In the late 1990s, (more accurately, Journal of Popular Culture, 34.1, Summer 2000) I wrote about the rise of middle level stagnation in political cartooning. How the bosses at the top may not be so narrow-minded and could be willing to take risks, laugh at themselves and allow cartoonists to caricature them. But it's the middle managers who play it safe, better safe than to be sorry and everything cannot.
That's why I said Mr Kiasu is and remains the emblem of our times, from the 1990s to now. Kiasu, kiasee, kia bor and so on.
Anyway, I would very much want to be proven wrong because I do want things to be better, but they have gotten worse over time. You see, the middle level stagnation has risen to be the upper echelons. They are now the bosses. In the past, their bosses could have been more enlightened, maybe. But these folks, no. They are products of the system, they perpetuate the system and now they are the system. Input, output. Ingress, digest. Macham the matrix.
Do we see more or better political or editorial cartoons these days?
End times, bruh.
Anyway, a friend got pissed because I was critical of his works. But my point is that as much we are all trying to make a living here, let's have some self-awareness that things are not hunky dory. Wake up a bit angry every morning because deep down you know your name ain't suzie. Things are not alright. Then you go on, like all of us have to. But to wake up oblivious to the state of the world? That's delusional and choosing to be blind and simplistic. Push ourselves a bit, let others push us to do better works, live 'better' lives.
Oh well.
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