Is it just me or is this context kinda some horseshit? To me ‘snitches get stitches’ means ‘don’t rat out the people you were doing the thing with because that makes you a traitor’. This comes off as ‘don’t speak up when you’ve been abused’. I get it’s a joke I’m just saying it kinda rubbed me the wrong way and could be framed better and still be funny.
"snitches get stitches" mean "if you snitch you will get stitches".
On the last panel the doctor says "if and only if you snitch you will get stitches" which is completely different and thus an humoristic subversion of expectations.
(note that I'm not the final judge of what's funny and what's not. Kamel Debbiche is)
Thing is, the whole threatening the victim has always been a part of the phrase. Don't tattle, don't snitch, it's part of the built in bullshit of school, and even teachers and staff sometimes buy into it, indirectly penalizing students that report abuse from other students. Even more common is nothing at all being done to prevent retaliation, so the cycle of it continues.
This is a joke, obviously. They're turning the idea around, it's just that the fact there's an idea to turn around in the first place is so horrible that the joke kinda falls flat unless you have a dark sense of humor.
Sub the kid for an injured mob guy and the parents for his mob guy friends and the question for ‘can you tell me what happened?’ And boom I think you got an alternate version of the joke that sidesteps the iffy framing
You’re the second person to use the lack of specificity in the joke as a means of mollifying what I’m calling iffy. I concede entirely that the joke doesn’t limit us to only interpreting it one way. I’m simply commenting on the text that is actually present.
your whole second point
Yes that’s exactly what I’m doing. Because that’s how opinions and discussion works. This isn’t challenging my position, this is challenging the fact that I have a position at all. Akin to saying ‘it’s just a joke, let it go.’
I firmly believe there is a massive difference between confessing/divulging info about your co-conspirators, and accusing your abuser to authority. One is snitching, the other is how the concept justice is supposed to work.
I firmly believe there is a massive difference between confessing/divulging info about your co-conspirators, and accusing your abuser to authority. One is snitching, the other is how the concept justice is supposed to work.
In that case, I will simplify. Your opinion/position/belief is incorrect.
“Snitching” is the act of telling an authority figure information that gets them into trouble. Telling an authority figure the name of a bully falls firmly under this category, as does telling mom your older brother smashed your toy, telling the cops you saw Jim Bob break into Joe Johnson’s car while driving by, and admitting to the DA that you and Bob shot the sheriff to avoid getting additional charges related to someone else’s murder of the deputy.
Merriam Webster: To inform, tattle; to give information (as to the authorities) about another's improper or unlawful activities
Cambridge: to secretly tell someone in authority that someone else has done something bad, often in order to cause trouble
Oxford LD: to tell a parent, teacher, etc. about something wrong that another child has done
I've noticed there's an overwhelming amount of people that are subscribed to this community for some reason, that tend to majorly over analyze the strip this is the third post I've seen today where the top three is either complaining or something negative about the post. It's weird
Being said I don't think this person is really complaining, I definitely don't agree with the juxtaposition of don't speak out when abused because I didn't get that from that post at all and I still don't understand how they came to that conclusion but, it's a trend I've noticed
Though when I do post a comment about the accuracy of a joke or some kind of serious angle, I don't intend to imply "stop having fun!"
I enjoy learning and seeing things that challenge my assumptions, so when I comment a "joke killer" comment, it's meant as a "while we're on the topic, this might be interesting".
I reject the idea that the only reply one should make to a joke is "haha" and then move on. Especially when the response makes a good point, like IMO the parent comment to this one did: some interpretations of "snitches get stitches" are more about protecting abusers than discouraging betrayal.
Well it kind of sounded like you just wrote down the whole joke and that's it, so a holy shit teaction is understandable. I do get what you mean, I also find the bullying context a bit triggering, and I agree the phrase it was built around could have been used in different context. But the bullying context IS quite a classic and it shows the absurdity of the point very well, so I'm willing to allow the iffy aspect.
To me ‘snitches get stitches’ means ‘don’t rat out the people you were doing the thing with because that makes you a traitor’.
Least people who do shitty things... don't tend to make that distinction. It's often used as a threat to bystanders and even victims. IE I took your lunch money, if you go to the teacher about it, we will beat you up.
If you are talking friends who participate, the implied violence would be unnecessary really. You roll on your friends when doing something against the rules, your friends will never include you in their activities again.