Wednesday June 18th

The comic:



Yes, Uncle Lumpy covered it already. He's up too early. But he reminded me of its existence, which is a good or bad thing.


He made a Pluggers are old joke. That's my schtick! That's also the premise of the comic.

Oh, people age! Their bodies change, usually for the worse! Oh, it's so funny!

I appreciate laughing at your health problems, it's the only way to stay sane, but it's an inside joke kinda thing.

Anyway, Pluggers have no idea what it means to upgrade memory.

I thought she was using bigger post-its because she couldn't see the smaller ones, but she's already wearing glasses.

Tuesday June 17th

The comic:

You're a Plugger if you pay monthly bills.

That is one small dining room table.

My mom does the bills at the desk in her room. The dining room table is for my laptop when I'm not using it, that lamp, and some photo albums. Duh.

Plugger sighting!

Today's Momma:



He's not a Plugger - he has dreams and goals.

Monday June 16th

The comic:


Okay, I get putting it up high, kinda, though it's not necessary.

But the bifocals? Why include the glasses?

"Oh, put the mirror there so I can see myself with my glasses."

Saturday June 14th

The comic:



You're a Plugger if your friends keep dying.

ETA: Damn him! Why cover this one? It's boring and depressing. It's not even creepy.

Or is it?

Look at how the three silent ones are looking at him? And he looks so sinister, like this was a crime or something. They all seem shocked by his story - weren't they there? Unless he went to a different high school, and well, being old, sat down at this table.

Friday June 13th

The comic:


Pluggers are wimps.

Thursday June 12th

The comic:


Puns and clichés.

And an upset stomach.

Little RhinoMan is wearing a polo shirt. Why?


Pluggers are boring, they said it, not me.

Wednesday June 11th

Dude, I'm all caught up! And just in time for Good Eats!

The comic:

I've seen this before.

But I can't find it because my labeling system sucks. My best clue is "common phrases" and there are 160 posts with that!

Found it! I searched the blog for many terms, but "kid" got the return. After many posts. But I found it. Josh covered it as well. (Much easier to find - I searched his site for Pluggers, and just clicked previous entries until the date came up.)

This comic is exactly a year old.

It still ain't right.

And Brookins knows this, or he wouldn't have made her look so harried, so miserable, so trapped.

But it's celebrated as a good thing - much better than what a non-Plugger considers a well-balanced life - not just your family.

And that makes this one of the twisted Pluggers ever! And it's considered good enough to be rerun.

Ew.

Tuesday June 10th

The comic:


When Pluggers get old, they get forgetful. So forgetful, they forget to take their medication!

Oh the hilarity. I'm laughing harder than I've ever laughed at the Daily Show or Colbert Report.

Monday June 9th

The comic:


Okay, I can handle the caption.

But if having a coupon is so damn important, why don't you put it where it's easy to find?

Well, she is a woman. And our purses are the most disorganized things in existence. It's true.

Bullshit. (Don't look in my sister's purse. Or room. Or car. But look in mine - neat, no?)

This comic is insulting, even though it's only making a simple statement.

It also makes the Plugger in question look annoying, since she's holding people up by not having her coupons ready.

Thanks, Brookins!

Saturday June 7th

The comic:



Ooh, product placement!

Ooh, an unnecessary exclamation mark!

You're a Plugger if people - especially people who are young, pretty, and female - open the door for you.

The sender says he's from Florida. But he's old. And a Plugger. So he probably moved down there after retirement because that's what you do.

So he's not used to a good southern stereotype - politeness. Ma'am and Sir. Holding open doors for people.

Though that part of Florida may be so filled with non-native Floridians that it's not typical.

Back in the real world, there was a reversal of this cartoon today. I was carrying Wickett into the vet, and an older gentleman held the door open for me. I don't know how old he was, probably not Plugger old, but he was losing his gray hair. All I know is he parked next to us and Wickett yelled at him while still in the car. And the man didn't hold a grudge.

Okay, I could talk about our dogs at the vet (and the journey there) for hours. But this isn't the place.

What else? I saw the sender's name as "Wendy," not Wendell. So I was like, wait, what? Is she talking about what happens to her husband? Did she send it in as "hot young studs" instead of "pretty, young girls"?

But no. Reality is boring. Wendell is a guy's name. He's the constantly nauseous, whiter-than-white kid on the Simpsons.

