# Officer Potus in "Pearls Before Swine" Cartoons **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 28, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837 "2010-06-28T20:24:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/21 "2010-06-29T01:20:52Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > ??? I’m dumber than an elephant today. In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the tusks are looser. Stolen from the Marx brothers movie, “Animal Crackers.” as was the elephant in my pajamas joke. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/22 "2010-06-29T01:25:04Z")
But how do you get down off an elephant? You don’t: you get down off a duck. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/23 "2010-06-29T01:28:19Z")
Yeah, I was wondering about the “Officer Potus” thing as well. > [@cmkeller](#): > > Why assume Bush? It’s equally possible that Pastis has a low opinion of President Obama. Just because he doesn’t write his strip in strident “Mallard Fillmore” fashion doesn’t mean he can’t be a right-winger and think the current POTUS is dumb. If the character never appeared during the Bush administration, why would you think to tie it in to the leftist “Bush is dumb” meme? Alternatively, the whole “Officer Potus, the friendly police officer who proposes ‘compromise’ in which the crocodiles just get to eat your leg instead of devouring you entirely” could also be a political dig from someone who is disappointed with Obama from the left and thinks he’s far too centrist and too inclined to compromise with the (stupid yet ravenous) Republicans (the crocodiles)–[Tom Tomorrow](http://credoaction.com/comics/2010/06/obama-the-far-left-radical/) rather than Mallard Fillmore. Or we could just be reading tea-leaves here–the strip has never really seemed political to me from any direction. I really don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/24 "2010-06-29T02:37:15Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > But how do you get down off an elephant? > You don’t: you get down off a duck. I love this joke, and I love to tell it to my second-grade students. First, though, I have to explain to them what “down” is. The joke falls flatter than someone trying to get down off an elephant. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/25 "2010-06-29T02:51:22Z")
I looked at the cartoons in question. I’m a big fan of clever sub-text, but whoever thinks this is a geopolitical comment regarding Israel and Palestine has far too much time on their hands. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/26 "2010-06-29T03:23:36Z")
I think Pastis is being deliberately ambiguous. He got us talking about his comic strip, didn’t he? My brother and I used to discuss his characters. I think he writes a scene straightforward and then rewrites, altering it to make sure we can’t peg his thoughts based on his characters. He certainly stereotypes crocodiles though. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/27 "2010-06-29T03:31:55Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > I think Pastis is being deliberately ambiguous. He got us talking about his comic strip, didn’t he? Yeah, but no one over-analyzes comic strips the way Dopers do. It’s really an art form the way some create hidden context out of whole cloth around here. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/28 "2010-06-29T03:46:21Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I love this joke, and I love to tell it to my second-grade students. > > First, though, I have to explain to them what “down” is. > > The joke falls flatter than someone trying to get down off an elephant. When I was in second grade, I thought it must be some pun on the verb “to duck.” I think I went about two more years before I finally understood it. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/29 "2010-06-30T15:53:01Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a new character in the \*\*\*Pearls Before Swine \*\*\*comic strip: a very dim, incompetent elephant policeman named Officer Potus. > > Officer Potus is on a quest to create peace between Zebra and the crocodiles who’ve been trying for years to kill and eat Zebra. Though he acts as if he’s impartial, the officer’s “solutions” usually end up asking Zebra to let the crocodiles eat PART of him, or to let the crocs eat one of Zebra’s relatives. > > Now, it sure looks/sounds to me as if SOME kind of political metaphor is being attempted, though I’m not at all sure what it is… and I’m not sure if Stephan Pastis has it fully figured out, either. > > “POTUS” is an acronym used for the President of the United States. Is Officer Potus supposed to represent Obama, then? But he’s an elephant, which is usually supposed to represent the Republicans. > > Let’s see… Zebra is surrounded by stupid enemies who have been trying to kill him for years, and yet HE’S the one being pressured by others to compromise with the folks trying to kill him, and to give them what they