Bumper Stickers – A Presentable Way to Rebel

A funny costume, bumper stickers, or pranks – they all go well- almost! It was the spring time hoax that took a new twist when BBC in 1957 broadcasted its classic Swiss Spaghetti Harvest Story. The three-minute report put on air on April fool’s Day told a tale of a family in Switzerland harvesting, of all things, string shaped pasta from a fictitious spaghetti tree. Enhancing the credibility of the story was the show’s highly respected anchor who attributed the bumper crop to “an unusually mild winter.” What a response this hoax generated. Hundreds rang up BBC. They wanted to know how they can grow the Italian food in their garden! This was termed the biggest hoax any reputable news establishment ever pulled. Pranks have a way to overpowering the victim (s). This is what tomfoolery is all about. But why a news establishment must do it is a matter of debate. They say it is the quest for power that drives people to become deceivers once in a while. So it shouldn’t be surprising if hapless office goers working in their drab environment now and again perform shenanigans on their colleagues and bosses. After all it is the pleasures of deception that eggs on the con artist. What Does A Funny Costume Do? You invent an imaginary world and do your best to convince the “victims,” if possible without their knowledge, to participate in this illusory world. It is amusing to anticipate how the victim will respond to the situation you have created. And if they do or even exceed in their responses you have succeeded in manipulating the victims’ interpretations. Surely tomfoolery is socially acceptable entertainment. Bumpers stickers, though seemingly innocuous, say something about us too. We use them to define ourselves and our identities to the outside world, perhaps our political leanings or beliefs. Conceivably we find bumper stickers to be a great way to proclaim our achievements. Stickers are labels of personal preference and they allow you to be rebellious in a society that is largely conformist. And what better way is there than to stick them on your cars when you are speeding on a high way. A bumper sticker may offend some, especially if it is self-congratulatory. But it is wholesome entertainment all the same. Yes, the internet is a wonderful medium to display you “likes’, “dislikes,” and idiosyncrancies. But bumper stickers are another way to add humor to our lives, than to our malice.