Not exactly playing our tune
Since I can now use the CRS cars, I find myself with the chance to listen to the radio. There are two respectable stations in Sarajevo (that I know of), playing a good mix of music from the Rolling Stones to the Killers. Unfortunately, during my drive time in the mornings and evenings, these stations are mainly talk radio in a language I don’t understand, and on Sundays they play local turbo-folk music (not good). So my fallback is the U.S. Armed Forces radio network.
There is still an international police and military force in Bosnia, though much smaller than it used to be. As far as I can tell, the Armed Forces station I get originates at a base in Italy, and is re-transmitted from the local base here. That base is a little ways out of town, so the signal is not always perfect, but it works.
What do they have? Well, in addition to decent music, I get the news (including relatively balanced election coverage), NFL and NHL scores and summaries, and lots of really interesting commercials. It’s the commercials that have provided me with an extremely limited but enlightening peak at military culture. Because it is all paid for with our tax dollars, there are no real commercials, only public service announcements for military families and ads for things that are available to the military community. They include ads for military recreation areas in Hawaii, info spots about specific battalions and their history, reminders about health and family services, ads for kids sports leagues, descriptions of old battles that I’ve never heard of, warnings about post-traumatic stress disorder, and so much more. I will go into more detail about three of my favorites below.
First is the “be very afraid” message. It warns soldiers that they never know who is listening. “Even bits and pieces of unclassified information can be put together to reveal important classified material.” Basically, the message is watch what you say on the phone and when your off-base at the bar because Charlie is always listening. To me it comes across as a little xenophobic, but it’s a healthy bit of caution.
The next one starts with a phone ringing, and a young woman answers. A guy on the other end says, “This is Sergeant X with the Military Police. I’m sorry to disturb you at this hour, but we picked up your boyfriend by the side of the road. He’s pretty drunk, and he’s not wearing pants. And on his chest there’s a drawing of a….well, let’s just say someone had fun with a permanent marker.” The commercial simply ends with “Don’t be that guy.” It’s a good reminder that their primary audience, and most of the U.S. military, is made up of college-aged boys.
Finally – and my favorite – is the 1950s sexual stereotype message. It’s a deep male voice, and goes something like this: “Spouses, now that your soldiers are back home from their tours, you’re probably preparing all their favorite meals. We’re pleased to let you know that for your convenience, the commissary has installed self-check-out lanes. Now you can get in and get out quick, and GO HOME TO THE KITCHEN” (emphasis added, but that last part is a direct quote). Really? Seriously, how about spending more time with your family, or just enjoying your time together? Back to the kitchen? Wow. At least they don’t specify which sex they are targeting anywhere in the message, but it’s pretty clearly implied.
The commercials are entertaining, but I now know more than I wanted to about our military culture. Please play some music.
all the way up against the rear seat bench. Still, there wouldn’t be enough room for me in there. A four-speed manual transmission, and a simple solid metal rod as the hand break. No bells or whistles, though many of them sound like they have bells and whistles when they are on.