Greentopia, the Utopian Place at the Side-West: a Review of Marleen S. Barr’s Bluetopia By Ebi Robert

By Ebi Robert

If you are born into Nigeria, you will understand what it means to be colonized by your fellow blacks. From the troubles of mismanagement and embezzlement of public fund to all manner of corruption, there is a serious need for a positive change. At every election year, manifestos are presented in sound campaign speeches that follow, but after instilment, close-to-nothing is done. Few years ago, “Change” was the call, but by the time we approached the 2019 polls, Nigerians understood better that “change” is but an ambiguous word. It depends on one’s individual perspective of the word. But everyone has a mind’s eye place. I do have mine. Seeing our own dystopia which is the making of our own ignorance, I am settled to conclude that, perhaps, only a Super Yenta’s skill can get me that Greentopia. Dystopia is dystopia just as devil is devil. In Marleen’s words, “If this Bush regime looks like a dystopia, and it sounds like a dystopia, it is a dystopia”.

In Bluetopia Or The Floating Termite with an Erection’s Big Dig (di-) Vivsion: a Political Fairy Tale, Marleen S. Barr narrated how Prof. Claire Kentowitz had lodged tears because of Bush’s re-election. Summarizing, Marleen, Scholar of fantastic literature-science fiction, as a way of assuaging her distress following Bush’s re-election, opens her laptop and sends a letter to the Perfect Impossible Society Studies Association Executive Committee contact list. At first, it sounds like an oxymoron to me, I mean the “Perfect Impossible”. But on a second look, it seems not. The epistle gives me a clue. The answer is that they are scholars who devote themselves to perfect and imperfect societies. But then, the epistle proposes a billet to be to The Metropolis Times. There is a dissenting opinion to this proposal. One Hutchison River Parkway III, whilst affirming the threat of Bush’s regime, describes the effect of the body passing a resolution as the floating termite with an erection. He said: “the effect of P.I.S.S.A. passing a resolution will have the effect of a termite with an erection floating down the river and saying ‘raising the drawbridge’.”

Seeing what controversy it brings, (as in Marleen’s words: “no one expected the Executive committee’s discussion to encompass erect termite penises”), she decides to utilize the woman of steel’s power to alter the geography to enable all blue states and enclaves to become contiguous. For short, Super Yenta could construct Bluetopia. Yenta gets on the flight. The Metropolis mistakes her for a Pale Male who has got weight more than the 400 pounds. Her proposal of altering the geopragphy is challenged by a lady who hails from a conservative Staten Island section of Metropolis, but the flow is restored by Howard Dean’s screamed words “Go for it”.

Now see the sum of the fairy tale magic: “Californians soon became accustomed to their new northern latitude. Chicago joined with its neighbor Metropolis to form Chic-Metropolis, an ever enlarging haven for urban sophisticates who had no affinity for NASCAR, country music, pork rinds, hunting, bigoted evangelists, polyester pantsuits, and football tail-gating parties. There was no longer a need to fly over the flyover states. Los Angeles, after all, was now located next to Pittsburg. Chic-Metropolis became the capital of Bluetopia. Soon after Pale Male mated with a bluebird and his new family fledged, the blue tailed hawk became Bluetopia’s national symbol – the great seal of Bluetopia’s focal point!” This, I shall conclude as “the aggregate sum”.

Bluetopia, a model for Greentopia

So, Super Yenta was able to alter the geography and achieve the aggregate sum I earlier highlighted. Perhaps, with the waving of a wand the utopian place in Marleen’s mind’s eye was realized. Marleen’s Bluetopia could just be a mind eye’s settlement, but it is the best model to ease the worries built on the incompetence of our corrupt leaders. We may have our Bush, but the American Bush is far too good for a compare.

Bluetopia presents a calm peace of mind – a model of mind’s achievement – a perfect example of what the imaginary power is all about. It is the only ‘policy solution’ to the epileptic state-of-affairs in the gun-like map; the remedy for the west-side. For a minute or two, one can feel the picture of a utopian state, one which is near-impossible in Africa.

I may not trade on any flight like a Pale Male, but with the swing of my imaginary power, I can alter the geography. I can make a large part of the contingent evergreen; mount beheaders at every city gates. They shall have the ability to sense corrupt dints, and then summarily set up of fast-track trial which shall end with an instant execution without the signing of any death warrant by any state mayor. All corrupt folks shall be watchful, for big brother (BB) like George Orwell’s 1984’s BB shall be almost everywhere. The cost of arm must be changed to something greenish – like green grasses, meadow, stars, and spaceships. We shall in a twinkle reach to the stars, step on the moon with soft hand on modern software. This is a little piece of our Greentopia, our anti-dystopia place. It is my kryptonite.

Inspirational Source:  Marleen S. Barr’s Bluetopia (Bluetopia was published in Emanation, Foray Into Forever’s edition)