Radio personalities Jason and Robert recently had a discussion of the controversial comic strip character Ethiopia. A transcript of this discussion follows.
JASON
There’s this comic strip character named Ethiopia that’s one of the strangest characters I’ve seen.
ROBERT
Yeah.
JASON
He looks scary, his friends look like horrible mutants from outer space, and his mom’s mad and bald as a cue ball.
ROBERT
(laughs)
JASON
Have you seen this? Today’s strip, right from the comics pages. In the first panel, Ethiopia’s staring straight at us, with a smile on his face. I mean, have you noticed this? He’s always got a smile on his face. It doesn’t matter if he’s sad, scared or angry, he’s always got a smile on his face. That really spooks me out.
ROBERT
SPOOKY…
JASON
Anyway, in the first panel, Ethiopia’s saying, watch me kill my mom.
ROBERT
(laughs)
JASON
In the next panel, he goes up to his mom and says the word SATURDAY. And his mom says NO! In the panel after that, he says Saturday again and his mom yells NOO! In the last panel, Ethiopia says Saturday one more time and his mom explodes.
ROBERT
(laughs)
JASON
Into a million pieces. Where’s the humor in that? All because of this kid saying Saturday?
ROBERT
Saturday.
JASON
One would have to think, where’s the humor in this? How did this get started?
ROBERT
Saturday.
JASON
If we had a little background information on the circumstances surrounding the reason why his mom hates the word Saturday, if only there were an explanation for this, then we’d appreciate the humor more.
ROBERT
Much more.
JASON
My point exactly.
ROBERT
Saturday.
JASON
You can’t expect to land in the comics pages and expect to be funny when you present situations that are maddening to others without explaining why that is. But I got to hand it to this guy, he knows how to be funny in his own special way.
ROBERT
Saturday.
JASON
Did you get this guy’s name, by the way? The guy who draws this? His name’s Tooth Paste.
ROBERT
Tooth Paste?
JASON
Yep.
ROBERT
Saturday.
JASON
What is up with that? It’s almost like, he doesn’t want the world to know his real name. It seems like he’s hiding behind something. I don’t think this strip is anything to be ashamed of. I think it’s cool, and really stands out from all the other strips on the comics page. Unless he’s adding on to the notoriety by using an alias that’s just as weird as the comic itself.
ROBERT
Saturday.
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