I wonder if Wendell now expects this, and if he got to a door before a "pretty, young girl" would he expect her to open the door, even if his hands were empty and hers were full? I'm going to say yes, because he's a Plugger, and he's shocked, shocked at the idea of a pretty girl holding open a door for him.

Or because he's so old he was raised to think that men hold open doors for women?

I wasn't raised that way - if I'm there first, I hold the door open. It doesn't take that long, and it's a nice gesture, no matter the age, looks, or gender of anyone involved.

Pluggers are surprised when people treat them like human beings.

That's what this comes down to. How sad.

Friday June 6th

The comic:


Okay. Pluggers like old movies.

And probably rave on about how horrible today's movies are.

I think it's great to have a set of movies you love - one director's work, one actor's work (Johnny Depp can do no wrong!), a genre, a time period - but you've got to be open minded.

I forget which movie message board I saw this at, but it said Bollywood is better than Hollywood. More emotion and what not. Some people disagreed, and one mentioned The Shawshank Redemption as a very moving movie (with no dancing, sadly).

I've never seen a Bollywood movie, but I love the music. I'm eagerly awaiting Dil Se... from Amazon. I can't wait.

Maybe Bollywood movies will become my favorite movies, the best ones, according to me. But does this mean I'll abandon American cinema? Of course not. Imagine what I'd miss.

I used to say I only listened to music older than me. Except for this one! And that one! etc. I am mostly listening to Bollywood music now, but I still listen to non-Bollywood songs - like Kollywood! No, if my sister likes something, I'll check it out. What harm does it do?

Knowing Pluggers, they would never do this when it comes to movies.

While non-Plugger film buffs will give newer ones a chance.

Thursday June 5th

The comic:



Josh covered this already.

I think this comic can best be summed up by philosopher and Plugger, Ann Coulter:

God gave us the earth. We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, 'Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It's yours.'

I've got nothing more. The farmer's not living green, look at that exhaust! And a farmer lives in the middle of nowhere. It's damn hard to live green when it takes an hour to get to the local grocery store. But not even trying? Because those damn liberal commie hippies support it?

I hope he grows tomatoes.

ETA: Someone who knows something about environmentalism - isn't farming pretty far away from green? At least farming on a large scale? All the food for the cows or pigs, the preservation of the crops, all that takes energy in the form of land and gas and electricity and food that could go to humans. Or so I've heard.

ETA: He's from Texas! Why didn't I notice this the first time? And guess what? There's a base near Corpus Christi. There are liberals and environmentalists who are Texans or in the military, but since Pluggers live by stereotypes, so will I. His location is not surprising. Except CC is on the coast. And he has a farm? Hmm.

Wednesday June 4th

The comic:


Okay wait.

Now Pluggers are not lazy and/or too old to do things?

This does fit the image they want out there - so hard working, they don't even stop for Christmas.

And this is why their children hate them.

Tuesday June 3rd

The comic:


I have no idea what this is about.

I guess Pluggers like stop and go driving as opposed to the temporary freedom of the interstate.

As a passenger, give me the latter.

I really have no idea what is going on here, but I guess the majority of the driving population doesn't consider toll roads "irritating".

Oh! Are toll roads the things they mention in Law and Order when they talk about somebody's easy pass records?

Monday June 2nd

The comic:



When Pluggers hit a certain age, they act older than dirt.

Milk is gross without cereal in it and warm milk sounds scary.

You notice they're all alone? If your marriage lasts 50 years, don't you have kids and grandkids around, throwing you a big party? Or if you never had kids, friends?

Of course, this could be after the big party, and they're winding down after a busy day.

Pfft. These are Pluggers. They live depressing lives and are damn proud of it.

Saturday May 31st

The comic:


Hee, I'm doing this on a laptop.

Which isn't quite on my lap, it's more on the chair because of the way I'm sitting.

Again, little Pluggers are creepy in the presence of big ones.

Again with calling their fellow "humans" machines.

Friday May 30th

The comic:


So Pluggers hold onto their cars for 20+ years?

And non-Pluggers get a new car every five years or so?

There's not much to get here.

Except his car is an antique, if he took care of it. He's a guy. He's in Georgia. But he's a Plugger. And they're lazy. But work hard, because they're blue-collar laborers (but not in a union!). My head is spinning.

It would be awesome if he just reuses the batteries or uses them longer than five years.

A Plugger sighting of sorts!

Here's the comic: (The link won't last forever.)



Josh covered this yesterday, but I swear I thought of it the second I saw it! I was just too lazy to bother.

