School Zone

New at Reason: Peter Bagge sings a principal who has what it takes to turn his school around.

Comments

[joe]

Nothing the principal does bears any resemblance to the way Stalin governed, other than the heavy-handed police state shtick, which is equally true of about a million other tyrants. Did Stalin claim to be acting "for the children?" No. Was he known for being "tough on drugs?" No. Did he take a hard line on violent imagery? No. So I'm looking at the cartoon, knowing what I know about Stalin, trying to understand what is especially Stalinist about what's going on.

It's like telling a generic "guy walks into a bar" joke, but inserting "the Pope" instead of "a guy." The listener is left wondering, "what does that have to do with the Pope?" instead of laughing at the actual subject matter of the joke. By producing unanswered questions in the mind of the reader, Bagge undermined his humor.

[Shady O'Grady]

One of the last disenfranchised classes, given no constitutional rights and no right to vote. Minors.

[humor police]

Uh, yeah joe, sometimes exaggeration IS used in humor.

[joe]

Wow you're dense.

[nobody]

"Why is it that 99% of bloggers seem to have at least libertarian leanings, and 99% of newspaper/magazine cartoonists seem to be liberal Democrats?"

JD,
Here's a clue:
One group uses the internet, the other uses brushes and ink.

[Critic]

I miss Chip Bok.

[humor police]

Oh the humanity! Bagge didn't accurately portray the real Stalin in his satire of the over-zealous school system!

Get the potato chip out of your ass.

[joe]

Next time I'll use smaller words.

[Catfight]

Meeeooooowwwww!

[che]

joe, you make it sound like Stalin was nicer than the principal in the piece!!!

[Brendan Perez]

Shady O'Grady:

Quite right. I'll add that since they also pay taxes on their income as well as sales and other "use" taxes, but cannot vote, they are subject to "taxation without representation".

In the carnival of society, we charge "minors" the same fees and taxes as adults, but still refuse them entry. In some cases, we punish them just for looking inside.

[SteveInClearwater]

Look, just reread the cartoon and mentally insert ASHCROFT in place of STALIN...then it's really funny.

This Bagge guy's style reminds me of the guy who does MONROE in MAD Magazine.

[Warren]

Am I the only one who finds Bagge neither funny nor poignant? I am in complete agreement with the view expressed in "Principal Stalin". I just think it's poorly expressed. Simplification and exaggeration can be used effectively, indeed they are the essential tools of lambasting cartoons. Bagge however, always overuses these devices to the point it obliterates the validity of what he's trying to say. At least he seems to be a competent artist, his stuff is always fun to look at.

[some guy]

Hmmm, you just may very well be the only one, Warren.

[KJ]

Could well be, some guy, definitely. Bagge not funny? Puh-leaze, gimme a breaaak!!!

[dhex]

my pal stalin was done much better by histeria.

[Josh]

Whatever happened to Bagge blogging on Hit and Run?

[Kevin Carson]

Warren,

Actually, this is the first Bagge cartoon I ever thought was funny. But this one's pretty good.

The spongebob drawing alone made it worth looking at.

[Russ D]

THIS is why kids smoke!

[Matthew]

I've also made several efforts at enjoying his cartoons, and I find them to be difficult to look at (as they are simply too busy) and not especially interesting.

[JD]

FWIW, I like Bagge. Sure, he simplifies and exaggerates. It's called parody. Every cartoonist does it. Even when I don't particularly agree with Bagge, I find his stuff about a million times better than that of, say, Ted Rall, or Ann Telnaes. (Can I take a minute to expand on how much I hate Ted Rall? I've seen the guy's work ever since he was an undergrad - his stuff was printed in the Columbia Spectator - and I can say that neither his writing nor his drawing has improved since he was 18. Why the hell _anybody_ thinks his stuff is remotely amusing or interesting is beyond me, unless you think George Bush being drawn with big fangs is insightful political commentary. I once very nearly went to a book signing of his just so I could spit in his face.) Chuck Asay's pretty good, when he can get off his Christian high horse.

Something that occurred to me just the other day: why is it that 99% of bloggers seem to have at least libertarian leanings, and 99% of newspaper/magazine cartoonists seem to be liberal Democrats? I have a few ideas, but I'm wondering what others think...

[Isaac Bartram]

"Nothing the principal does bears any resemblance to the way Stalin governed"

Joe, leftists equate their enemies to Hitler, eg "Bushitler".

When exactly did M. Thatcher, R. Reagan or Bush (pere ou fils) advocate extermination of the jews or military domination of the world (oops, Shrub does have a problem with the latter)? Other than those two items Hitler's program was for all practical purposes indistinguishable from The New Deal. All the aforementioned have been equated to Hitler by leftists and those critiques have been understood by everyone.

"...insert ASHCROFT in place of STALIN..."

Steve, frankly when I see ASHCROFT I think HITLER (or possibly an underling like Goering or Himmler). I'm not sure why but I think it has something to do with a difference I perceive (the Nazis wanted to control everybody whereas it seems Stalin wanted to terrorize everyone). Perhaps in the end it's the same but I see a subtle difference. But your point is well taken.

I too have mixed feelings about Bagge's work but he does seem to have a way of depicting the earnest, self-righteous, angry busybody quite well.

[Andrew]

Of course it is unfair to compare anyone to a genius...unfair, but illuminating.

Here are nine panels, and nothing that happens after the first comes with any sort of surprise. Much as I dislike the implied POV of Doonesberry, I am always waiting for his take on things. His slant may be predictable, but I don't know how Trudeau is going to play it...and in three or four panels.

Humor is about surprise. The "get it" needs to have been unexpected.

[Green Matthew]

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DATE: 05/20/2004 11:32:57
The Tao's principle is spontaneity.