The 'Jar Jar' Syndrome

Have you ever seen a product at a store and wonder ‘how in the hell did it get here’? For example, the Chia Pet, inane stickers found in a vending machine, bumper stickers with Calvin peeing on some logo.

Now these things do just magically appear; they have to clear all sorts of hurdles. I mean there was an idea for this product, they pitched it to a company, there had to be some sort of analytics about a buying market, an executive board has to approve it, then it gets produced and distributed throughout the country. This is a lot of work! And all for a Grumpy Cat sticker (although Grumpy Cat is pretty awesome).

This is what I call the ‘Jar Jar Syndrome’.

This just doesn’t happen in the marketing or Star Wars world. This happens in politics as well.

Case 1

Look at this guy:

This, my friend WAS the mayor of London, Boris Johnson. From what I understand, mayor is an important role for a city. And London, well, that’s a big city. You don’t just ‘get’ to be a mayor of a big city. You have to have some sort of government experience, make friends with agencies that have money, win over various political and social nabobs, and win a damn election! So how did this happen? I mean….LOOK AT THIS GUY! It is like Graham Chapman and Bozo had a one night stand and this was the residue.

Now to fair, he may be a competent man. But it turns out he is not. He is a gadabout who just likes to travel, shirk responsibility, and talk tough to various PM’s behind their back (hmmm….sounds familiar with another man I know with bad hair).

Note: the new mayor, a Muslim guy named Sadiq Khan, seems like a reasonable man. I have heard him speak and I like this dude. But I bet dimes to dollars he would have never won if he wasn’t competing against the court jester of the UK.

Case 2

This guy is great:

Yes, Robby Ford, ex-mayor of Toronto.

Check this out:

  • 1999: DUI in Miami

  • 2006: removed from Maple Leafs game due to being drunk is disorderly

  • 2008: charged with threatening to kill his wife

  • 2011: audited for illegal campaign funds

  • 2012: photographed with a neo-Nazi

  • 2013: caught on camera smoking CRACK!

  • 1997-2013: over 100 rude and awful remarks he made as a city councilman, varying from anti-gay slurs, to harassing women (some of the age of 16), and anti-Asian slurs.

And he won 58% of the vote after this.

Case 3

Oh, Marion Barry.

Crack-luvin’ Marion.

And yes, he was re-elected after this!

See, it’s not just white people that make bad decisions.

The Point

I am amazed about how many bad decisions are made by groups of people despite all the ‘safeguards’ in place to prevent this stuff.

Think about what is happening in America now……and do not assume for one second that this cannot happen to our highest office. I mean Jar Jar was part of the Galactic Senate for Christ’s sake!!!!!