I'm not sure if it counts as a Plugger sighting - it's too easy, since Brookins is involved with both.

If you can't see it, in the top panels, the pink(!) bird says that there is a crow out there with no feet.

She's a bird.

Everyone in this strip is a bird.

They frequently do things like this. They've eaten birds! (Not all of those involve animals eating and/or owning other animals, but I'm too lazy right now to look through all of them. Later.)

I noticed this because of my renewed activity here, brought on by a request in a comment. Thanks, anonymous!

I'm going with my tag "animals owning pets" because it's the easiest way to describe the horror. Though I guess pets should be changed to animals.

Can anyone think of a better tag for things like this?

Thursday May 29th

The comic:


OH COME ON!

Pluggers are typical Americans. They struggle with their weight. You mean to tell me they never got the supersize meal back when McDonald's offered it?

They supersized their meals and now they wear suspender...

Wait.

Is this just saying that when Pluggers eat large meals, they have to adjust their clothes because they gained weight?

Obvious statement alert at twelve o'clock!

Even my man RhinoMan can't save this. He looks scary.

Wednesday May 28th

The comic:


Pluggers love being living stereotypes! Once they start taking a lot of medication, they retire to their Matlock reruns and wait for death.

Also, Memphis totally has a pyramid. And our zoo has an Egyptian theme and is amazing. Even when it's hot and there are more screaming kids than animals.

That's not a lot of meds if he can balance them all in one hand.

The first time I went camping, I wasn't taking any medication. I was quite healthy, except for the skin allergies. That was in April '01. By September, I was sick as a dog and haven't recovered fully.

But does that tie me down? Hell no. I continued to go camping, to go to relatives', to live.

Pluggers cause most of their own misery. (Especially if they become clinically depressed - can you see a Plugger at a shrink's?)

This comic makes me feel good about myself and bad for Charles Phillips. I hope he can at least go to Richmond.

Tuesday May 27th

The comic:


Pluggers have crappy cars. Despite being blue-collar, they do not take pride in their vehicles.

As for the weight thing... car people, fill me in.

Monday May 26th

The comic:


Pluggers' children dose their drinks and those of their own kids.

Seriously.

What the hell is this about?


That "grandbaby" is terrifying. It's too small, its face is too old, ::shudder::.

Saturday May 24th

The comic:


So Pluggers aren't teetotalers!

Or maybe Miss "Three Sheets to the Wind" is, but RhinoMan is not. Which surprises no one who has followed his depressing adventures. And that is everyone.

I don't drink, so I don't know much about box wine, except it's cheaper than wine in a bottle.

I'm not surprised that RM drinks wine "inna box," but I am surprised that he drinks wine.

I always thought Pluggers were beer people. You learn something new everyday - Pluggers go to college, Pluggers drink wine... Who says summers are wasted?

Friday May 23rd

The comic:



Josh covered this and tied it to the 22nd.

But yesterday, he was henpecked. Now she's insulting him for not dressing up anymore. But couldn't she make him wear something nice by getting tickets to a dressy event?

Pluggers bitch and bitch about everything but they never do anything!


And dapper does not, and never will, apply to leisure suits!

Thursday May 22nd

The comic:


Josh covered this. On the 22nd. Oh the advantages of posting about comics in a timely manner.

But what he said is wrong, though true. Yes, Pluggers are disgusting. Thinking of them and marriage and cheating is squicky, but Pluggers have sex with other Pluggers. They leave the rest of us out of it. Thank God.

This comic can mean two things for non-Pluggers. Either we never cheat on our diets, or we cheat on our spouses, taxes, or in games. Pluggers don't do any of the latter, they're better than us. But they hate "elitists".

By the way, Pluggers, they do make pizzas that are diet-friendly.

Wait, I take back what I said about Pluggers only cheating on diets.

It says usually. That implies there are other cheating instances in their lives. Of course, it says "caught by his wife", which can apply to cheating on Monopoly because his grandkid owns Broadway, rather than just adultery.

Wednesday May 21st

The comic:



And all non-Pluggers play the stock market and don't give a damn about grocery prices!

This is disturbing, because I don't know anyone who cares about the stock market and I know plenty worried about food prices.


However, we don't feel better than people who do care about the stock market, and Pluggers feel better. They're simple folk, non-elitist, and true Americans. OH GAG.


Do Pluggers care about what's causing prices to go up? Nah.

Do they care that they don't know? Nah.

Will they do anything to find out? Nah.

