[oldtimes]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

It sounds to me like he's doing exactly what I always assumed he was doing - portraying life as a parody of itself.

His identifying as black is intended to make fun of anyone who has a problem with people who identify as "other." It isn't intended to make fun of the people who identify as "other." It's intentionally creating a paradox, to point out how ridiculous it is to criticize it. Bigots will think "oh I should hate this guy because he identifies as black." LGBTQ+ PC activists will think "oh I should hate this guy because he's making fun of our gender identity issues." Black extreme activists would think "I should hate this guy because he's trying to be us and he can't be." And homophobics will think "he's identifying as other! We should hate him!" and alt-right qanon crackpots will think "woke! we must hate him!"

When all along, it's just a parody. It's a joke, and everyone who is NOT a bigot, homophobic, BLM activist, qanon crackpot, Political Correctness Police, will all think it's rather clever because it triggers all of the above in just three words: "Identifies as black."

That's what makes Dilbert so funny. And what has always made him so funny. The only reason anyone is offended these days, is because it's "their turn" to be the target. And - that's pretty funny for the rest of us.

I agree. If it sounds stupid it's because what's going on right now is stupid.

“Humor is what happens when we're told the truth quicker and more directly than we're used to.”

― George Saunders