Wage Cage

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About

Wage Cage, also known as Wagecage and Wagie Cagie, is a slang term used to describe an office or cubicle, though it is sometimes more broadly defined to encompass an occupation or the act of working itself. Often, memes represent wage cages with artistic representations such as the famous "Amazon wage cage" and reimaginations of the design, like the "Wage Cage 9000." It is a frequently used term on 4chan and Reddit, first beginning around 2018 and seeing a resurgence in 2021.

Origin

The term "wage cage" emerged online sometime in September 2018. Many online users refer to a wage cage in conjunction with the term wagie (used to describe people in employment). The origin of the phrase, though used in a slightly different manner, comes from a February 29th, 2016, thread on 4chan’s^[2] /r9k/, where an anonymous user commented the following (seen below) in response to a user bragging about his self-employed status.

Anonymous Mon 29 Feb 2016 12:25:14 No.26837992 Report Quoted By: >>26838069 >>26838073 >>26838661 >26838803 >>26839917 >>26847931 >>26837833 I'm self employed, my office is about 10 steps from my bedroom. How are you going to make fun of me? Can't make jew boss jokes because I don't have one. No commute, no tiring schedule, and thanks to internet marketing I barely have to put in any effort to get new customers. Anonymous Mon 29 Feb 2016 13:03:35 No.26838661 Report Quoted By: >>26838704 >>26837992 >implying this is true >implying that despite all your wage, you're still not just a rat in a cage

As a slang term, "wage cage" was first added to Urban Dictionary ^[1] on June 24th, 2018, by user Zonal K, receiving 54 likes in roughly four years (definition below).

The establishment where a person is forced to attend during working hours.

Spread

Amazon Wage Cage

On September 7th, 2018, the Seattle Times^[3] published an article about Amazon’s cage-style cubicles for workers that allows them to be transported safely in and out of robot-only production zones. Patented in 2016, Amazon has not yet decided to use the technology, but screenshots of this article became famous nonetheless, and numerous memes were created using the design. For example, this meme posted to /r/Buttcoin^[4] by u/theredditsoyboy in 2019 shows a detailed diagram of Amazon’s wage cage.

Wagie cage 9000 Improve worker productivity with the patented wage cage! No more wasted time on the job! Wireless connection to deliver job orders Emergency bathroom light (often ignored) 424 Job instruction and corporate propaganda screen (cannot be turned off) 417 - 402 Reinforced cage frame Controller stick 412 406 Razor wire wrapping 408 Cage lock that can only be opened by foreman Flat metal bench seat 416 414 Product grabbing arm 426, 404 Piss soaked floor 418 104 422 Safety legs to prevent collision with superior robot workers 422 422

On 4chan, two separate threads on /pol/^[6] and /biz/^[7] were created on September 10th, 2018, discussing the Amazon wage cage, where the term was frequently used alongside the phrase "Wagie get in your cagie."

Resurgence in 2021

There was an increase in wage cage memes in 2021 during the return to in-person work in the latter parts of the COVID-19 pandemic. One example of a wage cage meme from the era was posted in May 2021 by u/Narchoid in /r/GenZommunist,^[5] where it received 87 upvotes and seven comments. The text poem seen here is also one that has been frequently quoted in wage cage memes and 4chan threads.

Wagie

Wagie is a term also popularized by 4chan that indicates a worker, often one in a less than desirable job that pays a low wage for menial tasks. In most cases, "wagies" are treated poorly by managers and dislike their job, hence referring to their place of employment as a wage cage.

Various Examples

Amazon Introduces ", AmaZen" Booths To Soothe Its Overworked Warehouse Employees Mindful Practice Room WNGIE nd m u.actices W amazen Wagie cage 9000 Improve worker productivity with the patented wage cage! No more wasted time on the job! Wireless connection to deliver job orders Emergency bathroom light (often ignored) 424 Job instruction and corporate propaganda screen (cannot be turned off) 417 402 Reinforced cage frame Controller stick 412 406 Razor wire wrapping -403 Cage lock that can only be opened by foreman Flat metal bench seat 416 414 Product grabbing arm 426 404 Piss soaked floor 418 104 422 Safety legs to prevent collision with superior robot workers 422

Wage Cage Nicolas Cage Nicolas Cage in a Wage Cage 420 420 424 410 424 410 417 417 402 402 412 412 406 406 408 -408 416 416 414 414 426. 426 404 404 418. 418- 418 418 104 104 422- 422 422 422 422- 422 422 422

Anonymous asbBBmYnI 11027189 2 hr. ago • STOP POSTING AND GET BACK TO YOUR WAGECAGE 665.1 kB JPG 6 REPLIES 10 IMAGES REPLY Anonymous 10YOOK1M 11027331 2 hr. ago >>11027189 (OP) Wagie wagie get in cagie All day long you sweat and ragie NEET is comfy NEET is cool NEET is free from work and school Wagie trapped and wagie dies NEET eats tendies, sauce and fries 2.2 MB JPG 3 REPLIES

Search Interest

External References

^[1] Urban Dictionary – Wage Cage

^[2] 4chan – /r9k/

^[3] Seattle Times – Amazon Has Patented a System that Would Put Workers in a Cage, on Top of a Robot

^[4] Reddit – Buttchan Presents: The Wagie Cagie

^[5] Reddi t- Now at Amazon: the Wage Cage

^[6] 4chan – /pol/

^[7] 4chan – /biz/

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Wage Cage Uploaded by Reddit Moments	Wage Cage Uploaded by Reddit Moments

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Top Comments

BravelyDefect

Jul 13, 2021 at 05:42PM EDT

Interesting to read that this meme is recently getting a resurgence now that we are post-Covid.

I work in an office environment and this does not reflect my personal experiences. The lockdown and mandatory teleworking officially ended for my state on July 1st but we have not returned to our pre-Covid method of doing things.

We still operate on the teleworking policy from 2020 so we have the choice now between working from home and going into the office. We have seen benefits from teleworking and are encouraged to work from home. For me, I choose to work from home today, I created a schedule where I go into the office every other day.

It is interesting to hear stories of offices who would have their employees return to the old ways. I work for a state agency so i realize my experiences differ from people who work for private businesses. Still, Covid gave us the perfect opportunity to change things up and try new ideas, it is interesting to see companies either embrace a new method of business or return to the status quo.

+23

qx1511

Jul 13, 2021 at 10:53PM EDT in reply to BravelyDefect

One of the things I didn't miss from the pre-pandemic world is the traffic. WFH means that there are less cars on the road. Less cars that would clog up roads, fill up the air with smog, reduces the chance of accidents, and saves on road maintenance costs long term

+14

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