Passive Aggressive Notes

Just before reading the selection about the passive aggressive notes, one of my suite mates decided to leave a note to his roommate asking him to clean his dishes. I would have posted a picture of it, but its contents are a bit to inappropriate to be posted on a course blog. Thinking back to the note my suite mate left after reading the article, I realized the structure and purpose of these notes. Although each note seems to be passively directed to one person, they are meant to be seen by everyone. But why is that? Why not just leave someone a private note? Obviously these notes are meant to be humorous by the writer, but the humor has an alternative purpose than just a good old laugh. By using humor, the writer is effectively gaining the support of everyone that the note is not referring to. In an effort to avoid being the talk of the latest gossip, the person or people who the passive or aggressive note is referring to will change their behavior. Leaving a note like the one about the stairwell is a brilliant way to correct whatever problem is created without having to figure out who the culprit is. Also, if the note is successful and the problem is corrected, it avoids a possible one on one confrontation with whomever it is referring to. My guess is that tomorrow there will be no dirty dishes left on the sink in my suite.