We Mustn’t Ruin HIS Life
January 22nd, 2022 Barry Posted in Becky Hawkins collaborations, Sexism & Misogyny | No Comments »
This cartoon was drawn by Becky Hawkins.
If you like these cartoons, you can help us make more by supporting the Patreon!
TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON
This cartoon has four panels, each showing a different scene. A tiny additional fifth “kicker” panel is under the bottom of the cartoon.
PANEL 1
A Black woman in what appears to be a UPS or UPS-like uniform is standing holding a large box with an address label on it, and an electronic clipboard device on top of the box. Behind her we can see the open doors of the back of a van, and inside the van, more boxes to be delivered. She’s parked on a city street, in front of the entrance to a brick building. She speaks directly to the viewer, with a calm but downcast expression.
WOMAN: Everywhere I went I was terrified I’d run into him. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t concentrate…
WOMAN: After I failed two classes I lost my scholarship.
PANEL 2
A light-skinned girl is on a bike, on a suburban-looking street. The street is clearly residential, and is lined with cottage-style houses. The girl’s clothing is pink, like her shoes and the pedals and basket of her bike.
She’s facing the viewer, but looking downward with her eyes to avoid looking directly at us.
GIRL: He sent the video to everyone in school. Everyone. I had to be homeschooled until I could get into a different school.
PANEL 3
A light-skinned woman sits in an armchair, looking vaguely into the air as she talks. She’s wearing jeans and a yellow top, and holding a baby, who is standing in her lap and doing that cute-but-annoying thing babies do of patting the face of the person holding them while that person is trying to talk. The baby has a pink skirt and is cute.
A plant hangs from the ceiling. Judging from the brick building next door we can see out the window, and the radiator below the window, this is probably an apartment in a city. Her expression is a bit sad, but not over the top or panicked.
WOMAN: It’s been ten years… My therapist says PTSD isn’t ever cured, but it’s something I can learn to manage.
PANEL 4
A hand with pink, smoothly filed nails holds a smartphone. On the smartphone, a pale-skinned male podcaster or radio host is sitting at a table, a professional-looking microphone in front of him. He’s wearing a jacket over a blue collared shirt (no tie), shrugging with a sad-but-calm expression.
MAN: Nobody feels worse than me about what happened — but we can’t ruin these young men’s lives!
TINY KICKER PANEL UNDER THE BOTTOM OF THE CARTOON
The man from panel 4 is talking to Barry, the cartoonist.
BARRY: What sort of thing would “ruin their lives”?
MAN: Being expelled. Or being publicly criticized. Or made to switch dorms. Or to switch a class. Basically, anything he might notice.
