Sunday, July 19, 2009

Freedom Of Expression

I had a wonderful visit with an old friend yesterday.

She and I first met when we worked together for the ORGANIZATION THAT DOES NOT HATE FREEDOM for a couple of years -- in the same small department of that large association. (We later ended up dating the same guy, who also worked with us. But not at the same time, so it is slightly less dysfunctional and incestuous than it could have been.) (She tells herself hopefully.)

Since we had not seen each other in many years, our reminiscence included going through a box of stuff that I had saved from those days. The usual stuff you accumulate when you work somewhere for five years: a crazy letter file (which, if I did not fear being sued, would be its own blog), a commemorative Charlton Heston Celebrity Shoot watch and photos with Joe Mantegna from the event, and a letter proposing marriage from a fellow exhibitor at a trade show. (Lest you think my ego might need a check -- let me remind you that the pool of single women at these events was not a large one. And that the male exhibitors stood a good chance of never being mistaken for Brad Pitt.)

We also remembered that during that time, one of our co-workers was working on developing a Hunter Safety brochure that, among other information, included details on how to handle any first aid emergencies that may arise when people were out in the field. Our co-worker had tasked the in-house graphics department with creating the illustrations for the brochure and was slightly unnerved when he received the following CPR graphic from the (approximately 90-year-old) illustrator:

19 comments:

JenBC said...

I didn't enjoy this fully until I clicked to enlarge, which would also work as a photo caption. HA!

Love that the graphics for this brochure could also double as coloring worksheets to help brainwash young non-freedom haters.

And lastly, did anyone ask the old graphics guru why the CPR administrator looks so enraged? Maybe he's mumbling "Live, dammit, live!" to himself. Or maybe he's ticked because he accidentally shot the guy in the face and now the guy is making him feel even worse by having a heart attack?

OneZenMom said...

It took me a full 60 seconds to "see" it. Apparently, my mind is not as dirty as I'd previously believed. I'll have to work on that. Step 1: Spend more time at Brutalism. :)

Brutalism said...

JenBC - Maybe the CPR administrator is furious because the guy is wearing only one "shoe" and who does that while hunting?

ZenMom - It took me a while the first time I looked at this, too. It's like one of those "Magic Eye" things. With a better payoff.

Ri, the Music Savvy Mom said...

Well, if that's a shoe...then it's on the wrong foot. I'm just sayin'.

The Green, The Bad and The Ugly said...

Love this...and one of my most favorite things to do with you is to open up the box and look at old pictures!!!

dilettante07 said...

I couldn't figure it out either--and thought that it was funny for the two-way arrow and that the guy looks like he's pushing on the other guy's lower intestine rather than his chest. Luckily, you readership is perverted enough to find the true humor and point it out to someone like me, who is clearly not perverted.

Also, I hope when I'm 92, I'm still with it enough to try to sneak something like this past some whippersnappers.

Brutalism said...

I really am hoping that the graphic artist was in on the joke and was seeing if this would get printed. In a pamphlet. (That one's for you, Tante. Normal people prefer the word "brochure.")

Hit 40 said...

We all have those crazy letter files!! I take the file home every summer when school is over to burn.

Brutalism said...

Seriously...I'm really thinking that Crazy Letter Files would be an awesome blog. No shortage of fodder from people in every industry (though I'm sure some industries lend themselves to crazier letters than others). Who's on it?

Dilettard07 said...

Clearly the artist just copied the diagram from an inflatable doll instruction manual.

The dour look of the "pumper" can be explained by the fact that he keeps inflating and the thing's still not fully inflated.

Millennium Housewife said...

Husband and I have just laughed our heads off at that, just our humour (though I swear we're not sad enough to sit reading blogs together, I called him in from the other room, honest!). Excellent, cheers!

Brutalism said...

Ri - I know. Some "shoe", huh? I swear that graphic artist is laughing somewhere.

GB&U - We have a million ridiculous pics from our years in DC, don't we?

Tard - ha ha "pumper" -- I went back and forth over saying something about CPR and number of pumps...then chose not to go there.

Milennium Housewife - Glad you and your hubby liked it.

Critty Critty Bang Bang said...

I can just imagine the dialouge...

"Are you having a heart attack or are you just happy to see me?"
Classic.

Spiffy blog ya' got here!

Brutalism said...

CCBB -- Welcome to Brutalism...I think I've seen you 'round the Organic Meatbag parts? (wait...that didn't sound right...) Will check out your blog momentarily.

The Absurdist said...

I'm disappointed.

14 comments and no one, not a single person, has noticed the yellow cloud emanating from the pumper's hind-end. "Oh, it's an old coffee stain" you say.

"Poppycock", I reply.

I think it perfectly explains the look on the pumper's face: frustration with a hint of relief. He's been holding that one in all day.

Millennium Housewife said...

Just over to say thanks for following my bblog - really flattered! x

Brutalism said...

Jason - You're killing me. That old coffee stain is on the original and it was so faint when I scanned it that I thought no one would notice. I forget how alert my readers are. I think we may have solved the mystery of why the person performing CPR is so angry. In his moment of heroism, he will be remembered for not saving the life of some unfortunate Viagra overdoser, but for breaking wind as he did it.

Unknown said...

Apparently learning CPR is a real gas, that's what I've learned here. Brilliant!!

Brutalism said...

Candace -- My work here is done. This was posted, in fact, to show what fun doing CPR can be. All the cool kids are doing it. Go out and do it now. God...I'm such a humanitarian.