They say there are only two certainties in the universe: death and taxes. There are various beliefs and personifications of death, enough to fill tomes. However, taxes are generally seen in a limited set of ways and there is one service in narratives that encapsulates the most prominent: Intimidatng Revenue Services.
It's little surprise that taxes are perceived as evil or impenetrable. Various names, ranging from gangsters to evangelists, have faced the law and lost thanks to evasive maneuvers during tax time. There are various reasons this happens and the two individuals represented aren't the only ones by far, as different as they are (not to mention the evangelist isn't necessarily representative of his group on this point; Al Capone is a different story).
So how should one represent a group such as the IRS in a story? First off, revenue services tend to be perceived (and thus shown) as highly and nigh-obfuscatingly bureaucratic in nature if they are a major force. Think Hermes Conrad from Futurama if you need a foundation. This lends itself to drama and comedy, as characters may inevitably face the turmoils within. It's effectively a foreign language to the public so it can be used effectively to accentuate the complications therein.
Characters in this setting needn't be emotionless and can may play the Spock role quite easily. This kind of character may be a villain, perhaps even a jerkass such as Walter Peck, though do be careful with this kind of villain. "Did not do the research" is a fairly easy trap to fall into with a topic as taxes and you don't want the audience to rooting for him if you screw up the characterization.
Making him on the side of good can provide comedic gold if you can handle him well. He may be the genius, even an insufferable one, prone to highfalutin speech and perpetually flabbergasted by rest of the cast's ability to keep on living. He may be unable to withstand the tribulations of socializing though too stoic to complain about it.
On a sidenote, the trope page does reveal a huge point: Fridge Logic. Be careful how you develop the setting, especially if you intend on introducing a taxman as an obstacle (if not an outright villain). Superheroes and supervillains, for example are notorious for standing up to adversity that would kill the average human being within nanoseconds. Superman came back from his own death at the hands of Darkseid. What hope does a taxman have if he went rogue? On that note, why would a taxman go rogue?
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Bad Job, Worse Uniform: On-the-Field Practicality
Okay, so I briefly mentioned this trope in my previous blog. Seeing as it can easily fit in non-fiction and real life as much as it can for fiction, perhaps this is as good a time as any to add a new feature? For this, I have no set name but effectively it's simple: what happens when a trope appears in Real Life?
First things for Bad Job, Worse Uniform: chances are when you hear the trope, you think of a job along the lines of fast food restaurants or theme parks. The former can qualify under the cultural term McJob, which are generally considered dead-ends (and humiliating). These kinds of jobs, low-paying and with few opportunities for advancement, may emphasize workplace training over a university degree because chances are if you have a degree, you're overqualified for most positions in the workplace. These jobs aren't what most people become passionate about, save perhaps for the managers, and many may simply view them as 'day jobs,' hoping desperately they find the job they aspire to hold.
What kinds of behaviors might you see in such a job that invokes this trope? Well, depression is a formidable facet, given these jobs can (and generally do) emphasize menial labor. This can lead to chronic depression and weakened motivation to leave the job in favor of applying for a position that utilizes one's talents effectively and in an environment that generates positive attitudes. Also, the uniform can be one source of workplace violence, mostly if coupled with other factors; chances are it won't instill violence by itself. This is particularly problematic for jobs that thrust employees into regular contact with the public, such as the front counter of a fast food restaurant or being a mascot for a theme park.
Thirdly, dead-end jobs may also cause self-defeating rationalizations. There is a possibility the person involved doesn't know and doesn't care to know or is afraid to check anything about the job from opportunities to advancement to whether their degree in college actually gives them an advantage in career opportunities. They can subconsciously believe that it's safest to achieve 'job security' above all else, enough that they're willing to stay in a situation that can be harming them. This includes such issues as hypertension wherein enough stress to one's system increases the risk of cardiovascular and other problems, such as atherosclerosis.
All this does raise an important question: what qualifies as a bad uniform? We can answer this humorously of course though humor does raise an ultimate point: answers will on some level be subjective. There can be various reasons that drive a person to hate a uniform, from sexism to inaccuracies (among other reasons) to being enveloped completely while walking around in 100+ degree (Farhenheit) heat. There are numerous answers to that question and it depends on one's tolerance levels (along with cultural expectations) in the name of securing a job.
Beyond that, there are numerous other reasons that can influence how one feels about the job and the uniform. Some people don't know what they are capable of or what they truly enjoy doing. Others don't know what majors offer and guarantee, though it isn't hard to see why when even some of the most enticing ones might be a poor fit. Other times fear grips them so well that they mistakenly believe they won't have a chance elsewhere, enough that they're willing to tolerate a hostile work environment.
