Worshipping at the Altar of Capitalism, 8,534 Words

Today was fun! Bringing Gordon into the story is always a good way to bolster word count. Josh and James, former stars of Donnie's River, have decided to enlist the help of a private detective to locate the missing chief writer of Donnie's River: Legacy. I will include a couple of excerpts of the places where I used 'worshipping at the altar of capitalism.' Looking forward to working liminality in tomorrow.

First- as they stand outside the store, Josh reflects on his relationship with James and being a teen during the filming of Donnie's River:

The on-set psychologist adamantly opposed this acting approach. “These are adolescents, already deeply in the midst of identity crisis, and you want to confuse them even further by forcing them to act like someone else all the time?” She talked about the social rewards they were already reaping for taking on the roles of the beloved residents of Donnie’s River- the money, the fame, the love… how could they be expected to develop healthy identity formation under these conditions? As you would expect, she was ignored, and then fired for speaking her mind. In the end, the producers of the show cared little about the emotional and mental health of those they employed. To them, child actors were workers to be sacrificed on the altar of capitalism, and nothing more.

               As Josh looked into the face of his longtime friend, he didn’t have the heart to burst his bubble. If James needed him to act like a perennial goofy teenaged boy, then this was a sacrifice he was willing to make- not for capitalism this time, but for friendship.

This excerpt is a two-for-one special- I fit two 'worshipping at the altar of capitalism' into one excerpt!

“You have chosen well. I,” he said, placing his hand on his chest, “am Gordon Toodie. Proprietor and chief private detective of Toodie-Loo Incorporated, the best detective agency in town. In the world, really, but let’s stick to geographic specificity for the time being, shall we?” he said. Josh and James remained silent, assuming the question was rhetorical, but when the man fixed them with an intense stare, they both uncomfortably mumbled a response.

               “Yeah sure…”

               “Good deal…”

               Gordon nodded as though the matter had been settled.

               “It is geographic specificity you seek, is not? Am I wrong, or are you concerned with the whereabouts of something… nay… of someone?” he asked, rubbing his temple and closing his eyes as he spoke, as though channeling a message from elsewhere.

               Josh and James exchanged yet another glance, this time incredulous. But then Josh reminded himself that these were little more than cheap tricks- everyone came to a detective agency looking for something or someone, didn’t they?

               “I hardly think so, young man!” Gordon retorted, although Josh was certain that he had not spoken out loud. And why was he calling him ‘young man’? They both appeared to be roughly the same age- though it could be hard to tell age past 40. Perhaps this man was a young looking 50 year old, still spry for his age. “The most common reason people enter a detective agency is to confirm suspicions they already know to be true. It is the greatest sickness, nay, one of the greatest sicknesses of our culture that we have lost faith in the things we know. Science,” he scoffed as he said the word, “teaches us to look outside of ourselves for knowledge, to seek external confirmation when all the answers already reside within. Objectivity, that great lie of science, is really just weakness disguised as truth. Ultimately, it is representative of the insecurity inherent in patriarchal, white supremacist social structures that so many insist on an inferior and external second opinion.”

               “Heh!” Josh vocalized noncommittally, feeling completely lost for words. Even James, who was normally quite verbose, was shocked into silence.

               Gordon smiled and squinty nodded. “That’s right gentlemen. I knew the moment I saw you that you would understand. But of course, this is all laid out in my dissertation, copies of which are sale this week for $19.99” he said, extending his arm in the direction of a dusty book rack, which held dozens thick stacks of paper, held together by large metal binder clips. Indeed, there was a ‘sale’ sign placed on the rack, the lettering also in Comic Sans MS and dripping blood. It was the only thing on the rack that wasn’t covered with dust and cobwebs.

               “What a steal,” Josh said.

               “Indeed,” Gordon said proudly. “But of course, when one doesn’t worship at the altar of capitalism, one can distribute goods and services much more equitably, which is, I presume the real reason that you selected my services above all others?” For a moment, Josh thought that Gordon was on to them, and that they were only there because he was the only PD they could afford. But he was starting to get a feel for this guy’s character- one of the gifts he credited to his acting experience.

               “Yes, that’s it exactly. We knew we needed an artiste for this job, not some hack worshiping at the altar of capitalism!” he finished with an exuberance he was beginning to feel. His outburst earned him another squinty nod from the odd proprietor, and something of an askance glance from his friend, James.