If one happens to be in the market for a cultural shock, he oftentimes needs only rent a movie from the 1940′s. In my particular case, I had the pleasure of watching a Jimmy Stewart movie titled “The Shop Around the Corner,” a film excellent in every way, and unusually witty for a romantic comedy. But what struck me most powerfully about the film was not so much the clever script, the perfectly selected cast, nor the believable romance, but rather a statement made by several characters about their employment. They stated, in terms which make the modern man’s head spin, that they “wanted to be somebody,” when what they meant was, they wanted to be either clerks or store managers. (more…)