It's little wonder, then, why Bad Job, Worse Uniform exists as a trope. Obviously experiences can vary depending on the job itself but it has developed a reputation with specific employment, such as the Burger Fool. It's why there's a lingering perception that these jobs are jobs for teenagers or nerds (or both) and it is coupled with the perception that it is a dead-end job. Fiction commonly depicts such characters as Napoleon Dynamite or Jay and Silent Bob in such jobs (even if these specific examples don't exhibit that trope themselves), further cementing the misconception that only the socially-awkward apply.
First things for Bad Job, Worse Uniform: chances are when you hear the trope, you think of a job along the lines of fast food restaurants or theme parks. The former can qualify under the cultural term McJob, which are generally considered dead-ends (and humiliating). These kinds of jobs, low-paying and with few opportunities for advancement, may emphasize workplace training over a university degree because chances are if you have a degree, you're overqualified for most positions in the workplace. These jobs aren't what most people become passionate about, save perhaps for the managers, and many may simply view them as 'day jobs,' hoping desperately they find the job they aspire to hold.
What kinds of behaviors might you see in such a job that invokes this trope? Well, depression is a formidable facet, given these jobs can (and generally do) emphasize menial labor. This can lead to chronic depression and weakened motivation to leave the job in favor of applying for a position that utilizes one's talents effectively and in an environment that generates positive attitudes. Also, the uniform can be one source of workplace violence, mostly if coupled with other factors; chances are it won't instill violence by itself. This is particularly problematic for jobs that thrust employees into regular contact with the public, such as the front counter of a fast food restaurant or being a mascot for a theme park.
Thirdly, dead-end jobs may also cause self-defeating rationalizations. There is a possibility the person involved doesn't know and doesn't care to know or is afraid to check anything about the job from opportunities to advancement to whether their degree in college actually gives them an advantage in career opportunities. They can subconsciously believe that it's safest to achieve 'job security' above all else, enough that they're willing to stay in a situation that can be harming them. This includes such issues as hypertension wherein enough stress to one's system increases the risk of cardiovascular and other problems, such as atherosclerosis.
All this does raise an important question: what qualifies as a bad uniform? We can answer this humorously of course though humor does raise an ultimate point: answers will on some level be subjective. There can be various reasons that drive a person to hate a uniform, from sexism to inaccuracies (among other reasons) to being enveloped completely while walking around in 100+ degree (Farhenheit) heat. There are numerous answers to that question and it depends on one's tolerance levels (along with cultural expectations) in the name of securing a job.
Beyond that, there are numerous other reasons that can influence how one feels about the job and the uniform. Some people don't know what they are capable of or what they truly enjoy doing. Others don't know what majors offer and guarantee, though it isn't hard to see why when even some of the most enticing ones might be a poor fit. Other times fear grips them so well that they mistakenly believe they won't have a chance elsewhere, enough that they're willing to tolerate a hostile work environment.
It's little wonder, then, why Bad Job, Worse Uniform exists as a trope. Obviously experiences can vary depending on the job itself but it has developed a reputation with specific employment, such as the Burger Fool. It's why there's a lingering perception that these jobs are jobs for teenagers or nerds (or both) and it is coupled with the perception that it is a dead-end job. Fiction commonly depicts such characters as Napoleon Dynamite or Jay and Silent Bob in such jobs (even if these specific examples don't exhibit that trope themselves), further cementing the misconception that only the socially-awkward apply.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Bad Job, Worse Uniform
Some jobs just aren't given a good reputation. Whether it be a theme park, fast food establishment or kid-oriented restaurant, you know what these are. They are the jobs that are considered degrading, even if they really aren't (or the level of degradation is exaggerated).
This is where the uniform comes in.
There's a certain dress code, it seems, with the jobs you see on television. The Power Rangers, Sailor Moon and Neo from the Matrix all sport fabric people wish to emulate. Kings and queens prefer a little more shine in their clothes, because they can afford it and frills need company obviously. However, for the poor souls trapped in a menial job, they must relinquish their dignity in favor of a more 'unique' costume - even if it's nominally a uniform.
As stated, a Worse Uniform needn't be a costume necessarily; this is based on the job the character entails. It is meant more to reflect how bad the job is beyond the menial labor involved - and this type of uniform is usually involved with such jobs. As a result, you likely won't wonder what job the character holds while he is in uniform.
This is often implemented for characters who just want to get out of their 9-to-5 jobs, as well as those in their first jobs when they aren't experienced enough for hire in the glamorous ones. They may even hate the job enough to take action later, though until that happens, they're stuck with it or if they find a peaceful solution. A character in this situation may be the only sane employee and reflects constantly on how no one else seems to notice the job is hazardous to one's mental state.
