Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Blogging cartoon

Tom R brought my attention to a cartoon published in the New Yorker which a lot of people seem to think is the bees knees, judging by what Tom quotes in his post. As you may have already guessed, I don't think it's the bees knees.

My reasoning being that I'm really not sure what the message of the original cartoon is. According to Tom's site, Bob Mankoff, the cartoon editor of the New Yorker said:

While many cartoons on blogs have been submitted and rejected by The New Yorker, this one, seemed to us, to perfectly capture the irony inherent in a communications phenomenon that permits so many to say so little about so much. I think it will become a classic

But with the original wording of the cartoon, the dog could have been an eloquent and insightful blogger who's posts had a way of cutting to the core of the issue at hand - but he just preferred inane barking.

Yes, I guessed that the cartoonist probably meant the cartoon in the way that Bob Mankoff read it, but my first reaction to the cartoon was tainted by the fact the message wasn't clear enough.

As I said on Tom's site

I’m not sure that cartoon works for me, because the way he’s phrased it makes it seem as though there is a diference between having a blog and pointless incessant barking when the joke appears to be insinuating there isn’t…?

Here's the cartoon:


And here's how I thought it should read when I gave it some thought:


Yeah, I know I think about things waaaaaaaaaay too much. This is the kind of thing I'm sure I annoy Bif to death with all the time. And before anyone jumps on me, I'm just saying all this because it occurred to me - I'm not saying the guys a crap cartoonist or anything. Trust me, I'm sure I could go and find loads of our own cartoons that I would now do differently etc...

Oh and finally, I have no idea of the legality of reproducing and editing the said cartoon, so if the owner/creator contacts me I'll take em off straight away!

UPDATE - Tom R made a valuable point in his new blog entry on this cartoon he says:

the original cartoon is ambiguous and it is possible this ambiguity which has led to its wide appeal (everyone takes their own interpretation and finds that funny!).

UPDATE - I realised I didn't credit the cartoonist... for shame for shame... his name is Alex Gregory. Check out this related cartoon of two dogs chatting by the same cartoonist... and also another EXCELLENT technology based cartoon!