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| Daniel Worden notes that in both endings, male figures assert dominance over each other as well as the females, lessening the difference of both endings. "Crumb projects himself as a countercultural, outsider hero who does not conform to traditional standards of masculinity," writes Worden, but this image is an illusion.<ref name="word"/> Edward Shannon writes that "Crumb positions himself as a lone (and often impotent) defender of the oppressed—a victim of the fascists he just as often wishes to emulate".<ref name="word"/> This image is described as an example of "geek masculinity" by Anastasia Salter and Bridget Blodgett, where "relationships between men and women within geek media are defined according to deeply gendered beliefs despite existing as a response to traditional masculinity".<ref name="word"/> Seen in this light, Worden notes that the nontraditional masculinity espoused by Crumb is based on regressive gender norms which can't escape its traditional masculinity.<ref name="word"/> | Daniel Worden notes that in both endings, male figures assert dominance over each other as well as the females, lessening the difference of both endings. "Crumb projects himself as a countercultural, outsider hero who does not conform to traditional standards of masculinity," writes Worden, but this image is an illusion.<ref name="word"/> Edward Shannon writes that "Crumb positions himself as a lone (and often impotent) defender of the oppressed—a victim of the fascists he just as often wishes to emulate".<ref name="word"/> This image is described as an example of "geek masculinity" by Anastasia Salter and Bridget Blodgett, where "relationships between men and women within geek media are defined according to deeply gendered beliefs despite existing as a response to traditional masculinity".<ref name="word"/> Seen in this light, Worden notes that the nontraditional masculinity espoused by Crumb is based on regressive gender norms which can't escape its traditional masculinity.<ref name="word"/> | ||
| ] describes the story as "weird, self-deprecating, sexist, and before its time. Long before "Make America Great Again," Crumb had Trump's number."<ref>Doctorow, Cory (June 21, 2016). "]. ''Boing Boing''. Retrieved July 27, 2023.</ref> | ] describes the story as "weird, self-deprecating, sexist, and before its time. Long before "Make America Great Again," writes Doctorow, "Crumb had Trump's number."<ref>Doctorow, Cory (June 21, 2016). "]. ''Boing Boing''. Retrieved July 27, 2023.</ref> | ||
| ==Notes and references== | ==Notes and references== | ||
Revision as of 07:47, 27 July 2023
| "Point the Finger" | |
|---|---|
| Story | Robert Crumb |
| Ink | Robert Crumb |
| Date | November 1989 |
| Pages | 6 |
"Point the Finger" is a 1989 underground comix story written and illustrated by American cartoonist Robert Crumb for Last Gasp. The story appeared in the third of the four issue series of Hup. In the story, Crumb goes after Donald J. Trump and imagines having an argument with him. Two possible endings are shown to the reader. In one, Crumb is arrested by the police for having wasted Trump’s time; in the second ending, two women give Trump a swirlie in the toilet. Critics have described the story as both sexist and prescient.
Background
In 1987, Donald J. Trump's book Trump: The Art of the Deal became a bestseller. American cartoonist Robert Crumb read Trump's book and was offended. He thought Trump came off as an "arrogant, reprehensible, total dick"; this inspired him to develop the story for "Point the Finger". In 2019, Crumb told journalist Nadja Sayej that when he originally created the story, he gave Trump "too much credit for possessing a bit of class and sophistication", as he now believes Trump is more of a thug instead.
Plot
Crumb addresses the reader to explain that he's "going to point that merciless finger at one of the more visible of the big-time predators who feed on this society..one of the most evil men alive...real estate tycoon Donald Trump". Trump is brought into the panel by two women while Trump and Crumb trade barbs. Crumb suddenly realizes that Trump is the living, modern-day embodiment of Trimalchio, a character from the Roman work of fiction Satyricon by Petronius (c. AD 27 – 66). Two endings are presented to the reader. In the first ending, Crumb loses as Trump uses his wiles and charisma to attract the women and invites them to a party as the police appear and arrest Crumb. The second ending has Crumb winning, as Trump is escorted to the restroom by the women and given a swirlie in the toilet.
Critical reception
Daniel Worden notes that in both endings, male figures assert dominance over each other as well as the females, lessening the difference of both endings. "Crumb projects himself as a countercultural, outsider hero who does not conform to traditional standards of masculinity," writes Worden, but this image is an illusion. Edward Shannon writes that "Crumb positions himself as a lone (and often impotent) defender of the oppressed—a victim of the fascists he just as often wishes to emulate". This image is described as an example of "geek masculinity" by Anastasia Salter and Bridget Blodgett, where "relationships between men and women within geek media are defined according to deeply gendered beliefs despite existing as a response to traditional masculinity". Seen in this light, Worden notes that the nontraditional masculinity espoused by Crumb is based on regressive gender norms which can't escape its traditional masculinity.
Cory Doctorow describes the story as "weird, self-deprecating, sexist, and before its time. Long before "Make America Great Again," writes Doctorow, "Crumb had Trump's number."
Notes and references
Notes
References
- ^ Hock 2020, pp. 5-6.
- Wood, Alex (January 17, 2017). "Crumb On Others: Trump, Castro, & More". Crumb Newsletter. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- Sayej, Nadja (March 7, 2019). "Robert Crumb: 'I am no longer a slave to a raging libido'. The Guardian. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ Worden 2021, pp. 14-15.
- Doctorow, Cory (June 21, 2016). "R. Crumb v. D. Trump, 1989 . Boing Boing. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
Bibliography
- Hock, Stephen (ed.) (2020). Trump Fiction: Essays on Donald Trump in Literature, Film, and Televsion. Lexington Books. ISBN 9781498598057. OCLC 244482651.
- Worden, Daniel (ed.) (2021). The Comics of R. Crumb: Underground in the Art Museum. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781496833808. OCLC 1244620552.
External links
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