This may also be used to give a character some much needed perspective. Not all jobs are as fascinating as they sound and a character with more naivety than anything else may suffer from the experience. Going in this direction depends on what moral you wish to impart, though do be careful with your Aesop. It also can depend on the mood you wish to develop, though it can present its own problems when you switch moods inappropriately.
Ultimately this may be depend more on the atmosphere you wish to present. It isn't unexpected that darker works, especially if it is a work changing its tone either during or after its original run, will take this trope incredibly seriously, enough that you wonder if it'll reach nightmarish levels. This is especially interesting for those works if they were originally very cutesy and nigh-diabetic in its sweetness only to become darker and edgier, whether due to Cerebus Syndrome in its own country or making the jump from one country to another and meeting culture shock.
This is where the uniform comes in.
There's a certain dress code, it seems, with the jobs you see on television. The Power Rangers, Sailor Moon and Neo from the Matrix all sport fabric people wish to emulate. Kings and queens prefer a little more shine in their clothes, because they can afford it and frills need company obviously. However, for the poor souls trapped in a menial job, they must relinquish their dignity in favor of a more 'unique' costume - even if it's nominally a uniform.
As stated, a Worse Uniform needn't be a costume necessarily; this is based on the job the character entails. It is meant more to reflect how bad the job is beyond the menial labor involved - and this type of uniform is usually involved with such jobs. As a result, you likely won't wonder what job the character holds while he is in uniform.
This is often implemented for characters who just want to get out of their 9-to-5 jobs, as well as those in their first jobs when they aren't experienced enough for hire in the glamorous ones. They may even hate the job enough to take action later, though until that happens, they're stuck with it or if they find a peaceful solution. A character in this situation may be the only sane employee and reflects constantly on how no one else seems to notice the job is hazardous to one's mental state.
This may also be used to give a character some much needed perspective. Not all jobs are as fascinating as they sound and a character with more naivety than anything else may suffer from the experience. Going in this direction depends on what moral you wish to impart, though do be careful with your Aesop. It also can depend on the mood you wish to develop, though it can present its own problems when you switch moods inappropriately.
Ultimately this may be depend more on the atmosphere you wish to present. It isn't unexpected that darker works, especially if it is a work changing its tone either during or after its original run, will take this trope incredibly seriously, enough that you wonder if it'll reach nightmarish levels. This is especially interesting for those works if they were originally very cutesy and nigh-diabetic in its sweetness only to become darker and edgier, whether due to Cerebus Syndrome in its own country or making the jump from one country to another and meeting culture shock.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Get a Load of That Square
Let's say you're running a business and you realize you can potentially attract the teenaged financial sector. What do you do?
You attempt to use current slang to suggest you keep a beat on current cultural practices. You see an epidemic of rock-and-roll singles hitting the Billboard Top 40 and everyone's referencing carefully-tailored lingo all around you. It may or may not matter if you're leery of what's popular in popular culture. What does matter is you find that teenagers are a lucrative source of profit and you need to convince them to buy your products - even if you aren't exactly 'with it.'
Whatever the aim may be, sometimes people screw the proverbial pooch and the target demographic realizes they aren't using slang properly.
This is the risk one plays with when attempting to sound Totally Radical. Plenty of shows, movies and games aimed at consumers 25 years or younger are developed by an older crowd, a crowd with a decidedly different childhood experience back in their days. This experience gives them, naturally, a very distinct reference pool for slang and popular culture, enough that it creates a lag between entertainment and reality. This isn't unexpected, as we tend to be our busiest prior to our 60s (or even 50s) and what sticks with us are those elements we found during our formative years.
This creates a disconnect between what a developer thinks and what is actually going on, whether it is happening on a conscious or subconscious level. As such, it bears mentioning: Popular culture tends to carry a lot of baggage and any outsider attempting to understand it generally won't grasp it entirely upon initial contact. This isn't to say s/he won't ever understand, of course, but merely that everyone previously unrelated to the phenomenon goes through a trial period where they necessarily won't know all the intricacies.
This means several things for a developer. Among them: first, while some slang becomes commonplace and even spoken to this day (how many times do people still say 'dude' well after its origins prior to the 20th century), new ones will always appear and are initially impenetrable to virgin ears. Second, cultures develop their own unique entertainment and developing unique twists on existing ones - to the point where any genre you might've known as a kid has blossomed to seemingly infinite variations. Third, people occasionally represent pop culture icons in a stage more primitive than their current state, thanks to several mitigating factors. Similarly, Popularity Polynomials can occur with or without warning, equally for well-known and obscure works.
