It's only fitting that my first review should be Business Fish, since it was Business Fish that first awakened my deep passion for stickers. Sure, I'd enjoyed other stickers before, but with Business Fish it was different. It was something deeper and more intense. Something primal and all-consuming. As Catherine Earnshaw might say, 'Nelly, I am Business Fish'.
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| Kiss me, Business Fish! (facebook.com) |
Business Fish is a Facebook sticker set created by the Tokyo-based Quan Inc. (http://quan-inc.jp/en/). Its description on the Facebook Sticker Store reads 'You just got schooled... by a fish'. This cheeky pun on 'school' may seem straightforward at first, but ultimately it raises more questions than it answers. First of all, what exactly is Business Fish? Is he a man? Is he a fish? Does it even matter?... An easier question to answer would be 'Are you physically attracted to him?', and the answer would be 'Yes, Yes I am'. (In fact, I think it's safe to say he's the hottest fish-headed man since that cosplayer guy in a Magikarp mask and a pair of speedos.)
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| I hate yo see you go, but I love to watch you leave, Business Fish! (facebook.com) |
Despite this ambiguity of species (or perhaps because of it), Business Fish certainly does school us. Not in an obvious way, but rather in a subtle, yet profoundly wise way. At first glance Business Fish appears to live the life of a stereotypical Tokyo business man. He is defined by his pristine suit, overworked and under-appreciated, forced to trudge his way to the office even when he's sick and should probably be at home in bed.
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| Please take care of your health, Business Fish! (facebook.com) |
He is often frustrated or enraged by his work, occasionally breaking down into maniacal laughter. We can hardly blame him for this, considering the harsh conditions he is forced to endure (for more on Business Fish's representation of alienation under capitalism, see Rhizome.org's Marxist reading at http://rhizome.org/editorial/2015/mar/11/business-fish-or-emotion-under-late-capitalism/). This may make the sticker set seem like one that is designed for expressing darker emotions, for saying 'Damn you world! Why must you be so terrible!?' This is certainly one use of Business Fish, however there is more to him than first meets the eye.
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| Are you some kind of monster, Business Fish? (facebook.com) |
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| Why, you're just a big old softy, Business Fish! (facebook.com) |
Business Fish's schooling does not end here, however, but proceeds to ever more sublime depths. He eventually moves beyond introspection and selfish egotism, and looks outwards, to the needs of others. He congratulates his friend on their achievements by presenting them with a cake, sparing no thought for his own interests. He professes his love to anyone and everyone, asking for nothing in return but the joy brought about by their presence. The confetti showering these stickers marks them as celebratory, the most valuable and worthwhile of all Business Fish's actions. They allow the user to open up to the world, to spread hope and joy, to transcend the selfish pursuit of self-fulfillment and the frustrations of daily life, and to say to every single person on their Facebook friends list, 'I APPRECIATE YOU!'.
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| I love you too, Business Fish! (facebook.com) |
In Business Fish we ultimately see ourselves. We are reminded that at the end of the day every one of us is just a fish out of water, hastily shoved into an expensive suit and forced to pretend we have our humanity in check. But Business Fish encourages us to remember that beneath the suit, we are all people (or perhaps bizarre fish-people). He teaches us that what is truly important is not making money, but making friends. The most poignant of all Business Fish stickers is the one in which he looks nervously around a corner, his face encapsulating the fear and insecurity we all feel when confronted with the cold, uncaring world. We finally realise that this sticker does not represent suspicion or mistrust, but rather it is an invitation. An invitation for us to reach out and say 'Stay strong, Business Fish. We are here for you. WE LOVE YOU!'
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| Do not be afraid, Business Fish! (facebook.com) |
Business Fish Score: 10/10
- Conoir
For more on Business Fish see the following:
- His official Facebook page, which includes extra Business Fish drawings, and reveals many interesting facts, such as his ongoing feud with one of his coworkers, and the beautiful lack of restriction on his sexuality and gender expression: https://www.facebook.com/quanbusinessfish?fref=ts
- His Twitter, which showcases his political commentary and philosophical musings, in digestible 140-character chunks: https://twitter.com/business_fish
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