autobahn. Yet oddly enough in both cases they have much less
of an alcoholism problem than America. In American culture there
is no sense of moderation and even less desire to achieve it.
Corporate profit predicated upon excess consumption by product
purchasers, hence the buying of "super-sized value meals" for
"economy sized" profits, and the insatiable appetites of obese,
bloated bodies. It should not be surprising that in many social
circles alcohol consumption is largely interpreted as binge
drinking.
Against such
influential cultural and economic forces even the noble effort
of social reform and Scriptographic booklet alike are blunted
into becoming a greater source of amusement than social
betterment. 20.01.07
Homeland Insecurity
 |
When looting in the
aftermath of a disaster be sure to take these items from the
nearest home or store window. |
 |
At first sight of
flames don't run like a crazed baboon, stick around and wait
for all the fire trucks to arrive. |
 |
When sprayed with a
highly infectious biological agent stand around and try to
identify the odor in case the emergency medical crew asks. |
 |
When looking for your
contact lens in a smoke-filled room - try the floor first.
|
 |
Tired of boring old
dynamite for your bombs? Try adding a scoop or two of
radioactive ingredients to spice it up. |
 |
In case of nuclear
attack DO NOT let your house catch on fire. Use a garden
hose if necessary. |
 |
In case of terrorist
attack use ordinary tap water to wash your hands. |
 |
When cooking lutefisk
indoors be sure to open a window. |
 |
During emergencies
some poor souls may spontaneously de-evolve into more
primitive forms of life. |
