I realize now that some of you might not have appreciated the timing (Memorial Day) of yesterday’s comic due to the political message in it. Please give me a few beats to help you understand my intentions (or lack of).
Let me assure everyone that the Memorial Day timing was 100% due to my not thinking. I literally thought, “I’m here at my inlaw’s house. We are chilling, I have a free second and an extra comic in the can, I’ll post it now in case I’m too busy playing catch-up tomorrow. No one will read it until then anyway b/c they are all at parades or throwing frisbees.” It’s true, I think in complete sentences.
This is a text-book example of one of those times my dear wife says something like, “I wish you would read that text-book I gave you about thinking things through.” The political epithets in panel two, to me, were overdone to the point of caricature, thereby neutralizing their heat. That’s why I didn’t think they would register with anyone.
Political humor isn’t really my thing. I enjoy taking it in, but mostly because I’m a raging, frothing Moderate and enjoy a laugh at the extreme ends of anything. And while I love watching Stewart and Colbert, it’s not for the politics, it’s for the way they draw out contrast and irony in the world around them. For my viewing purposes, politics are just something on which to hang irony, and quite easily, that is, if you can stomach hours of watching CSPAN searching for set-up lines. And that’s what I was going for here, a coat-hanger for a little irony I’d found.
I took the photo of that street vendor myself when in NYC last year and forgot I had it. When I saw in my files, I thought the extreme nature of the messages in it would give me something stark to use for contrast. For me, this gag is more about the idea of the extremes than it is about the specific topic used. The Tear’s line about buyers remorse was more about a wink at how complicated the Emo Haircut’s emotions really are. He’s loyal to his party and his president, but, as is true with every category of life, he has trouble reconciling the conflict of not always agreeing with something to which he pledged loyalty. That makes him emotional and his tears exhausted.
Matt’s calling me on trendiness (comment in previous post, now deleted by request) is totally fair since I’ve never done anything political here, and since what would appear to be my first attempt is so abrasive, or, as my Mimi used to say, rough as a cob. Also warranted is the call about bad timing on Memorial Day had a political message really been my intent. But again, my only agenda here was the opportunism of finding a forgotten photo off of which I could easily bounce a followup gag.
10 responses so far ↓
1 Thoughts on timing and politics // May 26, 2008 at 10:20 pm
[…] Continue Reading […]
2 Credit Union Warrior // May 27, 2008 at 5:42 am
Mostly, I just need to lighten up. Knowing you the way I do, I should have assumed the timing of the post was purely accidental. You are way too fun loving to intentionally ruffle feathers. I should have known that.
My comment was intended to be private - I had no idea comments were instantly published. Bizarre thing is, even as a conservative there are plenty of things that I am unhappy about over the last 7 years politically. My take is and always will be, though, that America is the greatest country in the history of man. Folks here need to be better at putting that into perspective. Those bumper stickers, while ridiculous, can be found on cars across the USA. They’re simply not productive. I could only imagine putting a “I hate broccoli” sticker on my car.
The talking emo haircut is absolutely hysterical - I hope he becomes a regular on Lolzies!!1@!
PS. This conservative whose party has left him likes the idea of becoming a raging, frothing moderate. Our mascot could be a puppy!
3 Christopher // May 27, 2008 at 5:57 am
I’m with Matt - even if you agree with those bumper stickers, why would you put it on your car? It’s totally unproductive and confrontational - like walking around with your middle finger up all the time.
We should all be FOR something rather than against.
4 CU Communicator // May 27, 2008 at 6:52 am
Charlie: I love you.
Matt: I love you, too.
And I hate broccoli.
5 Nathanael // May 27, 2008 at 1:56 pm
The disappearance of what I assume were disparaging comments has left this post with little in the way of context.
I still enjoyed reading it, though.
6 Charlie Trotter // May 27, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Good call, Nathanael. I wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. Matt wanted his comment deleted, so I did as he asked. But I left the post just in case anyone else chaffed on what appeared to be a sudden agenda in the last comic.
I’m fallible.
Sometimes blogs are like live TV. I just edited the broadcast for the West coast and told you something happened but that it got handled and is cool now.
7 Charlie Trotter // May 27, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Matt, you and I are as cool a cucumbers.
Christopher, I hate bumper stickers of any kind, but you’ve given me an idea. Think of how all-purpose it would be to have a bumper with only the middle finger on it.
Jeff, I love you back.
8 Derek // May 29, 2008 at 7:13 am
Since I probably know you better than most, I feel I should comment on your mistake.
Folks, Charlie is a man known for his blunders and those of us who are close to him, rejoice over times like these. In fact, we usually have big parties all for the sake of celebrating them and laughing at him. If you’re truly Charlie’s “friend”, then you’ll begin to take everything he says with a little bit of sugar and laugh. After all, he is a little Gingered version of George Castanza.
Keep the comedy coming, Charlie. You’re a legend in your mind.
9 julie terry // May 29, 2008 at 7:45 am
maybe you should let me write the next lolzies?
10 Jared // Jun 10, 2008 at 6:01 am
hehe.
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