Flippant Remarks about ‘office mate’
Movie makers of the future take note of the book by Stephanie Losee and Helaine Olen: Office Mate: The Employee Handbook for Finding—and Managing—Romance on the Job. You will need this book to help you understand something about the 2000s that I hope will be totally freaking weird in the distant future: the copulating and interbreeding of office workers.
Here in the rasx() context Office Mate is merely another expression of sophisticated caveman society that really took off in an architectural way with the megaron. This book is an official, unconditional surrender by the at-will W2 labor-camp workers (I remind the reader that I am one of them) to the corporate elites ruling the world. This book effectively says, “You can’t even have sex without corporate sponsorship so get over it and learn how to make the best of it.”
When Stephanie Losee appeared on Episode 94 of Cranky Geeks, the curmudgeon John C. Dvorak actually surprised me by reminding the audience that the old mining towns that were totally owned by a single corporation represent the historical precedent of the sexuality explored in Office Mate. This is meant to be a slap in the face by those cubicle swingers who think they are doing something new, cutting-edge and hip. No, kids. No…
A Table of Related Links
“[Dating 2.0 Picks Up Speed](http://www.wired.com/entertainment/theweb/news/2007/12/speed_dating)” | The casting couch is now a personal service for the masses. |
“[12 Tips to Improve the Quality of Your Free Time](http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/12-tips-to-improve-the-quality-of-your-free-time.html)” | “The surprising conclusion? People felt happier on the job, even though they said they would rather be at home.” Here in the rasx() context this is just a traditional American tale of the happy slave—and, my favorite line of 2007, ‘Habits are stronger than love.’ |
“[Online dating brings hope and frustration](http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2846897320071228)” | “…it does seem that the Internet in many ways is just the same old bar scene…” |
Comments
Helaine, 2008-01-17 03:12:43
Hi, This is Helaine Olen, the co-author of Office Mate. I want you to know I've thought quite a bit about the point you've raised, and I can't say I completely disagree. In fact, I'm surprised it's not been brought up sooner. But in a world of 50 hours weeks where people primarily self-identify through their professions and not their neighborhood or family, I think it is even more offensive to tell them that they can't even have a personal life in the one place they are most likely to make it happen.
rasx(), 2008-01-17 21:18:01
Helaine, I'm glad you stopped by:
Once the "proper authorities" make what we now call "telecommuting" a strategic part the future for the masses of office workers, what you suggest is a "personal life" on a corporate campus will be open to more options.
One of the many human rights employees lose is the ability to choose the set of complete strangers they are forced to "share" their "personal life" with... This loss is not a problem for a cadet conditioned from birth to belong to something greater and worthy---but for the rest of us this is quite a big business deal...