Jennifer Government

Recently I read a novel by Max Barry called “Jennifer Government.” I borrowed this book from my good friend Paul C. At first he explained to me that it was about a world where people took the last name of the company they worked for because consumerism was so important. He also explained that it began with the release of a special Nike shoe which was worth thousands of dollars and people would camp outside stores and kill for. Likewise, Paul is a sneakerhead (or recovering addict) and would totally camp outside various stores for a pair of Tiffany Dunks. My interest was peaked.



Max Barry pens this novel with great wit and insight to attack modern day consumerism by creating a horrible universe where corporations rule that isn’t so far off from the system today.

Barry portrays corporate greed and power throughout the book. In this universe corporate culture takes over your life, your name, and in some cases even decides who lives or dies. The absolute power of those in the “Alliance” of the greatest companies does corrupt absolutely as we follow the path of the two John Nikes as they slime their way through the upper echelons of society. Max Barry’s scathing attack on consumerism, small government, and the “American” way fittingly proceeds to include the National Rifle Association as a militant evil assassinating association. It is no coincidence that Barry uses the NRA as a competing “army for hire” as a symbol of our Constitutional right to bear arms however twisted to be the platform for our crazy conservative gunslinging politicians.

Aside from being a comical romp through this “make believe” world, Barry wants you to think about the parallels to today’s society. Interestingly enough a future where the police are useless and one could get away with murder by paying the correct people is not that far fetched. There are police corruption scandals every day. A product today may have so much buzz that people do camp out and pay thousands for shoes. People camped out for days for the PS2 when it came out. Remember Star Wars Episode I before we were all asking what a metichlorion was? Doesn’t the Hermes Birkin have a 6 month waiting list? In Paris not even a woman with more money than God like Oprah can buy one of those! I’ve always been wary of companies teaming up to form “alliances” like how you can buy a McDonalds hamburger and eat it with Ronald inside a Walmart store. You can buy a book at Barnes and Noble and drink a Starbucks at the same place. The Hilton family of hotels is like all the hotels. The Star Alliance includes over 15 different airlines. If you’re blacklisted from one, you probably will not be able to fly any of them.

In conclusion Max Barry is awesome because he wrote Jennifer Government. However didn’t he sell the rights to a movie company? Whatever, I’d add it to my Netflix queue. You really can’t be too anti consumerism or you end up in an old abandoned house talking to yourself trying to erase the credit record.

Check out Max and his disdain for “Rub a Dub Dub”