What's Mallard raving about today?
Imaginary Outraged Readers.
The idea of inventing imaginary readers who are outraged is, at the same time, the most pathetic and the most self-aggrandizing thing I can imagine.
Slightly less pathetic than repeating the joke and then explaining it.
Most pathetic of all, however is that Mallard considers it a safety feature of his panel that the illiterate will not be incited to violence against teachers because they can't read. Which means he fails to understand that what is outrageous and offensive is not the lamely satirical incitement to violence, but the very real mean-spiritedness towards a group of people who deserve nothing but respect.
10 comments:
"If you're gonna take the credit, you've gotta take the blame" would be a more credible argument if Tinshley's week of strips about teachers hadn't been 100% negative.
I must admit I'd never heard of the "if you can read this, thank a teacher" bumper sticker before today's strip. Am I the only one? Wouldn't yesterday's strip have been slightly less incompetent if it had strawman liberal driving a car with the "thank a teacher" bumper sticker alongside Mallard in a car with the "spank a teacher" bumper sticker?
But I suppose that would have required too much drawing.
The idea of inventing imaginary readers who are outraged is, at the same time, the most pathetic and the most self-aggrandizing thing I can imagine.
Well. DaveyK said it better than I could ever hope to, so no long rant this time.
Just a reminder: Tinny's one of the few who still uses a two-week lag, so he turned this strip in at least thirteen days before the previous strip saw print.
Pop quiz, Mallard/Tinsley: Who taught YOU how to read?
Instead of making up offended readers, he should just visit Duck and Cover!
Reader "rev" writes, "Fuck you you fucking ass-licking duck!"
I think Tinsley has this desire to spank his art teacher for failing to teach him how to draw.
Is eight dots a new record for the Tinsellipsis?
Tomorrow's comic will continue the explanation.
Yet another outraged reader: "Duh, I can't see the safety feature in your slogan."
Mallard: "That's because you can't read, you liberal!"
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Or maybe, Mallard's new slogan for the homeschooled: If you can't read this, spank your mother!
I think he's confusing "outraged" with "Befuddled by the lack of punchline or real message." We're certainly experiencing that! I just wish I would have thought to write to Mallard two weeks ago to tell him how bewildered I am at yesterday's strip.
Interesting story arc here, Tinsley, considering
liberals read more books than conservatives.
I AM OUTRAGED! SEE MY OUTRAGE!!!!1!! IT GETS ALL CAPS AND SOME NUMBERS IN THE !!!!11!!!11!!!! AND SOME BAD SPELLING BECAUSE U SUK.
Happy, Tinsley?
And I still say:
We're ranked as one of the top countries with literacy rates. So again, why the venom? The only outrage seems to be Mallard's utter contempt for teachers.
Nice of you all to defend our teachers, who are for the most part trying hard.
The facts, however, show that in 1985 the US was ranked first in percentage of adults who had high school and college degrees. Now, we're slipped to 9th and 7th, world-wide, respectively. In science and math, the US was almost at the bottom of 21 nations comparatively ranked. Our high school graduates were ranked dead last in physics and next to last in math. Yet only Switzerland spent more per student than did the US. And we have an idiot serving as President.
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