Saturday 27 June 2020

CiH? Daily Strip #64

From the Head Office in Kitchener, Ontario, it's TODAY'S Cerebus in Hell?!!!:



12 comments:

nicholas said...

These are not good.

Tony Dunlop said...

To be more precise: There was a time when Dave Sim was known for biting, clever, and occasionally subtle satire. This stuff is just clumsy and obvious.

Anonymous said...

"These are not good."

Brian West said...

With the barbarians literally at the gates of the White House(That’s Abe Freaking Lincoln, I wanna tell those dolts wanting to tear his statue down, a statue begun via funding from FORMER SLAVES); Jacobins braying for changes in art, cartoons, freaking maple syrup. Identity politicians coercing anyone who doesn’t ENTHUSIASTICALLY endorse and affirm their gender identity, ethnicity, sexuality, race to conform or else face being “memory holed.” Everybody seeing “Black Lives Matter” in their alphabet soup, you’re damn right these aren’t good. To paraphrase a corporate mascot that the Jacobins haven’t remade in their own image yet: “They’re grrrreat!”

Thank you Dave and David B. for your onions and your “bite”. Tony the Tiger out!

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

Wow, Brian W. is almost as paranoid as Dave himself. It must be terrible to be so afraid all the time, of real things and the things he makes up out of his head.

-- Damian

Rubal said...

Those are really not so good

Aryan said...

Those are not so good for sure.

Brian West said...

Good morning, Damian.

Thanks for the compliment. Being likened to a pioneer in the comics field was a highlight to my day. Know I am low in the pecking order at Aardvark-Vanaheim, rightfully so, but I consider your comment as faint praise in light of “my place.” Thank you.

Still, I can speak for myself here. So, if you have any problems with my arguments here address them directly to me, if you please. There really is no need to hide behind your disdain of Dave to lob ad hominem attacks my way. Like Dave might say, “Say what you mean. Mean what you say.” You gonna throw jokes don’t utter my name in the third person. No need to Call collect. I will be more than happy to receive your calls directly.

Speaking of which: my reasonings aren’t based on fear or paranoia. They’re based on experience and some knowledge of African American History. Experience in the ways that corporations prey on people’s fears to curry favor. #BlackLivesMatter is no different. Seeing companies in real time genuflect to appeal to black consumers (Criterion Channel offering films by or about African Americans for free,HBO Max removing GWTW temporarily, The AP capitalizing “black,” the NYT firing their Opinions Editor for including an Op-Ed by a conservative U.S. Senator who suggested military intervention for the protests) — and, I suspect, liberal, upper class, white consumers — has convinced me that the white liberal elite in the USA see the protest as just another way for them to mollify and influence black consumers. Even the Golden Girls have become targets of character assassination, pun intended.

It’s phony, man. The Metropolitan Museum got caught telling a White Lie about Black solidarity: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBEn2QZHexx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link. Black folks see through the manipulation even in silly cartoons: https://twitter.com/tennesseehoney_/status/1276644183944638464?s=21.

I am not saying that whites are not sincere in how they might think about BLM, the death of George Floyd, etc. But I am saying that I ain’t talking about the BS from a position of fear, but from wisdom. You live as a black man for 43 years in the USA you can smell condescension a mile especially from corporations. We are NOT all in this together.

As to history: a favorite film critic of mine, Armond White, likened BLM to the Zika Virus. At first I thought his observation was a little harsh. That was in 2017, I think. But now? I think he hit the nail on the head. Black Americans and many White Americans have lost their perspective on history in this uproar over race, politics, police brutality. When pundits and even religious leaders compare what happened to George Floyd to Emmet Till I am at loss as to how to respond.

I think such conflation neglects the tremendous progress that African Americans have made for themselves despite deprivation. The Voting Rights Act of 1965, The Civil Rights Act of 1964, The 15th Amendment, The 14th Amendment, the 13th Amendment. Those achievements with the sincere cooperation of whites - sometimes racist ones (RIP LBJ), sometimes indifferent ones (RIP Lincoln) - are Substantive actions which have more meaning and impact than any hashtag or empty protest slogan ever will, I think. Those actions have had made other achievements (14th Amendment/Obergerfell v. Hodges) (The Civil Rights Act/Bostick v. Clayton County) a reality. Black folks don’t get enough credit for building America, like actually building America, but the proof is in the legal pudding. It’s why I cringed when I heard about the Jacobins going after the Emancipation Memorial.

Like Paul Mooney says, BLM needs to “Know Your History.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/06/25/yes-freedmens-memorial-uses-racist-imagery-dont-tear-it-down/
Ok, that’s it from me. Damian, want to talk about this some more I will be more than willing to do so.

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

Oh dear, Brian W., the hardships you face, having to click on a different link to watch a movie! Or some body whose advice you're not obliged to follow capitalizes a word! Must be terrible to be so afraid of being murdered in your bed like that!

-- Damian

Tony Dunlop said...

Ignore him, Brian. Thanks for the thoughtful input. I'd write back, but it'd be trite. Suffice it to say I'm currently more worried about the white supremacists than the Jacobins. I live in Minneapolis and I saw them driving around looking for shit to burn down.

Brian West said...

Thank you, Tony. If you ever happen to be on Twitter please drop by. The link is in my name. Maybe we could talk some more there or if not, maybe swap emails. My best to you up there.

Tony one more time said...

Twitter? No, thanks; I generally avoid "wretched hives of scum and villainy" (h/t to Manly Matt). (BTW Brian, you're Obi-Wan and Luke in the analogy for what it's worth)