2010-01-28
Original: 2010-01-28 on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1 (header: MIDDLE SCHOOL)
A red-haired boy in a green shirt sits at a desk with two other students behind him, facing a blonde teacher.
Teacher: YOU BETTER SHAPE UP. IN HIGH SCHOOL THEY'RE GONNA EXPECT A LOT MORE OF YOU!
Panel 2 (header: HIGH SCHOOL)
The same boy, now older, sits at a desk facing a teacher.
Teacher: YOU BETTER SHAPE UP. IN COLLEGE, THEY'RE GONNA EXPECT A LOT MORE OF YOU!
Panel 3 (header: COLLEGE)
The boy, older still, sits among classmates facing a professor.
Professor: YOU BETTER SHAPE UP. IN A REAL JOB, THEY'RE GONNA EXPECT A LOT MORE OF YOU!
Panel 4 (header: AND SO...)
The young man, now grown and wearing a tie, smiles at a woman with glasses (a boss/interviewer).
Boss: WE NEED YOU TO SIT AT A DESK FOR EIGHT HOURS A DAY, FILL OUT SPREADSHEETS, AND NOT BREAK ANYTHING.
Man: CAN DO!
Votey:
(header: MANAGEMENT)
A person hides under a desk, grinning, with a thought bubble.
Thought bubble: IF NO ONE CAN FIND ME I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING...
A red-haired boy in a green shirt sits at a desk with two other students behind him, facing a blonde teacher.
Teacher: YOU BETTER SHAPE UP. IN HIGH SCHOOL THEY'RE GONNA EXPECT A LOT MORE OF YOU!
Panel 2 (header: HIGH SCHOOL)
The same boy, now older, sits at a desk facing a teacher.
Teacher: YOU BETTER SHAPE UP. IN COLLEGE, THEY'RE GONNA EXPECT A LOT MORE OF YOU!
Panel 3 (header: COLLEGE)
The boy, older still, sits among classmates facing a professor.
Professor: YOU BETTER SHAPE UP. IN A REAL JOB, THEY'RE GONNA EXPECT A LOT MORE OF YOU!
Panel 4 (header: AND SO...)
The young man, now grown and wearing a tie, smiles at a woman with glasses (a boss/interviewer).
Boss: WE NEED YOU TO SIT AT A DESK FOR EIGHT HOURS A DAY, FILL OUT SPREADSHEETS, AND NOT BREAK ANYTHING.
Man: CAN DO!
Votey:
(header: MANAGEMENT)
A person hides under a desk, grinning, with a thought bubble.
Thought bubble: IF NO ONE CAN FIND ME I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING...
Alt text
A four-panel comic tracking one red-haired student through school. Each panel is labeled with a stage of life and shows an authority figure delivering the same warning. Panel 1, MIDDLE SCHOOL: a teacher tells the boy, 'You better shape up. In high school they're gonna expect a lot more of you!' Panel 2, HIGH SCHOOL: an older version hears, 'You better shape up. In college, they're gonna expect a lot more of you!' Panel 3, COLLEGE: a professor says, 'You better shape up. In a real job, they're gonna expect a lot more of you!' Panel 4, AND SO...: the now-grown man in a tie meets his boss, who says, 'We need you to sit at a desk for eight hours a day, fill out spreadsheets, and not break anything.' He cheerfully replies, 'Can do!' The joke: after years of being told the real world demands far more, the actual job demands almost nothing. Votey (a black-and-white aftercomic labeled MANAGEMENT): a person hides under a desk, grinning, thinking, 'If no one can find me I'm not responsible for anything...'
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.