The "My Oppression Card Project": The Latest In Moochstarter Projects From The Land Of The Free To Be Big Sobby Pussies
It used to be that dealing with stuff that irked you was just part of life.
Now, people are said to be traumatized by "microaggressions" -- like "ableist" language.
Let me again remind people of my late quadriplegic cartoonist friend John Callahan, who felt that the way to remove the dividing lines between people who are disabled and the rest of us was to joke about disabled people. His thinking: The rest of us get poked fun of; disabled people aren't quite human if you can't say anything the slightest bit poke-funny about them.
The big problem socially for the disabled, of which I was reminded by a conversation I had online with Sai, who's in a wheelchair, is the way people don't look at them and/or treat them as if they don't quite exist or don't have functional brains because their bodies aren't as functional.
Do you fix that by handing someone a card that says, basically, "Fuck you"? Um, I don't think so.
In fact, aggression sets off defensiveness, not change. You change people's thinking by talking to them and explaining to them that you feel bad about something they said. As economist Adam Smith pointed out, sympathy is a strong motivator -- causing people to go beyond their own interests and care for the welfare of another.
And the inspiration for this post? Graphic designer Lauren Simkin Berke came up with a Moochstarter project, the "My Oppression Card Project" to make business cards:
The Front of the card reads: "I AM PLAYING MY OPPRESSION CARD" and the back: "Fuck your racist - sexist - heterosexist - cissexist - classist - anti-fat - Christian-centric - audist - ableist - ageist NONSENSE."In 2014 I did a small print run of 500 cards, and now I'd like to make the cards widely available by printing 5,000 (or more, depending on how much money is raised by this campaign). The only thing that's been changed from the first card design is a corrected spelling error where I'd put "ABELISM" instead of "ABLEISM."
Video of her talking about this at the link. And no, for the Moochstarter money, you don't even get typsetting:
Note that there's no "Atheist-centric," probably because individual Christians' feelings aren't count, because they're part of a majority group.
And Christian-centric?
What, you say "Merry Christmas" to somebody and they fall to pieces?
P.S. There's nothing to make a person feel oppressed like identifying as a perma-victim.
It is unlikely that on a college campus today that Stephen Hawking would be allowed to confront and overcome the disabilities he's faced with ALS. Being a victim means never having to try. Maintaining a victim culture means preventing others from trying. They might succeed and put the lie to the cult of victimhood.
Wfjag at January 8, 2016 5:51 AM
To those that think this way I think my best response is:
"Glad I can be there for you."
After all, if she cannot focus on something positive then she can blame me for everything.
Bob in Texas at January 8, 2016 6:34 AM
My response:
I'm playing my WHITE MALE PRIVILEGE CARD. Ordinarily, I would now say BLOW ME, but I find you hideously repulsive, so take a long roll on a short pier.
Too feisty? too many MACROAGGRESSIONS?
I R A Darth Aggie at January 8, 2016 7:06 AM
Bob's comment reminded me that I did see the perfect response when someone calls you out, insults or slags on you for no good cause:
I'm sorry you're having such a lousy day to feel the need to take your frustrations out on me. I hope you're feeling better.
I R A Darth Aggie at January 8, 2016 7:10 AM
So this isn't satire on Berke's part? Because if it is, it's brilliant.
And the issue with trying to do today what Callahan did is that you will be labeled an identity-group traitor. Then it becomes socially risky for people to associate with you.
Cousin Dave at January 8, 2016 8:32 AM
I just hope nobody ever hands me one of these - the laughter might well kill me.
llater,
llamas
llamas at January 8, 2016 9:00 AM
So this isn't satire on Berke's part? Because if it is, it's brilliant.
I thought it was, until I clicked through.
Pricing works out to $1 per card. PER INDIVIDUAL CARD. I can't think of anything more classist than charging $1 for a card that probably cost 2 cents to make.
Kevin at January 8, 2016 9:25 AM
This is laughably pathetic.
Anyway,I generally won't take any type of card or literature from strangers. Too likely to be on of those gypsy extortion-type deals where they try to make you give them money for whatever it is that they've handed you (or put on your table at the cafe, or whatever). I'm sure at least some of the other readers have experienced that while traveling.
Although, if this type of think takes off, I would consider having cards printed up to hand back that simply said, "F*ck you!" (And what do cards cost now? Something like $25 for 500?)
ahw at January 8, 2016 10:20 AM
...or maybe they'd say, "You're not oppressed, you're just useless."
or
"Nobody cares!"
or
"People are mean to you because you're an a$$hole!"
ahw at January 8, 2016 10:24 AM
No blog post on Cologne?
