Subversive
"Subversive" is, in essence, a negative term—it
means simply "against the existent system."
It doesn't mean subversives all agree ...
by Mack Reynolds
Illustrated by Schoenherr
The young man with the brownpaper bag said, "Is Mrs. Coty in?"
"I'm afraid she isn't. Is thereanything I can do?"
"You're Mr. Coty? I came aboutthe soap." He held up the paper bag.
"Soap?" Mr. Coty said blankly.He was the epitome of mid-agedhusband complete to pipe, carpetslippers and office-slump posture.
"That's right. I'm sure she toldyou about it. My name's Dickens.Warren Dickens. I sold her—"
"Look here, you mean to tellme in this day and age you goaround from door to door peddlingsoap? Great guns, boy, you'd dobetter on unemployment insurance.It's permanent now."
Warren Dickens registered distress."Mr. Coty, could I come inand tell you about it? If I can makethe first delivery to you instead ofMrs. Coty, shucks, it'll save mecoming back."
Coty led him back into the livingroom, motioned him to a chair andsettled into what was obviously hisown favorite, handily placed beforethe telly. Coty said tolerantly,"Now then, what's this about sellingsoap? What kind of soap? Whatbrand?"
"Oh, it has no name, sir. That'sthe point."
The other looked at him.
"That's why we can sell it forthree cents a cake, instead oftwenty-five." Dickens opened thepaper bag and fished out an ordinaryenough looking cake of soapand handed it to the older man.
Mr. Coty took it, stared down atit, turned it over in his hands. Hewas still blank. "Well, what'sdifferent about it?"
"There's nothing different aboutit. It's the same as any other soap."
"I mean, how come you sell itfor three cents a cake, and what'sthe fact it has no name got to dowith it?"
Warren Dickens leaned forwardand went into what was obviouslya strictly routine pitch. "Mr. Coty,have you ever considered whatyou're buying when they nick youtwenty-five cents on your creditcard for a bar of soap in an ultra-market?"
There was an edge of impatiencein the older man's voice. "I buysoap!"
"No, sir. That's your mistake.What you buy is a telly show, infact several of them, with all theirexpensive comedians, singers, musicians,dancers, news commentators,network vice presidents, andall the rest. Then you buy fancypackaging. You'll note, by theway, that our product hasn't evena piece of tissue paper wrappedaround it. Fancy packaging designedby some of the most competentcommercial artists andmotivational research men in thecountry. Then you buy distribution.From the factory all the wayto the retail ultra-market whereyour wife shops. And every timethat bar of soap goes from onewholesaler or distributor to another,the price roughly doubles.You also buy a brain trust whosefull time project is to keep youusing their soap and not lettingtheir competitors talk you intoswitching brands. The brain trust,of course, also works on luringaway the competitor's customers totheir product. Shucks, Mr. Coty,practically none of that twenty-fivecents you spend to buy a cake ofsoap goes for soap. So small apercentage that you might as wellforget about it."
Mr. Coty was obviously takenaback. "Well, how do I