Whatever the issues, the moral of the story is any given individual will be out of touch with modern popular culture for at least a brief period of time, when the Popularity Polynomial effect is against them especially. This isn't always bad - people can adapt and use cultural elements they aren't familiar with in creative and well-produced ways. However, it can cause a huge friction with others who may be fighting to remain relevant in an age when the Internet has gained impressive ground.
From a writer's perspective, this is a great way of illustrating how far a story has come if it's a particularly long-running series. As characters age and the timeline moves forward, the story will inevitably run into cultural evolution, assuming the author desires some realism in the narrative. Just as characters will experience culture shock when entering new environments, they can feel alienated by an old environment undergone various changes. Imagine how a hero might feel if he's returned home after a decade-long quest, only to find the kind of hero he represents isn't as popular as the dark, edgier, more Punisher-ier variant.
It's also a common comedy tool, wherein someone demonstrates how a character is out of place but is awkwardly trying to fit in. Parents in family shows may be victims of this, for example, as they try to be understanding of their offspring's interests. This can potentially lead to Author Tracts and Anvilicious stories, however, if the author is trying to paint one side as out-dated and, thus, irrelevant to modern sensibilities.
You attempt to use current slang to suggest you keep a beat on current cultural practices. You see an epidemic of rock-and-roll singles hitting the Billboard Top 40 and everyone's referencing carefully-tailored lingo all around you. It may or may not matter if you're leery of what's popular in popular culture. What does matter is you find that teenagers are a lucrative source of profit and you need to convince them to buy your products - even if you aren't exactly 'with it.'
Whatever the aim may be, sometimes people screw the proverbial pooch and the target demographic realizes they aren't using slang properly.
This is the risk one plays with when attempting to sound Totally Radical. Plenty of shows, movies and games aimed at consumers 25 years or younger are developed by an older crowd, a crowd with a decidedly different childhood experience back in their days. This experience gives them, naturally, a very distinct reference pool for slang and popular culture, enough that it creates a lag between entertainment and reality. This isn't unexpected, as we tend to be our busiest prior to our 60s (or even 50s) and what sticks with us are those elements we found during our formative years.
This creates a disconnect between what a developer thinks and what is actually going on, whether it is happening on a conscious or subconscious level. As such, it bears mentioning: Popular culture tends to carry a lot of baggage and any outsider attempting to understand it generally won't grasp it entirely upon initial contact. This isn't to say s/he won't ever understand, of course, but merely that everyone previously unrelated to the phenomenon goes through a trial period where they necessarily won't know all the intricacies.
This means several things for a developer. Among them: first, while some slang becomes commonplace and even spoken to this day (how many times do people still say 'dude' well after its origins prior to the 20th century), new ones will always appear and are initially impenetrable to virgin ears. Second, cultures develop their own unique entertainment and developing unique twists on existing ones - to the point where any genre you might've known as a kid has blossomed to seemingly infinite variations. Third, people occasionally represent pop culture icons in a stage more primitive than their current state, thanks to several mitigating factors. Similarly, Popularity Polynomials can occur with or without warning, equally for well-known and obscure works.
Whatever the issues, the moral of the story is any given individual will be out of touch with modern popular culture for at least a brief period of time, when the Popularity Polynomial effect is against them especially. This isn't always bad - people can adapt and use cultural elements they aren't familiar with in creative and well-produced ways. However, it can cause a huge friction with others who may be fighting to remain relevant in an age when the Internet has gained impressive ground.
From a writer's perspective, this is a great way of illustrating how far a story has come if it's a particularly long-running series. As characters age and the timeline moves forward, the story will inevitably run into cultural evolution, assuming the author desires some realism in the narrative. Just as characters will experience culture shock when entering new environments, they can feel alienated by an old environment undergone various changes. Imagine how a hero might feel if he's returned home after a decade-long quest, only to find the kind of hero he represents isn't as popular as the dark, edgier, more Punisher-ier variant.
It's also a common comedy tool, wherein someone demonstrates how a character is out of place but is awkwardly trying to fit in. Parents in family shows may be victims of this, for example, as they try to be understanding of their offspring's interests. This can potentially lead to Author Tracts and Anvilicious stories, however, if the author is trying to paint one side as out-dated and, thus, irrelevant to modern sensibilities.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Rated M For Manly
This is what I get for letting the "Random" button select my next topic. I had to try it!
