Saturday 23 April 2016

A Study in Words (Over-analysing)



Today’s post is over analysing a statement to figure out what they could have possibly have meant by it.  Today’s sentence comes from a book that I am in the middle of reading: ‘Nod’ by Adrian Barnes. I’m enjoying it, it is apologetic book where most of mankind stops sleeping and the kids go weird. (its Canadian and I brought it so that’s probably that the closest to review I will give to it on here).  I haven’t finished it yet, because I keep falling asleep while reading it (I’m also super busy nowadays and have Netflix). I think my brain likes the irony of that. Also descriptions of sleep deprived people.

The statement we will be discussing is: “Slacks and loafers – a kind of autistic stab at Mad Men-style trendiness.”

In some context: “The shorter one looked like an accountant. Slacks and loafers – a kind of autistic stab at Mad Men-style trendiness. Ironic, of course, given that he was now literally insane.”  

My biggest issue with it as it doesn’t make sense.  What is autistic about dressing like a 50s business man? At first I thought it said Mad Max, but no it definitely says Men. I took notice because of “Mad Max” and thought what weird stereotyping to bring up. None of the autistic people I know wear suits (including myself).

But it doesn’t say Mad Max. It Mad Men, a show about marketing executives in the 60s who wear smart suites, then why bring autism in this at all? Maybe he trying to convey that he still looks well put together and is still following the dress standard before the apocalypse, or the pattern of putting it on. This doesn’t work as not caring about your appearance is on the checklist of autism spectrum so with the death of society expectations why not go for chains. They are some like this, but this just an odd thing to bring up. 



Or is he trying to say that the 'accountant' is badly dressed, which we are given from the accountant connotations so we back to sterotyping. Also that would nerds, not the autistic.

This is especially odd considering that the book’s protagonist is an etymologist so surely he would know a better word to describe what he was witnessing. I just don’t know what he trying to say with this statement. It is pointlessly ablelist for no reason. It doesn’t tell me anything. People wear suits in the apocalypse, I was a zombie event this week and a lot of lads came in grey suites to be chased by people made-up as zombies. (I survived but wasn’t part of the team that got the code first). 

 That ends over-analysing of statement to figure out what they could possibly meant by it. The answer being nothing. They said nothing, just a confusing, ableist thing to say. A blemish in a book that's been pretty good so far. 

That is everything for this week, I've been filming in the woods and have tons of stuff to do and write. I will type to you next week.

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