Dilbert cartoon first published on Tuesday 19th July 2005

Dilbert//5939, first published 21 years ago on Tuesday 19th July 2005

Tags

elbonians demanding bribes overpaid consultants legal won't get caught

Official transcript

"The Elbonians are demanding bribes, or else they won't do business with us."

originally published on dilbert.com

Open source transcript

THE ELBONIANS ARE DEMANDING BRIBES, OR ELSE THEY WON'T DO BUSINESS WITH US.

HIRE THEM AS OVERPAID CONSULTANTS AND DON'T ASK THEM FOR ANYTHING. THAT WAY, IT'S ALL LEGAL.

AND BY LEGAL YOU MEAN WON'T GET CAUGHT?

PO-TAY-TO, PO - TAH-TO.

collated from github.com/jvarn/dilbert-archive

AI Analysis

Title: "The Elbonians Are Demanding Bribes, or Else They Won't Do Business With Us."

Summary:

The comic strip features Dilbert, a bespectacled man with a balding head, in a white shirt and red tie, standing before a table with two men seated behind it. The first man, dressed in a suit and tie, says, "The Elbonians are demanding bribes, or else they won't do business with us." The second man, also in a suit and tie, responds, "Hire them as overpaid consultants and don't ask them for anything. That way, it's all legal."

Dilbert, seemingly unaware of the conversation, asks, "And by legal, you mean won't get caught?" The second man replies, "Po-tay-to, po-tah-to."

The comic strip satirizes the practice of hiring consultants to avoid legal issues, highlighting the absurdity of the situation. The punchline, "Po-tay-to, po-tah-to," is a play on words, referencing the common phrase "potato, potato," which means "the same thing." In this context, it implies that the legal loophole is essentially the same as bribery, but with a more official-sounding name. The comic strip uses humor to comment on the often-cynical nature of corporate dealings and the ways in which companies may try to circumvent laws and regulations.

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