Nicolek at January 8, 2016 10:41 AM
anything more classist than charging $1 for a card that probably cost 2 cents to make
A quick online search indicates that one can get 5,000 cards for as little as $0.01. I can not vouch for the quality or speediness of delivery, or if the order will be delivered at all, but I must marvel at the UNBRIDLED CAPITALISM ON DISPLAY.
VistaPrint will do 5,000 color cards for $80.
Imagine if the oil companies had a 10,000% markup!
I R A Darth Aggie at January 8, 2016 10:54 AM
NicoleK, I'm also surprised we're not talking about Cologne! I noticed that it took a while for the story to break, at least in American media. I first read about it some time over the weekend on BBC.
ahw at January 8, 2016 10:58 AM
No blog post on Cologne?
IMHO, but
a) not all the facts are in,
b) apparently it happened in other places,
c) it also happened in Austria,
d) the authorities all over are keeping quiet on it,
e) no one in a position of power is actually going to do anything about it,
f) Sweden has a much worse problem,
g) Europe will not assimilate the problem children, and they will not give up their free pass
h) the mayor of Cologne is a drooling, booger eating moron
i) had these gangs been members of a fraternity, it would have dominated the news
This business will get out of control. It will get out of control, and we'll be lucky to live through it. As I recall, a Syrian refugee who was questioned by the German police said something to the effect of "you have to be nice to me, Mrs. Merkel invited me here".
I R A Darth Aggie at January 8, 2016 11:02 AM
Also, Cologne paints an aggrieved minority in a bad light, so don't expect to see much in the MFM about it.
MFM = MutherFuckinMedia
An aggrieved minority that we in the US are being guilt tripped over not wanting to give them refugee status and entry into our country. So expect to not see front page coverage in the US.
I R A Darth Aggie at January 8, 2016 11:07 AM
Apparently, the "Cologne Treatment" has also happened in Finland. And as before, the details are only starting to leak out.
Deer feministas: this is what an actual rape culture looks like.
I R A Darth Aggie at January 8, 2016 12:06 PM
So the capitalists are selling stuff to the anti-capitalists and making a profit. Yeah, the socialists are gonna win.
Conan the Grammarian at January 8, 2016 12:13 PM
Yeah, the Cologne story is continuing to evolve... I don't think we know the extent of it yet.
Cousin Dave at January 8, 2016 12:18 PM
Too many out-of-control "refugees" + too few police trained to deal with this problem = disaster. Maybe it's time for German, French, Finnish, and Austrian women to tell their legislatures, "If you can't keep order, then change the gun laws and we'll protect ourselves."
I would like to think this would only have to happen once in the U.S. before women started going all Death Wish on their immigrant asses.
Denever at January 8, 2016 2:49 PM
too few police trained to deal with this problem
Which problem is that?
Criminal behaviour is criminal behaviour. If the polizei can't handle that, the Euros have bigger problems than I thought. It isn't like they're trying to deal with Loki...now, as a matter scale they probably weren't prepared for the events as they unfolded.
At this point, the best solution is to use those fancy cameras they have watching everyone, do a facial recognition and discover as many perps as possible. If they're "refugees" then deport them straight back to Syria, and mark them as persona non grata and give that data to Interpol. Then, if they try to come back, they can be deported again.
If they have residency status, then try them and jail them as appropriate.
When they get the message that their bad behaviour will NOT be tolerated, they'll be better behaved. But right now, they believe they have a hall pass, and can do whatever it is they want. And given the appearance of the authorities trying to sweep this under the rug, I agree that they currently have carte blanche.
This will not play well at the polls with the voters if they get the same impression.
I R A Darth Aggie at January 8, 2016 4:10 PM
On the bright side, I see that the Kickstarter funding was unsuccessful. (Didn't even make it to the halfway mark.)
Brad R at January 8, 2016 5:51 PM
IRA,
I think the German poles have already gotten that impression. It is blatantly apparent the police lied about Cologne. They are also pulling facebook posts for being hate speech (i.e. anti-migrant). Some of those posts were more about the politicians than the migrants, so there are now rumors that Germany is pulling anti-Merkel posts. You may see norther Europe swing way right in the next election. These aren't issues you can sweep under the rug and trying to do so just makes you look bad.
Ben at January 8, 2016 6:19 PM
"Which problem is that?"
In this case, dealing with this type of crime occurring at well-attended public events. I don't recall seeing any stories about similar assaults taking place on New Year's Eve the year before, do you? This year, it happened in Cologne and Helsinki. What changed? The massive influx of immigrants. All the reports I've read indicate that the police were unprepared to deal with the criminal behavior and the crowds.
Denever at January 8, 2016 9:13 PM
So if I pulled out my White Male Privilege Card in response to one of these cards, do you think her head would explode?
Matt at January 9, 2016 10:04 AM
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