Subversive Movement

So, I’m sure I’ve written before about my desire to be a supervillain.  Well, if not exactly a supervillain at least a nominal one.  Perhaps villain isn’t the right word.  I’d be more of an anarchist or subversive.  You know what, maybe you should just take your pick of the near matches that come from a thesaurus: troublemaker, dissident, agitator, revolutionary, renegade, rebel. . .

(Seriously, in this postmodernist world, the communicator’s intent means nothing.  Whatever the audience’s interpretation is becomes the message.  Thank you for contributing to the post-fact world, dickweeds.)

Basically, my desire is to use punctuation to subvert the messages I see on signs, posters, billboards, bumper stickers, or anywhere else one might come across a statement.  I would arm myself with punctuation stickers spanning the gamut of Standard English punctuation symbols and, by strategic placement, change the intended meaning to something more to my liking.  For example, by the simple placement of a coma, I would change “Go Dawgs!” bumper stickers, an exclamatory sentence in support of U[sic]GA, to “Go, Dawgs!” an imperative sentence imploring them to leave.

My circuitous commute through post-apocalyptic Atlanta has refreshed my desire to become a punctuational subversive.  The newest target of my grammatical graffiti would change a sign that reads, “Drive like your children live here.” A finger-wagging admonition, to “Drive like your children.  Live here!” a realtor’s elevator pitch.

The time is afoot to let people know not just of the power of words, but of the power of punctuation.  I may be just the mastermind this project needs.