Wot No...?
Canterbury, April 2015
There is nothing that Dash likes more than an empty cardboard box. Whenever any sizeable new item arrives in the house, you can guarantee the leftover box will end up commandeered to form part of a den, spaceship, pirate ship or other fantastical creation. He kindly posed for my daily photo today, peering out of the latest box.
Dash’s pose reminds me of the ‘Mr Chad’ meme in popular culture. The internet meme "Wot no...?" boasts a surprisingly long history, predating the digital age by several decades. Its origins can be traced back to a World War II cartoon character named Chad. This character, typically depicted as a bald man with a single question mark for hair and crossed eyes, first appeared around the war years, possibly created by British cartoonist George Edward Chatterton.
Chad's significance lies in his role as a cultural touchstone. He served as a humorous expression of wartime shortages, with the phrase "Wot, no [missing item]?" becoming a common refrain. Soldiers would often doodle Chad on walls and buildings, a testament to the enduring power of humour even in difficult times.
Interestingly, there's some debate about whether Chad merged with another wartime doodle – "Kilroy was here." This American doodle featured a similar peeking figure. Regardless of a potential connection, "Wot no...?" transcended its wartime context. It captured the universal experience of disappointment when something desired is absent.
The phrase continues to hold relevance even today. Though no longer a prominent meme in the digital age, "Wot no...?" persists as a cultural echo, a reminder of a simpler time and a timeless human emotion. The next time you find yourself uttering this phrase, take a moment to appreciate its surprisingly rich history.
Fujifilm X-E1 with XF 35mm f/1.4 lens, 1/80 sec, f/3.2, ISO 3200, Lightroom, Silver Efex Pro 2, Color Efex Pro 4
