Popular Culture Review Vol. 12, No. 2, August 2001 | Page 100

96

Popular Culture Review

seen driving his car next to a an unappealing wife, and out of the concern to score
a good impression with others he tells us that he has more than one woman, and
the second one is attractive enough to impress us. The spirit of the second sticker
is somewhat similar. Once again it feels like this sticker, in a narcissistic fashion is
displayed in order to impress its readers.
In the language of bumper stickers there are numerous similarities between
the themes of interpersonal relationships and work ethic. To begin with, work is
perceived to be as much restricting of one’s freedom and independence as love is.
In their language work is a necessary evil, a hell that civilization has been
condemned to in order to survive, much like the punishment represented by the
family:
I only work here because I’ve become accustomed to certain luxuries.. .eating
and living indoors.
Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7 of your life.
The workplace is perceived by the subordinate to be very much like an inescapable
prison:
A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.
This isn’t an office: it’s hell with fluorescent lighting.
The warden of the workplace is the boss, and the similarities between their
functions and spouses’ are clear:
My other boss is my wife.
Happiness is seeing your boss’ picture on the back of a milk carton.
Let us go back to the theory on the narcissistic personality for a moment.
Narcissistic tendencies cause the self to stoutly refuse involvement with the external
world. Narcissistic individuals experience alternating stages o f maniacal
communion with their external wor