Rated M For Manly is one of those tropes that you may know it when you see it, even if you aren't completely confident you can define it. In this case, it's fairly easy to visualize. Imagine every 'manly' stereotype played so seriously its Perma-Stubble cuts diamonds. This is what Testosterone Poisoning is parodying, for good reason: Rated M For Manly does occasionally make fun of itself, if unintentionally.
While non-gorefests can exhibit RMFM traits (e.g. the Old Spice commercials) but plenty of examples from the violent side of the tracks exist. Expect actors such as Rob Brown, Clint Eastwood and Arnold Schwarzenegger, often with guns in tow. They glorify the act of manliness and all that it entails, to the point of taking Refuge in Cool and demonstrating that they feel Truffaut was right.
From the get-go, we can see this isn't going to appeal to everyone. It exists solely to display and encourage every possible 'manly' trait imaginable. As a result, you don't see films about thin, lanky accountants in this situation (usually, but being an accountant doesn't preclude anything for this trope necessarily - it simply isn't typical). It would be naive to say it is appealing to every entertainment seeker when the very trope conjures up images of explosions, muscles and ceaseless arrays of bullets.
There are various reasons someone could use this trope, even if the audience isn't all excited about it. First - and this accents the fact it is a stereotype - it is incredibly easy shorthand for the Macho Man type. Ever look at Brock Samson and assume he couldn't fight his way out if needed? Most people wouldn't say the same thing about Homer Simpson, especially after the two are shown in action.
Second, you can easily shoehorn in the 'this man is insecure' plot. Comedy plots occasionally place a body-builder into a role that isn't typically associated with his image, such as a cook or family man. Heck, that almost qualifies with Junior, an Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle wherein his character gets pregnant. These types of characters are not known for their versatility out of battle and it shows, sometimes painfully so if the comedy isn't up to snuff.
Thirdly, it can also be used to sell titles when you feel it isn't 'manly enough' without the edit. Yes, this can go a bit overboard or strange. The Legend of the Mystical Ninja for the SNES reached our shores and subsequently made one of the playable characters look strangely like Belushi. This demonstrates the one unusual bit of this trope: it can also cause the cover to lie about what lays underneath. Some examples, such as Dynasty Warriors, may not lose much when this is applied but others, such as the Mystical Ninja example, may fool the reader (or player, in this case) that they're about to cross the threshold into SNL manliness.
Rated M For Manly is one of those tropes that you may know it when you see it, even if you aren't completely confident you can define it. In this case, it's fairly easy to visualize. Imagine every 'manly' stereotype played so seriously its Perma-Stubble cuts diamonds. This is what Testosterone Poisoning is parodying, for good reason: Rated M For Manly does occasionally make fun of itself, if unintentionally.
While non-gorefests can exhibit RMFM traits (e.g. the Old Spice commercials) but plenty of examples from the violent side of the tracks exist. Expect actors such as Rob Brown, Clint Eastwood and Arnold Schwarzenegger, often with guns in tow. They glorify the act of manliness and all that it entails, to the point of taking Refuge in Cool and demonstrating that they feel Truffaut was right.
From the get-go, we can see this isn't going to appeal to everyone. It exists solely to display and encourage every possible 'manly' trait imaginable. As a result, you don't see films about thin, lanky accountants in this situation (usually, but being an accountant doesn't preclude anything for this trope necessarily - it simply isn't typical). It would be naive to say it is appealing to every entertainment seeker when the very trope conjures up images of explosions, muscles and ceaseless arrays of bullets.
There are various reasons someone could use this trope, even if the audience isn't all excited about it. First - and this accents the fact it is a stereotype - it is incredibly easy shorthand for the Macho Man type. Ever look at Brock Samson and assume he couldn't fight his way out if needed? Most people wouldn't say the same thing about Homer Simpson, especially after the two are shown in action.
Second, you can easily shoehorn in the 'this man is insecure' plot. Comedy plots occasionally place a body-builder into a role that isn't typically associated with his image, such as a cook or family man. Heck, that almost qualifies with Junior, an Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle wherein his character gets pregnant. These types of characters are not known for their versatility out of battle and it shows, sometimes painfully so if the comedy isn't up to snuff.
Thirdly, it can also be used to sell titles when you feel it isn't 'manly enough' without the edit. Yes, this can go a bit overboard or strange. The Legend of the Mystical Ninja for the SNES reached our shores and subsequently made one of the playable characters look strangely like Belushi. This demonstrates the one unusual bit of this trope: it can also cause the cover to lie about what lays underneath. Some examples, such as Dynasty Warriors, may not lose much when this is applied but others, such as the Mystical Ninja example, may fool the reader (or player, in this case) that they're about to cross the threshold into SNL manliness.
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