"Wow," was all I could say when I finally realized that the Nacirema was not a crazy tribe in the middle of nowhere, but actually America spelled backwards. When I did realize this however, everything in the article came together and made perfect sense. Miner was able to specifically criticize many aspects of the society in America in the 50s by disguising it as a scholarly article in a major journal, American Anthropologist. I found it funny how accurate he was in depicting the many daily routines that Americans go about as barbaric rituals. For example, the obsession with the human body and the medicine men (or doctors/hospitals), the dental work rituals (tooth-brushing), and even hairdressers! Miner also refers to psychologists as "listeners" in this odd culture and the beginning of the madness began with the "chopping down of a cherry tree in which the Spirit of Truth resided," referring to George Washington.
I really enjoyed being able to figure out all of his ideas within the bigger picture of the article. It made me think hard about today's society and what could fit in with Miner's views. One obvious obsession that I could think of would definitely be related to technology. If Miner were to write about this topic, he would probably discuss the worship of "robots" that follow our commands, yet that we cannot go a single hour without using, checking, or updating. This includes: phones, ipods, computers, televisions, and even kitchen and other home appliances! If anyone were to really consider this, they could see that our "worship" of technology is ever present. The fact that I am currently typing this blog on my laptop and you are reading it is a blatant example of the obsession above mentioned.
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