Reclaiming Jumbo

[snurri]

My mom saw the sticker on my laptop, of a pink elephant wearing sunglasses, and asked why I had it. "I like elephants," I said. "It makes me think you're a Republican," she said. Now, my mom knows that I am not a Republican. We talk politics all the time, in the half-hysterical way of people who agree with each other and can't believe that EVERYONE doesn't. (On the few topics where we do disagree, we generally say very little. I can't figure out if this is a Norwegian thing, a German thing, an Irish thing, or just a Thing That Is Done In My Family.)

Anyway, I wonder if this is the message I am sending to people when I take my laptop to a coffee shop to try to fool everyone. "I support the president! Ask me how!" That would explain some of the looks.

What upsets me most is that the elephants do not deserve this. They have always had female presidents, they have socialized medicine, childcare, and education, and they hold all property in common. In political terms they are radical matriarchal socialists, which makes them pretty much too far left to be Democrats, let alone Republicans.

I don't know what the sunglasses mean, though.

Comments

[rsheslin.livejournal.com]

I can see the avoidance of disagreement as possibly Norwegian -- at least, according to my Garrison Keillor-informed opinion -- but Irish? I sincerely doubt it.

And I believe that the sunglasses represent an attempt at anonymity showing that they, too, are embarrassed by their association with the Republican party.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I used to think it was the Norwegian thing, but the previous generations of my mom's family (the Norwegian side) are/were quite capable of screaming matches. I think it may be part of the weird alchemy of my parents.

Incognito elephant. Check. I need a picture of an embarrassed elephant for my protest signs come September.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

This is exactly how my Norsky relatives talk politics.

Although there are a few awkward moments when someone realizes that the other person has left the realm of EVERYONE who agrees with them, because my God why wouldn't you, on this particular issue.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Yes, I have experienced that as well; the screeching halt of "And here I thought you were a Reasonable Person."

Perhaps it is a Scandahuvian thing, then.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

And the "Oh...er...well...so...who wants banana bread?" attempt to back out of that conversation after the screeching halt. Ayep.

[infinitehotel.livejournal.com]

I had someone close to me ask recently if I was uncomfortable that my landlord had an American flag in front of the house.

Semiotics is a bitch.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

The Poster Children, one of my fave indie bands, had a song on their (most?) recent album called "Flag," as in, "It's my flag too."

We don't agree
That's fine with me
But you seem to think it means
That I'm the enemy

I've got some news
It's my flag too
It belongs to me as much as
It belongs to you

[infinitehotel.livejournal.com]

And for that matter, it's a tool that only particular outlook has figured out how to use. Because yeah, it represents that alternative viewpoint just as much, but there's an outsider mentality at work that makes a lot of people unwilling to try.

[janradder.livejournal.com]

The pink elephant doesn't say Republican to me. It says gay Republican.

(I think the not saying much when you disagree is more a "I like this person and don't want to get into a fight with him/her" thing more than an ethnic trait, though I could be wrong)

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Clearly this is the wrong sticker to pick up chicks with.

[janradder.livejournal.com]

Unless you're looking to pick up Lola-type chicks (who have a mean neo-con streak in them).

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Notsomuch.

[timalyne.livejournal.com]

It never would have occurred to me that you were a Republican.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

What if all you knew of me was that I had a pink elephant on my laptop?

[timalyne.livejournal.com]

Even then...I'd be more likely to think you were if it was a dignified cartoon of a grey elephant. I think Republicans generally take themselves too seriously to go with pink, sunglasses or even stickers on their laptops...maybe? I'm sure I'm making unreasonable assumptions, something I try to avoid, but still.

And, I wouldn't just know you by your laptop, but by your glasses (or not), your hair, your clothes, what you smell like...if I were in the same room, I mean, your body language, your choice of drink, whether or not you make eye contact or smile. Of course, none of those particularly designates Republican or not, but they do assist in assessing whether or not you are approachable and other judgments could come later. But that's just me.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I appreciate your holistic approach. I suppose most of us do this, though not always consciously.

[timalyne.livejournal.com]

And a lot of those things are moot at this point because you've been playing scrabulous with me long enough that I'd cut you slack in most departments until/unless you forced me to do otherwise.

Pink elephant

[controuble.livejournal.com]

I would probably wonder if you had a plaid one, too, somewhere.

Re: Pink elephant

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Tartan.

[ellen-denham.livejournal.com]

The sunglasses just mean they're cool.

A REAL republican would never display a pink elephant.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Don't sunglasses mean that it is hot, and therefore bright? Perhaps they signify both hot and cool.

[silk-noir.livejournal.com]

Sometimes you are very heartable.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I have no response to this except for "Aw shucks."

[jonhansen.livejournal.com]

Pink elephants? To me that means you drink a lot.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I represhent that remark!

[haddayr.livejournal.com]

I've never gotten this. I think "Republican" when I see an elephant curled up around the stars and stripes. Otherwise? They don't own the flag, and they certainly don't own the way-cool animals.

If I saw you with a pink elephant on your laptop, wearing sunglasses, it would make me smile.

If you ever made me smile. Which you DON'T.