Will they kvetch? Yah.

Also, there's a bit of weirdness in their shock. You visit grocery stores on a regular basis - prices rarely shoot up overnight, it's gradual. That's not to say that gradual increases are any better than fast ones.


This is yet another example of a Plugger feature being a basic truth for most people.

Tuesday May 20th

The comic:


Wait.

What?!

Pluggers go to college now?

But...

But...

But...

I guess there have been hints, like this one. It could be interpreted to mean that Pluggers write.

But still. A Plugger? With a post-high school degree?

Or it took 4 years to get a 2 year degree, which can be good or bad.

Good - she's a moron.

Bad - life got in the way in the form of kids, sick family, or illness. Or if this was a guy - the draft.

(I meant good or bad for me.)

As of right now, I have no outstanding college-related debts. I got money for being smart, and money for being poor. I always thought Pluggers were in my financial class, but apparently they aren't. They're probably where many Americans are when it comes to paying for college - too rich for financial aid and too poor to afford it without massive debt.


I'm too lazy to research '70s tuition or student loan regulations, but thirty years sounds extreme.

I know it takes a long time to pay them off, but thirty years? How much interest is that? And she couldn't get a well-paying job?

I just don't get this.

Maybe she went to Harvard.

Monday May 19th

The comic:



Don is a guy's name. Guys do laundry.

But not in Pluggerville.

This comic asks us to assume that Pluggers - lazy, often elderly creatures - don't use a dryer. And that Pluggers - who live bleak lives - never drink.

Of course, this could work if she's putting clothes on the line after putting them through a mangle.

And that Pluggers are members of a Protestant denomination that's Carrie Nation-style opposed to booze. Which makes us sinners.

I have proof that male Pluggers drink - "more prune juice bottles than wine bottles" implies that there is at least one wine bottle in the recycling bin. However, the idea was later recycled to remove any mention of alcohol. (Pluggers drink prune juice.)

Saturday May 17th

The comic:


THERE ARE PLUGGER CHICKENS! Maybe this is a neighborhood barbecue and she's there! I'm going to say yes, so I can use my cannibalism tag.

And non-Pluggers bird watching is much more humane, because isn't just recording a sighting or taking a picture?

It does not surprise me that Pluggers don't bird watch. (Unless it's a bird they're going to shoot.)

I don't, but that's because it doesn't interest me. Pluggers probably think of it as some silly liberal sissy thing to do.

Friday May 16th

The comic:


Again with the alternative education. Which can't be very good if they have to go to traffic school.

Most of the directions are stereotypical country/backwoods nonsense, but he starts out with "4.3 miles".

Four point three? Sure you couldn't have gotten it even more exact?

Seriously - what the hell?

Also, look at the roads scholar's expression. He was born with an innate sense of direction and is now cursed to stand at the side of a road with nothing to distract him, waiting for the lost traveler. Sad, but he used a pun, so it's okay.

Thursday May 15th

The comic:


I knew I'd seen this one recently, and I was like damn, reruns again?

But no - it was written up at the CC.

And his write-up is funnier and more succinct than mine will be.

He says that Pluggers think any store that doesn't sell guns and/or beer is useless.

But that's not the point of the comic.

For one thing, he goes to an office supply place.

But why would a Plugger need a typewriter? You can probably order the ribbon online, but if you've got a typewriter and you're a Plugger, you probably don't have a computer. In fact, they scare you.

Anyways, why would the non-Plugger clerk only focus on Smith and Corona and ignore the rest of the request? (Which presumably featured the words "ribbon", "typewriter", and "kids today".)


I just realized something. Let's say that the Plugger was a moron, as usual, and didn't buy any extra ribbons the last time he saw them. So it's taken how long for him to wear out the ribbon?

Or not. And he's been typing loudly away to the newspaper and his congressperson his opinions about kids today since typewriter ribbons were easy to find.

Wednesday May 14th

The comic:


Gas is expensive.

Pluggers are old.

At least this is something they have no control over - they can't change gas prices or the prices of their old cars.

Pluggers also know nothing of inflation. Though 50 bucks for a car doesn't sound good, even 50 years ago, unless you're a mechanic. And parts aren't free.

At first, I read tank as gallon, and I was like damn! Even with inflation, less than four bucks for a car!

That made the comic weirder, which is in improvement.

Tuesday May 13th

The comic:


Clothes are still made in America, you know. They probably cost a bit more, but they're out there.

