TITLE The Bastich By Hart
PANEL 1 (FAITH sits, wearing a pantsuit, across a desk from the MANAGER, a balding man in a suit.) MANAGER: Well, we've looked at your resume, and contacted your references, and on behalf of this agency, I would be happy to... SFX: RING RING MANAGER: Uh... just a minute...
PANEL 2 (The MANAGER speaks into the phone handset.) MANAGER: Yeah? Ah, the results are in? All right, gimme the news... Okay, thanks.
PANEL 3 (The MANAGER hangs up the phone and addresses FAITH.) MANAGER: As I was about to say, we would be happy to direct you to another employer who might have positions you're more qualified for, but unfortunately, you don't meet our current needs.
PANEL 4 (Close up on the MANAGER's finger pressing a button on the phone's base.) MANAGER: Send in the next one, Sue...
PANEL 5 (A young white MALE CANDIDATE, also wearing a suit, walks into the office.) MALE CANDIDATE: Sorry I'm late, sir.... Rush was talking about the results from yesterday's election, and I was waiting for the final word on Prop 209.
PANEL 6 (The two men face each other.) MANAGER: So you heard the news.? MALE CANDIDATE: Yes I did, Sir!
PANEL 7 (The men raise their fists in triumph.) MALE CANDIDATE: At last, we white men can cast aside the chains of social oppression! MANAGER: Amen, brother. You're hired!
CREDITS SPONSORED BY THE BASTICH LEFTIST PROPAGANDA INSTITUTE Bastich (c) 1996 Joshua Adam Hart
CAPTION: Note: This strip is based on pre-election polls and a sick feeling in my stomach. I'll be glad to be embarassed.
Commentary
I found this abandoned strip in the ol' Bastich Binder 29 years later and thought it was worth posting up as a "Lost Strip".
California's Prop 209 ended affirmative for state agencies, including admission into state universities. Honestly I had to look it up to remember what I was so fired up about. Forgetting stuff like this is a handy privilege of being a white guy who was never going to be affected directly.
This was a rare instance where I almost drew a political line in the sand, potentially upsetting my audience instead of just annoying or boring them. Ultimately I either chickened out or came up with a better idea (which would have been Poli-stich). It's a quaint relic of the 1990s to think this was a controversial take. "Social oppression" is now the rallying cry of angry white guys everywhere.
For what it’s worth, this strip reflects my current thoughts on DEI pretty well. Faith is clearly qualified for the job and was moments away from being hired. But as soon as the manager is no longer required to consider her, he immediately hires the next white guy who walks through the door -- without even interviewing him. It’s exaggerated for comic effect, because that’s what we do in the funny pages, but it illustrates how, without DEI, the most qualified candidate can be passed over in favor of a weaker candidate who "looks the part" according to some deep-seated bias. DEI policies keep us from hiring mediocre talent by forcing us to expand the talent pool. That's all it is.
I guess this is where I thank you for coming to my TED talk.