One character he returned to frequently was The Man in the Tall Hat. Why the man had a tall hat, or even who he was, never really came up. And why should it? A little absurdity does a body good.
The cartoons weren't laugh-out-loud funny, but instead were flights of gentle whimsy. A peek into my father's psyche, and his conception of the world as it should be rather than how it is.
Happy Father's Day, Pa - You are missed by many and you still make us smile. -Stilton
BONUS: CHICK, PLEASE...
At a recent roundtable discussion of race, Chick-fil-A's CEO, Dan Cathy, showed that he believes actions are stronger than words. Unfortunately, the words in question were Cathy's declaration that to atone for racism, white people should literally start polishing the shoes of black people wherever they find them. Which won't be socially awkward at all, right?
To show he means business, Cathy then whipped out a shoeshine brush that he keeps in his pocket (this is called "eccentricity" when you're wealthy) and stooped to polish the sneakers of rapper Lecrae Moore - a black man who has been so oppressed by centuries of systemic racism that he currently has a net worth of only $3 million.
Humility is fine, but obsequious virtue-signaling is the opposite of humility. Moreover, Cathy's suggestion strikes us as a good way to get killed. Don't believe us? Pounce on the feet of the next black person you see, and hock up a loogie on their shoes. The odds that you'll finish giving a spit-shine are considerably lower than the likelihood you'll soon find yourself waddling to a hospital for an emergency shoebrush extraction.
To show he means business, Cathy then whipped out a shoeshine brush that he keeps in his pocket (this is called "eccentricity" when you're wealthy) and stooped to polish the sneakers of rapper Lecrae Moore - a black man who has been so oppressed by centuries of systemic racism that he currently has a net worth of only $3 million.
Humility is fine, but obsequious virtue-signaling is the opposite of humility. Moreover, Cathy's suggestion strikes us as a good way to get killed. Don't believe us? Pounce on the feet of the next black person you see, and hock up a loogie on their shoes. The odds that you'll finish giving a spit-shine are considerably lower than the likelihood you'll soon find yourself waddling to a hospital for an emergency shoebrush extraction.
You know, I used to have a modicum of respect for Chick-Fil-A.
ReplyDeleteUsed to.
I LOOOVE those drawings your Dad did!!! They have a definitely professional character to them and remind me of some of the types of cartoons in the ancient magazine, "The New Yorker". Thanks for sharing those.
ReplyDeleteAs for Crappy Cathey, ( sounds like a great new toy - pull the string and it kisses the anus of any nearby person of color ) that chain of stores will never see another cent of mine, Which is sad, they had the best chicken and waffle fried ever. But we must hold to SOME principles, and enriching the virtue signalling ass kissers is not in my interests at all. There are a lot of other places that want my dollars. Cathyboy can suck it. ( That might be his NEXT sign of soulless toadying )
No fan of anything deep-fried am I , especially, industrial deep-fried food, so meh, as my son would say.
ReplyDeleteBut the left seems to be starting to eat its own. some may already be aware that in one of the Woketopias in this otherwise same country, aka NYC, the Statute of Theodore Roosevelt is slated to come down more the same blardy blardy blar reasons we've heard.
I find this deliciously ironic as it was 'Teddy" the first national "progressive", who greatly expanded the reach of federal power. Likewise the statue of Winston Churchill in London, had to have a cordon of police around it to keep the modern-day BLM vandals at bay.
I've said this before that we seem to be living what the Chinese went through during Mao's so-called Great Proletarian cultural Revolution.
Why do the words 'whiff of grapeshot' comes to mind now?
Catys Chicken was overrated as was his Christian beliefs.
ReplyDeleteAffirmative Action is bad enough but ass sucking? No way. I have missed out on more than one career advance because a less qualified minority with less experience had to be placed into the slot because the government said to. And this is not limited to those of African ancestry.
ReplyDeleteWith somewhere near 97% of those shot and killed by police being male, where is the concern about police sexism?
ReplyDeleteNow comes the part where it's pointed out that males are more likely to have interaction with and escalate the level of violence.
Perhaps that is the real reason rather than systemic discrimination.
Maybe such a concept could find applicability in other differences in who gets killed.
Crazy talk though. It's a requirement that we believe that any one group of people is just the same as any other. Except apparently for white guilt. Right, shine boy.
