While very diligently doing my work-related assignments, I hapt to stumble upon the question of what font to use. Now, one could go with the classics: Times New Roman, Arial, Veranda; or if you’re feeling like something more exciting there’s always good old ‘glitzy Georgia’ or something from the Lucida family (that is, if you’re not worried about looking trashy, MHMMM) Well, needless to say, I wound up on Wikipedia, and I made a shocking realization about how much we segregate against fonts [Note to reader(s) (Hi Liv!, and maybe Mich Ale!) A typeface is a root set of letters and symbols (Such as Arial) from which variations known as fonts arise (such as Arial Narrow, and Arial Black.)]
One font that has faced oppression for as long as anyone can remember is the noble Courier typeface. In my experiences, the only time you used Courier font was if you were playing secret agent with your imaginary little brother, Neil, or if you were trying to write your Grandma back, and didn’t want her to think you used one of those ‘word TVs’. Well. Believe you me; there is more to this font that you could have imagined.
Invented in 1955 by Bud “Hob Gobbler” Kettler, who framed his creation in the light of freedom, saying that “…a letter can be just an ordinary messenger, or it can be the courier, which radiates dignity, prestige, and stability.” Stable indeed, Courier consistently dominated the early computing world, and has continued to do so for longer than you, reader(s), may know. As recently as 2004, 12-point Courier New was the official typeface of the US Department of State. Tragically, in January 2004, this venerable font was replaced by a younger, bustier 14-point Times New Roman font as the official typeface of the USDoS (strangely, an age-discrimination lawsuit was never filed; although an out-of-court settlement allowed Courier to still be used in telegrams, as well as documents to be signed by the President). Courier is also the industry standard for screenwriting and playwrights (Neil used to write plays), and is one of the preferred typefaces of the American Psychological Society (the MLA Style Manual fails to specifically name Courier as a suggested font, although a growing body of evidence indicates that those guys are dicks).
However, much like all who are discriminated against, Courier’s bureaucratic acceptance was juxtaposed against its icy rejection by society. Hardly a note sent, email typed, or not-Grandma thanked where the use of Courier wasn’t frowned upon. [AUTHOR’S NOTE: One instance of discrimination in which I was personally involved, surrounded a term paper that was denied admission; not because of the content of its character, but due to the shape and color of its letters. So what if using Courier gets you an extra half page. I mean, come on, one extra page- TOPS.] In 1995 the free-Courier Movement suffered a crippling blow, when Microsoft Word shipped with Times New Roman as its default font. Sure, Courier was available to use, but was it really available…to use? The National Association for the Advancement of Courier Print (NAACP) didn’t think so. Its lawyers lit the spark that eventually became the famed anti-trust lawsuit that was brought against Microsoft. But somewhere in the courtroom, people forgot. People forgot that it is every literate man, woman and child’s Bud given right to use this font. Does not the third amendment say: “No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.”? Many questions remain regarding the future of Courier font, and when reparations will be paid to its grand-fonts, but beyond all the smoke and haze one grander question remains: Why the fuck can’t I turn in a paper I typed up in Courier??
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