Episode 37 takes a look at jobs that become more of a lifestyle change than a 9-5. The stories share the tales of a "commune" that is formed by a college troupe that put on the show "Hair", Scott Carrier (that antelope guy that keeps popping up throughout episodes) talking about quitting a job and giving psychological tests to people, the explosion that took place in 1944 near San Fransisco and those who were affected by it. There's also a short piece, "Orientation",giving the mundane and everyday truths of office work, particularly the first day.
Act one, Scott Carrier's story is a rather strange one, as is most of his stories that I've been coming across (you can hear him in episodes 12 and 35). The point of view that Carrier brings to all of these stories come off as a bit strange, working as a medical tester who has to randomly find people to test (on the road all over the state, might I add). He's also seen elsewhere chasing antelopes, literally, and putting out strange little haikus. Dear sir, I know you try and you are talented, but somehow your work just throws me for such a curve I don't know what to do with it.
Act two is the story about the acting group that puts on "Hair" and lives a communal lifestyle. The way they talk about their situation and their relationships with each other truly bring to mind interviews and video I have heard/seen from the 60's, except in this story, the way the actors lay it on so thick make me wonder how long the story really is and wish for it to be over soon.
Act three is the story of a ship that blew up near San Fransisco and the workers on board who were affected by the incident. They speak about when the explosion occurred, along with the results of the blast. Of course the story was put on trial to charge the people in charge of the incident and this is what some of the men who were there say really happened, not just what was reported.
Act four rounds out the show with the piece "Orientation". Recently entering the work world, more so related to the office world than the retail world (finally!), I can relate to the rundown of people and their jobs in the office and how things run. This concept of 'this is how it is and it's how it will be' seems to be all around us, just waiting to be reinforced for those who don't know the order of things.
Of course, that brings to mind the thought of who is going to shake up that world and actually make it different, for more than just a moment.
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