Sherman's Lagoon by Jim Toomey for August 18, 2024

A terrifying pushover

The naked beach apes are afraid of you, Sherman.

I must be strange. I never drink a coffee, I drink a cup of coffee. Okay, zoomer.

A shark with human teeth?

So much for being feared, huh, Sherman? If you weren’t such a pushover, you’d give Hawthorne the what-for (i.e. eating him).

No one fears a softie,..unless they’re a cuddly cat or kitten with claws all charged up and ready to play. Lol.

I know it’s some sort of comic strip sociology thing but I never can understand why Hawthorne wasn’t just a Sherman snack sometime in the past.

Sorry Sherm, you are too cute to be feared.

Context, for you young people:

Niccolò Machiavelli, a Renaissance political theorist, wrote in The Prince that it’s better to be feared than loved if one can’t be both. He argued that fear is a better motivator than love and therefore a more effective tool for leaders. However, some leaders believe that being loved is better, and that loved leaders are often more successful than feared leaders. Others believe that great leaders use both love and fear.

Succinctly describes our current Presidential candidates.

Megan is the apex predator of the lagoon. She is the one everyone fears, including Sherman.

Eat the crab.

Sherman is a pushover to be feared.

Sherman has trouble holding on to his terror.

Back in the 1500’s, the question had higher stakes. I guess everything gets dumbed down over time.