monopsony

A six-panel SMBC comic in which a young boy negotiates his allowance with his father using economics jargon. Panel 1: the boy says "Dad, I think you should increase my allowance." Panel 2: the bespectacled father replies, "Surely you realize I am the only purchaser of child labor in the household. I have monopsony power over your wages," and the boy laughs, "Ha!" Panel 3: the dad continues, "I also control your housing and food supplies. I could lower your allowance to nothing and you'd have to just absorb the damage." Panel 4: the grinning boy counters, "Nice try, dill-weed. Mom is a rival employer in the chore industry." Panel 5: the dad, smiling smugly, says, "Mom can be made to agree with me via the promise of cake." Panel 6: the boy, now alarmed, cries, "But that's collusion!" Votey (aftercomic): a close-up of the dad relaxing in an armchair, holding a paper, with a fanciful look on his face, saying, "The sooner you realize parenting is a conspiracy, the sooner everything will make sense."