Cultural Artifacts and Changing Methodology
brilliant switcheroo!
Laguna Honda “Hospital” in San FranFreakshow has for decades had a reputation of being one of those Bedlamesque institutions warehousing the old, infirm and insane in ghodawful conditions. A decade or so ago it was rebuilt from a hulking old building on a hill to a hulking modérne building on a hill and the problems were announced to be “over!”
Maybe not so much. There are charges that the fund of donations intended for patients is being used by staff for personal perks like parties, plane tickets, etc. So the local TV reporter goes to a “town hall” meeting at the facility to see what responses he can get from the managers.
Now comes the Culturally interesting part. Check the swithcheroo wherein the blue-shirted guy harries the reporter [waaay past the point where a regular person not acting in a professional capacity would react] and flips the triangle on its head. Suddenly the Representative of the Community [possibly* The Rescuer] acting to protect The Innocent Patients [possibly The Victims] asking questions of the Caretakers [possibly The Persecutors] are turned into The Persecutors. The Caretakers are turned into The Victims—and The Innocent Patients are forgotten. Slick.
[*"possibly" because we don’t know the validity of the charges—more here]
And all by breaking a simple American cultural taboo—grown men touching other grown men who are strangers.
OR *clicky*clicky*
I’m guessing that we can expect this technique to go viral—much like this vid did. It’s very effective.
In comments at HotAir someone brings up another layer of the Triangle in “defense” of this touching behavior: cow-orker defending little tiny lady from the great big reporter’s “bully question[ing]” [which was nothing but professional, IMO]. A further technique would certainly involve invoking the “little tiny Chinese lady -vs- big honky-redneck obviously raaaacist reporter Card.
Keep your eye out for this Technique; send me what you might find. Let’s see if it does spread.
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