Statement from the creators of the free computer game Dwarf Fortress (italics and bold my emphasis):
ReplyDelete"While the protests against the murder of George Floyd and police brutality, and the ensuing police riot, continue in this country, we don't want to be silent, nor do we want to make a generic brand statement. So, specifically, we support efforts to defund the police, as well as those to minimize and abolish incarceration. No amount of protection afforded to white people is worth the horror we continue to perpetuate in this country against millions in marginalized communities. Black lives matter."
The first cartoon reminds me of a personal observation in my part of the country. It seems the smaller the "cowboy" the bigger the hat. My dad used to say that those city "cowboys" looked like piss-ants under potato chips.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Cathey's idiotic proposal, it seems nearly every business is getting in on the "We support "black lives matter" bandwagon. Maybe 666 isn't the mark of the beast, rather BLM?
I'd be happy to doodle a tenth as well as did your dad. My dad had zip talent when it came to drawing, but he had a ton of common sense. I hope I was handed just a few ounces of it. My dad died in 1990. He was a Mason, City-Councilman, civilian pilot, Volunteer fireman, businessman, a conservative who taught me family values, a crack-shot with a rifle, and could ride a horse, since he was brought up on a ranch in South Dakota. I sometimes find myself wishing he were here to give me advice.
ReplyDeleteHe and my mother would have been appalled at what BLM and Antifa have been allowed to do by various Mayors and Governors. Those of my dad's era (and mine too---I'm almost 83) are dying off, and it saddens me to think of what will happen when the feckless millennials and younger kiddies who have been indoctrinated by the Left are in the vast majority. From the looks of things, maybe they are already.
That first hat cartoon somehow reminds me of that insipid "quality/equity" meme.
ReplyDeleteDan Cathy goes Woke: If Chick-fil-A was a publicly-traded company, I'd argue that this was a signal to sell. When any leader acquiesces to the whims of the mob, the demanded subservience will never end. You will never have the mob's love or respect or escape their wrath, and they will always be back demanding more from you. The only winning move is not to play.
The first cartoon should be titled "Over-compensation". I cannot believe Mr. Cathy did that. Truet is digging himself out as we speak! A new Olympic sport: Extreme Virtue Signalling!!
ReplyDelete"They still have the store tags" Ouch!
ReplyDeleteAwesome cartoons by your dad Stilton. Boy, do I miss mine. He would be appalled by what has transpired in our country during the 22 years he's been gone.
ReplyDeleteThis goes well beyond virtue signaling. Appalling. Before this, I respected and supported Chick-Fil-A. Not anymore.
ReplyDelete"Store tags" while sipping coffee didn't go well,
ReplyDeletebut my monitor screen needed cleaning anyway
I think your Pa answered a deep theological question of mine:
How far does an angel sink in while standing on a heavenly cloud?
This is no way endorses or accepts what Mr. Cathy did as it was as all of you commenters have said. However, Mr. Cathy is a deeply religious man, so much so he closes all his stores on Sunday, which loses a lot of money for him. I want to think his gesture came from a religious standpoint, not acquiescence to the mob. I could be wrong and what he did was wrong no matter his good intentions. Remember the mob has a goalpost with wheels. There is never enough appeasement. As with most bullies, it enforces and energizes them. I wish all of corporate America would realize how much harm they are doing with their pearl clutching.
ReplyDeleteSHELLY - If his actions were in any way based on Faith, rather than ass kissing virtue signalling, he would have done it PRIVATELY, not as a public spectacle - remember what Jesus said about the Pharisees doing their works in public so they could all be SEEN and people would say, wow, how holy these guys are!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLet me give you Luke chapter 18 in the Cathy Translation:
11 The hypocrite knelt before cameras, holding his shoe shine cloth and as he shined the Poor Oppressed Suffering Slave Man's Armani shoes, he said to the Lord, and to the media people, O Lords, I thank thee that I am not like other oppressive Caucasians, those who have enriched my coffers with their filthy loot gained by slave trading, all are evildoers, racists, sinners, beaters of slaves, mockers of rap music, and cultural appropriators!. 12 For *I* watch Nicki Minaj twice a week, bow before the Mighty Image of a Black Panther, and gain Virtue Points from every group to which I can bow down.’<
Atoning for racism by shining shoes is like atoning for sexism by polishing dildos.
