Charlie on the couch

Today’s Wayno / Piraro Bizarro is a Psychiatrist cartoon with a stylized tunafish on the couch:

(#1) To understand this cartoon, you need to recognize that the patient’s not any old tuna, but Charlie, the celebrity mascot for the StarKist brand, whose widely advertised decades-long goal in life is to taste good (while — sorry, Charlie — his pursuit of good taste constantly frustrates this ambition, an experience that seems have led him to seek therapy) (if you’re puzzled by the odd symbols in the cartoon — Dan Piraro says there are 6 in this strip — see this Page)

There’s a surprisingly rich history here (but one that might be specifically North American, so that the cartoon might be baffling to many of my readers). Summarized in this entry on the tv tropes site:

“But Charlie, StarKist doesn’t want tuna with good taste. They want tuna that tastes good!”. — A variety of characters towards Charlie

In 1917, the French Sardine Company of California, a seafood company with heavy innovations in keeping fish cold, was founded. In 1942, they introduced StarKist to the public, a brand of canned tuna fish, eventually changing the company’s name to such in 1953. The image on the cans was of a fisherman with an earring. However, by 1961, TV [gave] rise to a different star for the company.

In 1961, StarKist debuted Charlie the Tuna in their advertisements, created for them by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and designed by Chuck Jones. Wearing a red beret and thick black glasses, Charlie was dedicated to being captured by StarKist, as he showed off his “good taste” in a variety of hobbies. However, he’d always be rewarded with a fishhook holding the response “Sorry, Charlie”, because StarKist doesn’t want tuna with good taste, they want tuna that tastes good.

(#2) The ad catchhrase

StarKist continued to use Charlie in their advertisements until the 1980s, when the campaign was retired. However, starting in 1999, with the addition of healthier options and fresh packs, Charlie was returned, and is now not only the on-screen mascot, but the on-package one as well.

(#3) Charlie on the can these days

Charlie’s legacy continues to live on outside of the campaign. The phrase “Sorry, Charlie” has entered American lexicon and April 6th has been designated as “Sorry, Charlie” Day.

Further notes on the character in an AdWeek display (the full story is, alas, behind a paywall):

(#4) To add to these notes: Charlie’s NYC accent is probably also based on Phil Silvers, on his Brooklyn variety