Dark side of parody
The Clerks workplace parody follows a "Day in the Life" of two slacker convenience store clerks. These two clearly hate their jobs and look for any excuse to avoid actually working while they're on the clock. The two blow off their assigned tasks to play hockey on the roof, close their stores to attend a funeral, and all around have a wild day. But, in spite of this camaraderie, each berates the other for making the job harder.
When Dante, the protagonist, complains that he was "not even supposed to be here today" he reveals his mistaken self-perception that his presence is essential in his workplace. In reality, like for many service workers, including librarians, it is not. No one is irreplaceable. The final scene from the film reminds the protagonists, and all of us watching, that in a service career If he/we stopped turning up, if we left for good, we would simply be replaced."You want to blame somebody? Blame yourself! (mimicking) 'I'm not even supposed to be here today.' You sound like an asshole! Jesus, nobody twisted your arm to be here. You're here of your own volition. You like to think the weight of the world rests on your shoulder, like this place would fall apart if Dante wasn't here" (Clerks 1994).
In Say No! More the intern is led around by her new boss who wants to be her buddy and pretend the workplace is a family. But what are they talking about ? The last boss who was fired. No one is irreplaceable.
Refusal satire is fun to watch, fun to contemplate, but the pathos is there too. Workplace refusal is hard to pull-off in a way that makes the workplace situation better for workers in a way that persists.
