In his 1988 Supreme Court opinion in Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, the late Chief Justice Rehnquist argued, “the art of the cartoonist is often not reasoned or evenhanded, but slashing and one-sided...the political cartoon is a weapon of attack, of scorn and ridicule and satire...it is usually as welcome as a bee sting”. Despite these biting words, the Court ruled that political cartoons are essential tools in a democracy. Political cartoons are inherently controversial, as they seek to mock both the legal and governmental process. However, they are also inherently American, as they reflect the core tenets of the First Amendment, the right to free speech, and expression. In this paper, I will analyze a political cartoon, created by the artist Paul Conrad in 1972 for the Los Angeles Times. I will first provide a description of the cartoon, its relevance at the time, and the political salience that it still maintains today. Secondly, I will examine this cartoon through five intersecting lens: the efficacy of visual rhetoric/graphic discourse, materiality, technology/modernity, power, and institutional/male domination. Through these lenses, I will trace my object's physical and ideological genealogy, and examine its social, political, and historical significance in contemporary culture. This object came to the archive in a collection of political cartoons and was clipped from the Los Angeles Times. The collector probably saved a series of Los Angeles Times political cartoons,
The cartoonist uses the rhetorical and literary devices of symbolism and allusion to depict that technology and media rules over society’s opinions and decisions. The political cartoonist uses symbolism to indirectly state
Originating in the 19th century, political cartoons are created and drawn as a means to deliver a message. Whether it be about politics, events or social concerns, the artist is able to express themselves creatively. The cartoons are not only meant to express the view of the creator, but are also open to interpretation. Most political cartoons have a biased point of view and uses rhetoric to persuade its audience.
Political cartoons are an illustrative technique that political cartoonist use to display a message to the viewers about government, world affairs, and politics. In 1754, publishers of the Pennsylvania Gazette published the first political cartoon illustrated by Benjamin Franklin (West, par. 1). Benjamin Franklin used his first political cartoon, titled Join or Die, to gain support from the colonies for the Crown’s war against the French (West, par. 1). Since the 1700s, illustrators use political cartoons as a medium to display political messages to its viewers (West, par. 1). On March 10, 2015, publishers of the Columbia Daily Tribune published a political cartoon, illustrated by John Darkow, titled Hillary Has A Primary Opponent (Darkow,
“The Bosses of the Senate” Political cartoons have been used for centuries to display the various perspectives and views on major events or topics of discussion in the society. In various earlier eras of our history, political cartoons were aimed towards the general public to bring much-needed attention to various situations and proceedings. Cartoons could be viewed by anyone and everyone despite literacy, therefore they quickly gained popularity. “The Bosses of the Senate” was one of such political cartoons that depicted the direct relation between monopolies and the Senate during the Gilded Age to the general public. The Gilded Age was a time of modern industrialization, with national transportation, communication, and other innovative benefits
The early 19th century in America saw the rise of industry and a booming economy, however, with industry came businessmen who saw an opportunity for power and profit. Even with help from the government, it would be a long time before the American people saw an improvement in the condition of the laborers and the regulation of corporations. Fast forward to the 21st century; two hundred years have passed and people are still struggling at the hands of a corporation-run economy. Throughout history, American laborers have been at the mercy of an industry controlled by a small few that did not have the best interest of the people in mind.
In the first political cartoon offered by the module, from the San Francisco Chronicle, the statue of Abraham Lincoln
This political cartoon ties into my theme since it shows how the man is stressing over the news and thoughts and how he must relieve himself from it all. Not only that, but it also ties into the passage Why I Went to the Woods by Henry David Thoreau. This can be proven as it is seen in the passage when the author says that the character would mine and burrow their way through the hills in front of them. With this being a metaphor, the author uses figurative language as he explains how the character in the passage is trying to get away from all of their bad thoughts, trying to leave all of his stress behind but the stress just continues to pile up, just like a hill. This also ties in with my Theme and my political cartoon since they all show
In the catalog, Syracuse Cultural Workers, a man named Randolf Smallwood created a political postcard that could be seen as controversial. This postcard is meant to appeal to people with a critical respective and it shows what their thoughts are about Conservatives. The artist uses bumper stickers to portray the harsh truth what Conservatives support and what they believe in. Political parties often do not agree on each other’s views and this post card is an example of how they may bash each other to show the points they disagree with. Using a bumper sticker was an interesting approach because many people have them on their cars to show what candidate or party their supportive of, but these parodies of bumper stickers reveal more than what they normally say.
In this political cartoon, Trump is sawing down a tree that says “big government” on it. Below the tree there’s a sleeping donkey in a blue tie, sitting under the shade of the tree. The donkey seems to represent the Democratic Party. In March, the Trump administration decided that they would make cuts to many government programs. The Democrats are relying on an increase in government spending for a big government, as a safety cushion. Since Trump is a republican president it’s going to benefit the republicans and their point of views. Republicans like smaller governments because to them it’s efficient and taxpayers don’t get bothered by it as much.
“The Rail Splitter repairing the union” is a political cartoon made by Joseph E. Baker in 1865. The cartoon was created to represent President Lincoln being a good person trying his best to repair the Union after the Civil War. After his assassination Andrew Jackson wanted to go on with Lincoln’s idea and provide the south with fair treatment. Both of them tried to bring the union together.
The cartoon addresses the issue that both candidates are poor choices. The cartoon is very ironic because Uncle Sam tells the audience to vote, but he
This political cartoon uses elements of humor to convey just how ridiculous the artist thinks the notions are to arm teachers in response to the numerous school shootings. The artist draws a robot as the teacher of the classroom, whose name is DEFENDER-BOT-5000, but Mr. D for short. This is funny because teachers with long names often shorten it to their first initial, which is what DEFENDER-BOT-5000 is doing since he is the teacher. The robot is drawn as a large metal structure with multiple missiles coming out of its head and arm. The message of this political cartoon is that weapons have no place in a classroom environment.
The cartoon that I have chosen is from the New York Times. It is a cartoon by Tony Auth, and can be found online here: http://www.uclick.com/client/nyt/ta/ It was published in the New York Times regular issue on the 23rd of February, according to the date on the cartoon, though I found it online.
A political cartoon which can also be called editorial cartoons can be defined as an illustration/comic strip using a political report that usually presents current circumstances or personalities. That is the definition of a political cartoon. Proving that is easy to produce clean coal was a political cartoon by the authors affiliated with Inkcinct. This cartoon was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on the 2nd of February 2017. It was used against the Turnbull government when the Liberal – National Coalition said that it should be easy to produce clean coal.
The conspicuous depiction of the urban poverty in a verifiably noteworthy comic strip, making a sharp parody on city destitution (Sabin 134), features the manifestation of ideology in comic craftsmanship. This comic strip depicts a few of the suggestions and indications of ideologies hidden in the comics. As a matter of fact, the meaning of ideology can be an elusive one. It can be characterised barely, concentrating on standard ‘Politics’ (with a capital P) while talking about liberal versus moderate positions on issues, a definition that comics critic Arthur Asa Berger appears to receive in his discourse of the ideology of the U.S. comic strip Pogo (Berger 173). Or, then again it can be characterised comprehensively, to include issues of interceded influence and discourses of the impact of the mass communications on its groups of onlookers, regardless the nature of that impact (Barker 213). Thus it is obvious that ideology is firmly tied in with issues of social control. It deals with the questions of why and how may comics defy or maintain power disparities in the public eye. It also raises the question of how these comics serve to celebrate and legitimise ideological values and beliefs and social institutions, or do they investigate and subvert the established norms and status quo of the society.