Free Trade Is For Peasants, Not Cartoonists
March 19th, 2024 Barry Posted in Economic cartoons | No Comments »
TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON
This cartoon has eight panels.
PANEL 1
This panel shows Barry (that is, me), wearing an expensive-looking three piece suit. He’s sitting in a big armchair, legs crossed at the knee, waving at us with one hand and holding a cigar in the other. Next to the armchair is a small glass fishbowl with a gold-colored fish in it.
BARRY: Hi! I’m Barry, and I’ll be your cartoonist today. You ever wonder why cartoonists like me make so much money?
PANEL 2
Barry is holding out a big globe as he speaks.
BARRY: “After all,” you say, “There are well-trained cartoonists all over the world willing to take U.S. qualification exams and draw cartoons for much less.”
PANEL 3
Barry is pontificating and looks pretentious, one hand holding a lapel of his jacket, the other holding a forefinger up in a “giving a lecture” sort of way. Behind him, the fish is watching.
BARRY: True! Luckily, the U.S. limits how many foreign cartoonists can work here. Despite the severe problems caused by the cartoonist shortage.
PANEL 4
Barry is now in the famous “Uncle Sam Wants You” poster pose, pointing a finger at the reader, and wearing an Uncle Sam top hat.
BARRY: According to Uncle Sam, “free trade” and competition driving down pay isn’t for me. It’s for unimportant non-cartoonist people like you.
PANEL 5
Barry and a woman are in the panel. Barry has grabbed her purse and is pulling cash out of it; the woman looks annoyed.
BARRY: All of this means cartoonists can charge more for cartoons. It’s like a tax you pay so I can be richer.
PANEL 6
Still in the fishbowl on the little table, the goldfish speaks, with a slightly distressed expression. Barry is very shocked by this development, jumping up and eyes popping.
GOLDY: Hold on, that can’t be true!
BARRY: Goldy? You can talk?
PANEL 7
A close-up on Goldy as she sticks her head out above the water to speak. She looks worried.
GOLDY: Don’t change the subject. Does Uncle Sam really make us all pay more so you can be richer?
BARRY: Nah, I was fibbing. They don’t do that for cartoonists.
PANEL 8
Goldy, smiling, is relieved. Barry shrugs as he cheerfully goes on.
GOLDY: I knew it! Protectionism for the rich would be totally against the U.S.’s ideas of fairness and free tra-
BARRY: They just do it for doctors, dentists, and lawyers.
CHICKEN FAT WATCH
“Chicken fat” is a cartoonist expression for unimportant but hopefully fun details in a cartoon that readers could easily miss.
In panel one, a little label pointing to Rich Barry’s cufflink says “gold cufflinks.” In panel two, when Rich Barry holds up a globe, a little caption pointing to it says “Golden Globe.” And in panel three, a similar little caption pointing to the fish says “Gold Fish.”
In panel two, if you look closely at the continents on the globe Rich Barry is holding, one is shaped like Pac-Man and two are shaped like Ghosts fleeing Pac-Man.
In panel six, when Barry’s glasses pop off in cartoon surprise, his eyeballs remain in the glasses rather than staying on his face.
