Are You GENUINELY Poor?
September 3rd, 2020 Barry Posted in Barry's favorites, Economic cartoons | No Comments »
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TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON
This cartoon has four panels. Each panel shows two men: A not-wealthy looking man with shaggy hair and some stubble, and a bald man in glasses, wearing a business suit and tie. Each panel shows them at a sidewalk with grass growing in the background.
PANEL 1
Shaggy is wearing a wrinkled collared shirt and jeans. Necktie is wearing a gray suit with a tie with a dot pattern.
It’s bright daytime. Shaggy, with his back turned to Necktie, is looking at and poking a smartphone, and, in the helpful way people so often do in the first panel of my cartoons, talking aloud to himself. Necktie is turning to look at, and yell at, Shaggy.
SHAGGY: I can’t find a job and I’m out of money… Time to google “food stamps.”
NECKTIE: Food stamps are for people who are genuinely poor. If you were poor, you wouldn’t own a smartphone, would you?
PANEL 2
A caption says “one week later.”
From the light, it appears to be early evening. Shaggy is wearing a plaid shirt and Black pants, and has a backpack; Necktie is wearing a pinstripe suit and a tie with horizontal stripes.
Shaggy is looking worried and has a hand on his chest; Necktie is sternly talking to, and pointing at, Shaggy.
SHAGGY: I sold my phone, but now I’m out of money again.
NECKTIE: So sell your car. No one who owns a car is poor.
PANEL 3
A caption says “one month later.”
The same two men, on a similar patch of sidewalk. Shaggy is wearing sweatpants with a stripe down the side, and a hole in one knee, and a tee shirt. Necktie is wearing a dark blue suit, a black shirt, and a light-colored necktie.
Shaggy is sitting on the curb, slumping, looking down both literally and metaphorically. Necktie, talking to Shaggy, looks very cheerful.
SHAGGY: Now I’ve got no money for food, no phone for job hunting, and no car to get to a job!
NECKTIE: Excellent! Now you’re genuinely poor!
PANEL 4
The same scene, a moment later. Shaggy, looking hopeful, is looking up at Necktie. Necktie folds his arms and grins even more.
SHAGGY: So now you’re okay with me getting food stamps?
NECKTIE: Nope!