Analysis of Political Cartoons
From the early days of Benjamin Franklin to today, politically inspired cartoons have been a staple of newspapers worldwide. Their goal is not just to entertain you, their goal is also to prove a point. The cartoons are either a form of social commentary, as well as serving as an advertisement in some cases. The earliest known political cartoon came from the aforementioned Franklin, published in the Pennsylvania Gazette back in 1754. “Join or Die” shows a snake cut up into pieces, and it’s goal was to unite the existing colonies against British rule.
this was considered edgy in those times
Here are two other cartoons that are just as good, if not better.
My first choice of cartoon from Patrick Chapette of the New York Times, and it depicts President Trump and Vladimir Putin. It is poking fun at President Trump’s friendly relationship with the Russian leader, and subtly making the point that Trump finds Putin a bit too trustworthy. Also subtle is the way Trump is depicted, with his head down and a somewhat submissive look on his face. The hacking, “fake news”, and everything else Russia-related in regards to the 2016 presidential election has been the subject of hot debate in America ever since the results came in, and this cartoon no doubt threw wood on the fire.
My second choice comes from all the way back on June 23, 1972. Drawn by “Herblock”, a pen name for Herbert Lawrence Block, and published by the Washington Post, it satirizes the Watergate scandal and the perceived guilt of then president Richard Nixon. In an over the top way, it shows many, many footsteps leading up to the steps of the White House, and those footsteps representing evidence or prior scandals such as bugging and campaign funding. It also shows investigators, complete with magnifying glass, looking on and thinking that there might just be a connection there. It is drawn in black and white because the newspapers of the time were not in color, but in my opinion, it doesn't matter. The point still comes across loud and clear.
Political satirizing will never go away. No matter what form media takes in the future, whether it stays with print or moves to digital or something not even invented yet, things like political cartoons are here to stay. They are simply too effective to go away. Politics is one of those subjects that everyone loves to say they hate and don’t want to deal with, but they do. Especially today, politics is such a hot button issue that any cartoon done well will reach and affect it’s intended audience. If a satirist/cartoonist working for a media outlet or a cause wants something to happen, a well done and memorable comic will help a lot more than even a highly thought out scholarly article. In a way, political cartoons sort of “dumb down” the point people are trying to make, and creates an opportunity to make that point in bite size, memorable form.
I look forward to what future satirists have in store for us.
My first choice of cartoon from Patrick Chapette of the New York Times, and it depicts President Trump and Vladimir Putin. It is poking fun at President Trump’s friendly relationship with the Russian leader, and subtly making the point that Trump finds Putin a bit too trustworthy. Also subtle is the way Trump is depicted, with his head down and a somewhat submissive look on his face. The hacking, “fake news”, and everything else Russia-related in regards to the 2016 presidential election has been the subject of hot debate in America ever since the results came in, and this cartoon no doubt threw wood on the fire.
My second choice comes from all the way back on June 23, 1972. Drawn by “Herblock”, a pen name for Herbert Lawrence Block, and published by the Washington Post, it satirizes the Watergate scandal and the perceived guilt of then president Richard Nixon. In an over the top way, it shows many, many footsteps leading up to the steps of the White House, and those footsteps representing evidence or prior scandals such as bugging and campaign funding. It also shows investigators, complete with magnifying glass, looking on and thinking that there might just be a connection there. It is drawn in black and white because the newspapers of the time were not in color, but in my opinion, it doesn't matter. The point still comes across loud and clear.
Political satirizing will never go away. No matter what form media takes in the future, whether it stays with print or moves to digital or something not even invented yet, things like political cartoons are here to stay. They are simply too effective to go away. Politics is one of those subjects that everyone loves to say they hate and don’t want to deal with, but they do. Especially today, politics is such a hot button issue that any cartoon done well will reach and affect it’s intended audience. If a satirist/cartoonist working for a media outlet or a cause wants something to happen, a well done and memorable comic will help a lot more than even a highly thought out scholarly article. In a way, political cartoons sort of “dumb down” the point people are trying to make, and creates an opportunity to make that point in bite size, memorable form.
I look forward to what future satirists have in store for us.
Comments
Post a Comment