Comic Commentary Week Deux: 2

Click to see it all - copyright Scott Adams - sometime in July 2012

Who hasn't been on the receiving end of this?  I love Dilbert because even though I don't work in a cubicle, this is real life stuff.  It happens in relationships, at work, at church, in volunteer organizations, in politics, everywhere.

The corollary at our house is "I'll ask mom."  What that means is, "I'm not asking you, dad, because I know you will say no to whatever I'm going to ask but I have a shot with mom."  The mistake, youngling, is that you tell me you are going to ask mom.  Baby Blues just dealt with this exact thing:

Click to enlarge - copyright Kirkman & Scott - published July 28, 2012

So, back to the Dilbert comic.  The escalating to get my way is a tried and true method.  The arbitrary appeal to authority is also a classic - playground days.  "Dad, make her give me..." whatever it is I want her to give me...  I love the arrogance to announce the plan, Monologuing as they called it in The Incredibles* - though in her case, Alice is clearly able to follow through on her threat...and does so.

But how often is this kind of passive aggressive behavior just in the background - and the middle men - the "authorities" who, here, are just dupes in Alice's evil scheme - thinking they are doing right, are probably doing more harm than good.  Of course, they don't have all the information, so shame on them.  Of course, Alice is manipulating them, so shame on her.  Geez, what a messed up system...

Why can't we all just get along?

Sometimes I just can't do what you want me to.  I'm sorry.  Maybe I'm not as diplomatic about it as I could be, but can't you just trust me that I'm not just arbitrarily saying no?**

I think it comes down to honesty.  And trust.  And clearly, in the Dilbert universe, those are in very short supply...***














*You know, when the villain announces his/her grand evil plan, delaying the grand evil plan just enough (usually) for the hero to succeed in foiling said grand evil plan...  Check out TV Tropes on the subject...


**No, this isn't directed at anybody in particular.  This hasn't happened to me recently or anything.  I'm not harboring some kind of animus toward anybody - well, maybe the girls when they go "over my head" to mom, but that's another problem entirely...


***Not at my house - where the girls trust that I will say no - and I honestly probably will - ESPECIALLY if I know they're going over my head, to mom, dangit!