I figured the comic was symbolic, like how some people in the U.S. consider themselves ‘locked into’ a certain job because it has healthcare benefits or whatever.
Explanation: What I keep hearing from many sources, is that people who have “pre-existing conditions” allegedly can have a hard time getting health insurance again if they switch jobs. U.S. health insurance companies are in the business of making profit for their shareholders or whoever, not running a charity, so the more people they deny coverage, the more money the insurance companies make. That’s just the way the system works.
So anyway - people sometimes keep jobs that they dislike because they don’t wish to go bankrupt paying medical bills, or perhaps die or become disabled from lack of proper medical care (including preventative stuff).
Thus, figuratively somewhat like being locked into the stocks shown in the comic.
Haven’t personally experienced that because it’s been 30 years since my job provided any healthcare whatsoever. Back then, I had a good union job with full medical. After that, one just has to fend for themselves and try to not get sick, and if you do get sick, well, tough t1tty.
(People in the rest of the civilized world, which supposedly has - so I’ve been told - healthcare that’s not tied into one’s employment, probably never have to face these types of concerns.)
I can say this much, though, lest someone think I’m being too political or pushing some sort of “agenda” or something:
Not having medical coverage is one heck of a good incentive to:
never get fat
stop eating greasy food
watch one’s cholesterol intake VERY carefully - read those labels!!
quit smoking
exercise
stop drinking
stop using so much sugar
cut down on salt (sodium) intake, which basically means you can forget about most prepared/instant food and restaurant food
floss your teeth and brush thoroughly on a regular basis. Yes, it sucks to have to do that. But dental visits suck even more.
quit eating preservatives and chemicals and ingredients you can’t pronounce
and all that other preventative type stuff.
Off topic: Unfortunately, a lot of people think the above list is too much work. They’d rather just pop a pill or have a doctor prescribe something for them.
Big pharma directly targeting consumers via TV ads etc., doesn’t help that attitude much, and sustains the popular idea that there’s an easy no-effort-required Rx prescription cure for everything including self-induced diseases, but I digress.
In answer to the question “I wonder just what the point was” - it’s just a play on words, it doesn’t need a point. ;)
However if one wanted to analyze it to death, it’s that people who brag about themselves in an attempt to pick up girls or to impress others, are boring.
I figured the comic was symbolic, like how some people in the U.S. consider themselves ‘locked into’ a certain job because it has healthcare benefits or whatever.
Explanation: What I keep hearing from many sources, is that people who have “pre-existing conditions” allegedly can have a hard time getting health insurance again if they switch jobs. U.S. health insurance companies are in the business of making profit for their shareholders or whoever, not running a charity, so the more people they deny coverage, the more money the insurance companies make. That’s just the way the system works.
So anyway - people sometimes keep jobs that they dislike because they don’t wish to go bankrupt paying medical bills, or perhaps die or become disabled from lack of proper medical care (including preventative stuff).
Thus, figuratively somewhat like being locked into the stocks shown in the comic.
Haven’t personally experienced that because it’s been 30 years since my job provided any healthcare whatsoever. Back then, I had a good union job with full medical. After that, one just has to fend for themselves and try to not get sick, and if you do get sick, well, tough t1tty.
(People in the rest of the civilized world, which supposedly has - so I’ve been told - healthcare that’s not tied into one’s employment, probably never have to face these types of concerns.)
I can say this much, though, lest someone think I’m being too political or pushing some sort of “agenda” or something:
Not having medical coverage is one heck of a good incentive to:
never get fat stop eating greasy food watch one’s cholesterol intake VERY carefully - read those labels!! quit smoking exercise stop drinking stop using so much sugar cut down on salt (sodium) intake, which basically means you can forget about most prepared/instant food and restaurant food floss your teeth and brush thoroughly on a regular basis. Yes, it sucks to have to do that. But dental visits suck even more. quit eating preservatives and chemicals and ingredients you can’t pronounce and all that other preventative type stuff.Off topic: Unfortunately, a lot of people think the above list is too much work. They’d rather just pop a pill or have a doctor prescribe something for them.
Big pharma directly targeting consumers via TV ads etc., doesn’t help that attitude much, and sustains the popular idea that there’s an easy no-effort-required Rx prescription cure for everything including self-induced diseases, but I digress.