MMeM, Vol.11 Issue 22 – ANTI-everything pt.1

Everybody wants to be a cop. Or, everyone wants to control and supervise others. Authority is such a siren to so many.

For instance, we seem to have a fascination with “Anti-” stickers these days.

You can’t walk into a store of any kind without first reviewing all of the “Anti” stickers on the doors. Look, a little of that is needed and very warranted, but I am amazed at the number of different things or behaviors that are banned from a location by the “Anti-” sticker.

Some of this action is born of the best of intentions. The greatest example of this is the “Anti-“Gun sticker. Look, I know
that employers don’t want work becoming show and tell for employees and their guns. There is always the potential for accidental and horrible tragedies that no one wants. But, I digress. More on “Anti-“Gun stickers later.

Never has so much perceived power come from so much unabated use of the simplest of symbols.

We, as a society, are becoming obsessed with the “Anti-” sticker featuring the red circle and diagonal line. People LOVE using these everywhere. We love to tell anyone who has no choice but to “see” what they can’t do. Ok, the onion ring to the right was purely by accident, but I got a real kick out of it. 

All of this “Anti-“symbol use got me to thinking and about 5 months ago I ditched my own logo fo this site which is to the left there. I thought, if I’m tired of “Anti-” stickers then I shouldn’t be part of the problem myself even if my old logo was built to show my intent with this blog which was, “Let’s just be nice, happy, and laugh a little.” So, I ripped down my old stickers at work and ditched the “Anti-” theme logo everywhere.

No, no one noticed and I didn’t expect anyone would.

It’s become so prevalent that one day I wonder if our national flag won’t look like this: