Wishing Immigrants Away
July 8th, 2026 Barry Posted in Economic cartoons, Immigration, Racism & Racists | No Comments »
TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON
This cartoon has six panels. They all show the same scene – an ordinary-looking white guy in a living room, talking to a shiny floating pink ball.
Panel 1
MAN: Magic wishing ball! Of course I’ve got nothing against brown people, but I’m desperate to fix unemployment and the deficit — so I wish all the immigrants gone!
Panel 2
The man is eagerly looking at his phone.
MAGIC BALL (thought): I’ll teach this rube a cruel ironic lesson!
MAGIC BALL: Wish granted!
MAN: Oh boy! I’ve gotta see this!
Panel 3
The man has a betrayed expression as he reads his phone.
MAN: Hey! Unemployment and the deficit are both much higher!
Panel 4
MAGIC BALL (thought): Buh bu bum! My trap is sprung!
MAGIC BALL: That’s right! Taking away millions of workers shrunk the economy. There was a major recession! The economy crashed!
Panel 5
MAGIC BALL You also made the country whiter — but those white people will be poorer for generations because of your bigo—
MAN: The country’s whiter?
MAGIC BALL: Yes, but—
Panel 6
The man jumps happily, clicking his heels together.
MAN (shouting): Success!!
MAGIC BALL (thought): Fuck.
CHICKEN FAT WATCH
“Chicken fat” is an ancient cartoonist term for unimportant details in the art.
PANEL 1: Woodstock from Peanuts is standing on the window. The empty cardboard box the Magic Wishing Ball came in has the slogans: “Fun!” “Amaze your friends!” “Irony!” and “Fake true love!”
PANEL 2: The cat on the sofa has two heads. In a table in the background, a mouse stands a bowl of nuts, holding up a knife and fork.
PANEL 3: Beaker from The Muppets is peering in the window.
PANEL 5: The character in the framed picture on the wall (last seen in panel 2) is climbing out of the frame. One of the flowers in the carpet pattern is smiling and smoking a joint.
PANEL 6: A bird flying outside the window has Groucho Marx’s face. A tiny Harpo Marx is peering out from behind the throw pillow. The corpse of Micky Mouse is lying under the sofa (we can only see his hand). The figure from the framed picture on the wall is now standing on the sidetable. (He has a letter on his shirt in every panel he appears: The letters spell out W O R D.) The three books in the lower shelf of the side table are entitled “Who Cares?” “Irrelevant” and “Unimportant.” And Itchy (from “Itchy and Scratchy”) is also on that shelf.