Perhaps Pluggers don't want new clothes made in America, they just want to sigh and bitch about how things change while doing nothing about it.

As for what she's saying - her eyes scare me. She looks like a zombie. Or she's on drugs. Or she's depressed.

I decided to add the treason label, because this implies that Pluggers no longer buy American made products. Shame!

Monday May 12th

The comic:


Ah, the vacation ends!


This caption cheated. It doesn't say how far away the start of the countdown is from payday, so I don't know how broke he is.

So when do non-Pluggers start counting down to payday?

Yeah, I've never had a job, and while my mom marks her paydays on the calendar, I've never heard her say anything about counting down.

I'm lost.

Wait, found an angle!

Pluggers don't bother budgeting until they've got nothing left to budget.

Saturday May 10th

The comic:


Another classic I haven't seen before.

I think I'd remember this.

Where to start?

At least it's not the dog-like creature as the Plugger. Dog ears don't look like that.

Um.


Damn.

This is kinda scary to consider.

And this is not the first time this has run.

And Betty Hatfield thought it was funny.

I notice there are no women in the cartoon.

I know both sexes can be stalkers or be in a situation where a restraining order is needed.

But the image is of a woman taking one out against an abusive man - husband, boyfriend, lover. Sure, they're not perfect.

But I don't think they're suitable for any attempt at humor. At least not in a mainstream comic.

It's creepy. It's trivializing the issue by comparing it to a dog command. One that does not restrict or restrain the animal. That would be stay. So this is offensive, sick, and it doesn't even work.

But I'm probably overreacting.

Who thinks like this?

Friday May 9th

The comic:


Another rerun from last August.

I'm just going to repeat what came to mind upon seeing this just now - and non-Pluggers don't?

Pluggers are probably the ones least likely to be concerned about the environment, yet they know all about extinction? (At least the bald men. Hey, dimwits! Women can go bald too.)

Thursday May 8th

The comic:


Another classic. I don't think I've seen that one. Kudos for picking one from before April 2007!

So non-Pluggers label their leftovers? Or use them soon enough to remember what they are?

We got Chinese Tuesday night, and I labeled all the containers, much to my sister's amusement. The pen would make squiggles elsewhere on the lid, but not where I was writing!


Er, anyways.

Pluggers are wasteful, as well.

That's all I got.

Pluggers is not the most exciting or interesting comic out there, but they usually try.

But this?

This is pathetic. It's a statement of something that happens to people, lots of people. Good people who don't deserve to be lumped in with Pluggers.

Hey, struggling cartoonists looking to break through to newspapers! Someone got paid for this!

The cartoon, not this post.

ETA: Dammit! Josh hit the cannibalism and I didn't.

Wednesday May 7th

The comic:





Another classic? What gives.

And this ran right before school as well.

So Pluggers don't pursue education on their own - they only go to school when it's required.

Big surprise. I mean. Really.

But I wonder if they've realized that their economic position might be elevated by taking just a few classes? Or going for two years?

Pluggers are broke, they've got to qualify for financial aid.

But I bet they hate school because they never applied themselves, because who needs algebra anyways? (I happen to like math.)

Eek, I am coming off as judgmental.

No, college is not the right thing for everyone. It's probably worse to go when it's not right for you - all that money, and then the frustration that comes from being in the wrong place.

I'm just saying that Pluggers never considered college when they were 18, and probably never will not because they thought long and hard on what to do about their future, but because they don't need no book larnin' after high school graduation.

My mom never considered college, none of her siblings did. They all went into the military after graduating from high school, except for mom's only sister - she got married.

However, mom learned things in the military - she was a corpsman (kinda like an EMT) for 8 years! She drove an ambulance! She saved lives! And after the divorce, she went to the local community college to take classes (English and Math are all I remember) to get her certification updated for her job.


But it's just sad to think that Pluggers never learned or had any training after 12th grade, besides traffic class.

Hank Hill had to go to one, but he considers his training with propane education. I'm going to assume.

Tuesday May 6th

The comic:



A classic.

From the last year. (Just before school started. Can you believe it's over? And not only did I survive, I made Dean's List both semesters? What? I have to go back? The hell you say!)

Anyways, blah de blah blah. Do pluggers really think all non-Pluggers love them some caviar? If so, they're crazier than I thought.

And you think Plugger caviar would be chicken eggs - especially if it featured the bird lady, for extra fun! Caviar is fish eggs, so there'd be a nice parallel. But these are Pluggers. Parallels are for elitists.