Passive-Aggressive Kung-Fu
On the 9, I was reading a collection of essays by Michel Foucault. I tell you this not to try and impress you, as Foucault is so five minutes ago and serves as a simple cue for many to say “I like critical theory. Do you like critical theory?” I’m telling you because it comes up at the end of this anecdote.
So, as I find Minnesotans apt to do, they avoid eye contact, yet are generally interested in those around them (this assumes acceptable hygiene levels and those around them do not bark or hold conversations with invisible people - or this site wouldn’t be here, right?).
I feel this woman peering over my shoulder, desperately waiting to engage me about Foucault. I have enough over-educated and under-employed friends; I don’t need to strike up a conversation with her. So, I counter with my own passive-aggressive kung-fu and keep reading. The bus arrives at this woman’s stop. She gets up and as she leaves says “Foucault was a fascist!” I looked up from my book and said “thanks for ruining the ending.”
Jan 30th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
As if there’s anything wrong with a bout of fasciism now and again.
Jan 30th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
The second you let down your kung-fu guard you have a bus buddy, and we all know how fun those are.