ReplyDelete@M. Mitchell Marmel- They still make a damn good sammich.
ReplyDelete@j- Glad you like my Dad's cartoons. He had a very efficient line style, only drawing what was absolutely necessary to convey the gag. And all of these are really doodles compared to his more polished work. As far as Chick-fil-A goes, I still plan to buy their sammiches from time to time, even though the CEO is annoying.
@Fish Out of Water- Wow, I'm a fan of anything deep fried. As far as Teddy Roosevelt's statue goes, his politics matter less than the fact he's part of history and History Is Bad.
@Anonymous- In fairness, Chick-fil-A makes the best chicken sandwich I'm aware of. It's a rare treat for me (there's usually a line, plus I'm a cheapskate).
@Anonymous- In my family, we've also experienced missed jobs and promotions because of obvious and blatant affirmative action policies. And it's likely what cost me a position I held for 16 years. Black Americans have legitimate grievances...but so do white Americans, Asian Americans, and probably all other groups.
@SpectreRider- You're right! Males are suffering from "disparate impact" - which is the buzzword for non-racist policies that still get burned because they have greater impact on some races than others. For instance, asking people if they have an arrest record is considered a no-no during a job interview, because black applicants are more likely to have such a record. So the question is raaaaaacist. And you're right: all groups are created equal, except for white men - who are the scourge of the Earth.
@McChuck- Hey, if these assholes are so sensitive, then they should change the name of their game because people with "dwarfism" preferred to be called "small people." Using the D-word is just an insult.
@American Cowboy- In my part of Texas, we hear the phrase "all hat and no cattle." And like you, I'm sick of all the corporate messages I'm being flooded with in which companies proclaim that they're not racists. You know what? I already assumed these businesses weren't racist because this isn't a racist country.
@Alfonso Bedoya- Your dad sounds like one helluva guy, and he clearly did a great job of raising you. And it does seem like those with common sense are getting old and dying, leaving our nation's fate in the hands of the clueless. Scary stuff.
@John the Econ- Now that you mention it, that cartoon IS similar. Sort of. Although my Dad was never interested in politics. He was a Golden Rule kind of guy, which pretty much covers all bases.
Regarding Dan Cathy, I can't get over the idiocy of his meta-minstrel show.
@udaman- That would be a good name for my Dad's cartoon! And my only question about Olympic Virtue Signalling is if there'd be actual gold, silver, and bronze awards, or only participation trophies for all?
@Maoz- It is a nasty little line, isn't it? And to be clear, I've got nothing against this rapper. But when looters are emptying Nike stores, any reference to shoes is pretty hard for me to take seriously.
@TrickyRicky- I'd hate to have to explain to The Greatest Generation what the hell has been happening in recent decades.
Cathy seems to believe that polishing shoes was or is somehow beneath a white person, that this was only a task for black people. It's almost a display of Bidenesque racism. Maybe someone should ask Joe if he's willing to shine Corn Pop's shoes as a gesture of reconciliation, or dare I say, "Reparation"?
ReplyDelete@Doug Rebertus- For now, I can still respect Chick-fil-A as an institution even though I think their CEO is screwy.
ReplyDelete@DougM- I've warned about consuming liquids while reading my stuff! And I think an angel should sink about ankle deep into a cloud. Not because of any principle of physics, but because it seems like it would feel like a gentle foot massage.
@Shelly- I agree with you. I think Cathy is a good man who has shown on multiple occasions that he prioritizes values over profits. And I'll agree with him that racism has been a problem in this country and we're still not where we need to be. But the shoeshine thing was just insane, and a very poor judgment call.
@j- Amen to that!
@tfhr- You're exactly right.
ReplyDeleteStilt. I love your father's sense of humor and drawing ability. It's easy to see the apple, the tree, falling, something, something about you being giftedly talented. Good job, friend.
ReplyDeleteI lost my father at an early age and still miss him. If you have your fathers with you, enjoy.
@j, amen.
ReplyDeleteMatthew 6: Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Virtue signalling before big-media cameras or on social media is contrary to the teachings of Christ. It has saddened me that not only do I see Progressive Christian friends spending more time on social media than doing worthwhile works, but Christian leaders as well. These people may condemn me for refusing to be part of their mob, but my father in heaven knows better.
I like "obsequious virtue-signaling", going to have to remember that one!
ReplyDelete