Commentary on Dilbert Commentary

Dilbert, so synonymous with office/job malaise, that The Dilbert Effect term has been coined, and used countless times to describe dissatisfaction with one's job, or station in life.

This week marks two years when, around January 12, of 2005, Dilbert's sights were aimed squarely at the freelance photographer in this series of three strips. I would have made a more timely comment at that time, yet what I had to say was limited to my encouraging my colleagues to get the paper and check it out. Here, in this forum, I can now share my commentary beyond just those few phone calls. Here's the series of strips :


Why is this? Because, sadly, freelancers are being forced from their chosen profession, and into desk jobs. Now, if you work a desk job, that's cool, because you are doing what you love to do there, but, if you're a freelance photographer, riding a desk is not what you want to do. These Dilbert strips illustrate that the phenomenon of freelancers leaving photography is not uncommon. Certainly it had reached a point where the concept became funny and would appeal to the mass audience that the strip reaches.

Freelancers will quickly, as the strip points out, have a hard time adapting, and so, an attention to the business realities that surround photography will ensure that you can remain "wild and unsupervised", "free-ranging" as Dilbert so eloquently put it.

---

Ed. While the display of this image is a commentary on the strip, and thus, "fair use" should apply, we took the cautious step and secured permission to display these strips from Universal Features Syndicate's clearing house, for those of you who might be wondering. J.H.