want, in the name of peace. > > So, is Zebra Israel? Are the crocodiles the Palestinian Arabs? Am I reading way too much into this? > > Your thoughts, please? What the hell, you asked: Zebra = Donkey = Democrats Potus = Elephant = Republicans (Or moderate Republicans) Crocs = Vicious, bloodthirsty killing machines = Muslim Extremists or the Far Right. You connect the dots… ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/30 "2010-06-30T16:24:29Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I agree, all though Grumman’s suggestion makes sense. > The Israel explanation is good, I remember Patis did a strip on an Israeli school bus that was blown up by terrorists. Here’s the link to the school bus strip. Click on the strip to enlarge: [http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2008/12/fave\_fan\_anecdotes\_pearls\_befo.html](http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2008/12/fave_fan_anecdotes_pearls_befo.html) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/31 "2010-06-30T19:35:23Z")
I’m certainly open to the possibility that there’s no symbolism or implied commentary, and that I’m imagining things. It’s happened before. I note, however, that prior to the appearance of Officer Potus, I NEVER thought for a second that Zebra and the crocs were a metaphor for ANYTHING. I figured the crocs were chasing Zebra for the same reason that Tom chased Jerry and Elmer Fudd chased Bugs Bunny and Sylvester chased Tweety: because it was funny. Even now, if the policeman had been named Officer Jones, I wouldn’t have inferred any deep meaning. I’d have assumed this was just another dopey lawman in the Keystone Kops mold. “Potus” is a name that makes one think of the President. And Officer Potus’ idiotic method of diplomacy (telling the victim to try to be more cooperative with those who are trying to kill him) made me think of Israel. I could be waaaay off. If you think I am, feel free to say, “It’s just a silly cartoon, dude.” Or “No, I think Pastis means something else, like \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.” ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/32 "2010-06-30T21:41:18Z")
I did think of the Israeli/Arab thing but I didn’t pick up on the “Potus” name. The character seemed to me to be vaguely like a sterotypical British Bobby, all laid-back politeness. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/33 "2010-06-30T22:37:10Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > The character seemed to me to be vaguely like a sterotypical British Bobby, all laid-back politeness. [British?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Mandate_of_Palestine) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/34 "2010-06-30T23:25:27Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > [British?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Mandate_of_Palestine) Link is to a long article so I’m not sure what you’re referring to. If you mean the British were cynical pragmatists when it came to occupying their colonial empire and ruthless in suppressing dissent, then I’ll point out I did say “stereotypical”, and Bobbies in Britain itself can hardly be compared to colonial troops. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/35 "2010-07-01T04:07:20Z")
They issued a white paper to create a state for the Jews and renigged before 1947. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/36 "2010-07-01T14:40:04Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > They issued a white paper to create a state for the Jews and renigged before 1947. Reneged. The misspelling took me aback for a second… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/37 "2010-07-01T14:57:14Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Reneged. The misspelling took me aback for a second… Ah, thanks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/38 "2010-07-02T23:13:11Z")
I, too, was wondering about the name “Potus”. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered that as a name before, and if I’m not mistaken, most of _Pearls before Swine_’s characters are just named according to species, or with normal first names if necessary for disambiguation (like “Larry Croc”). “Officer Elephant” wouldn’t have seemed out of place, nor “Bob Elephant” or the like. But the only place I’ve ever seen “Potus” is as an acronym for “President of the United States”. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/39 "2010-07-03T13:26:18Z")
This seems like a bad idea on Pastis’s part. I look at [today’s strip](http://comics.com/pearls_before_swine/) and wonder Who’s Rat representing? Haliburton maybe? Is McZeeba’s really McDonalds and somehow involved in the Middle East situation? I liked the comic better when it was just funny. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837/40 "2010-07-03T16:58:07Z")
I think it’s just funny today. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officer-potus-in-pearls-before-swine-cartoons/544837.md?page=1)