Cartoons and Politics

Cartoons, being a channel of media, have had a huge affect on society. Cartoons are generally seen as something associated with children, but cartoons are actually aimed at any type of audience a particular cartoon is trying to reach, whether it is mocking them or portraying something that the audience can relate to. Cartoons are shown on television, books, graphic novels, newspapers, and magazines. Every cartoon has a message to send to its audience. They inform and entertain separately or simultaneously. Editorial cartoons are the most popular types of cartoons to do this effectively. Thanks to this shaky presidential campaign that has gone on for the past year, editorial cartoonists had more to work with other than our current president, the war in Iraq, and other current events that are culturally significant. For instance, one of the latest editorial cartoons by David Horsey, artist for the Seattle-Post Intelligencer, depicts an image of what Hilary Clinton said about herself in a conference held in Pennsylvania for her campaign there. She mentioned that she used to shoot guns behind one of her relatives' home for fun. She drinks beer and takes shots. She takes a toke or two, as well (not really or as far anyone else knows, she does not). She was really trying to relate to the people of Pennsylvania, unlike Barack Obama who was busy trying to clean up his "bitter" statement. As for Horsey, in his cartoon, he uses these stereotypes and events and magnifies them to bring out the humor in the Pennsylvania Primary.

Besides all of what was mentioned, the comic shows a laid-back Hilary dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt, holding a glass of beer. She is having a friendly conversation with a hunter in what looks like a hunter's lounge/bar. The hunter has on a plaid shirt, pants, and a hunter's vest. He is a big guy who wears a hat with the letter "P" on it (which suggests that he is from Pennsylvania or Philadelphia) and he is holding a rifle with a scope on it. He has a stern look on his face. There are two other hunters (or what looks like hunters) having a drink, as well, but they also seem half-interested in the conversation going on between Hilary and the hunter. There is also a dead duck hanging on the bar. Hilary says, "I'm not an Elitist like Obama...I know you rural folks are all about hunting and opening your hearts to your fellow man!" The hunter responds, "Not me. I've got my guns 'cause God told me to scare off all these dang Mexican immigrants!"

Obviously, the cartoon is poking fun at Hilary and Pennsylvanian people. The cartoon is putting emphasis on the things Hilary said and did while her campaign was in Pennsylvania. The cartoon is making fun of some of the very stereotypical people of Pennsylvania. Obama pointed out Pennsylvanian people as being stereotyped, in a way. That is more gas to this flame. Actually, this cartoon backs up the stereotypes Obama is pointing out. Overall, the humor in this cartoon would come from the outfit Hilary is wearing and what she is drinking or the conversation held.

This cartoon would directly attract those who were paying attention to the Pennsylvania Primary held there for the Democratic Nominee vote and especially those who read the Seattle-Post Intelligencer (or any other paper it was posted in). This cartoon can also attract fans of David Horsey as an artist because he is a good artist. That is what makes editorial cartoons culturally and socially significant. These cartoons do more than inform and entertain us. Cartoons soften harsh situations to make their audience feel better. Cartoons that poke fun at war lighten the war's image. This cartoon did not need to soften anything because there was nothing harsh or dramatic that happened during the Primary. The cartoon does reflect on today's culture by poking fun at a major event in history. It is socially significant for relating people to this cartoon effectively.

However, there are some appeals to this cartoon. The artist is at liberty to drive this cartoon this way or that way depending on what weapon he use; Logic, Emotion, or Ethics. In Horsey's cartoon, only some of these appeals exist. When it comes to logic there is not much to be seen, but that could be due to the fact that this is a cartoon. Not much is supposed to make sense in a cartoon and that goes for any type of cartoon. The only logic that could exist in this cartoon is the concept Horsey uses: Hilary looking exactly like what she said and doing the same thing she did while she was in Pennsylvania. As far as ethics go, we can say that the stereotypes are visible, almost to the point where it would be impossible to miss. The stereotypes of the Pennsylvanian people are visible on Hilary and the hunter she is talking to and around them. It is even in the conversation they had. This does not mean that it was not fair for Horsey to point out these stereotypes because these stereotypes were pretty much the point of this whole cartoon. As for passion or emotional evidence in this cartoon, it is in the cartoon itself. What happened in Pennsylvania drove the artist to come up with this cartoon. Obviously, Horsey saw humor in the primary there, mostly from Hilary and the people from Pennsylvania. This whole cartoon was somewhat driven out of emotion.

Because the cartoon was driven out of emotion does not exclude the fact that there was some type of motive behind it. As previously stated, the stereotypes this cartoon portrayed were basically the whole point of the cartoon. That is the "punch line" of this cartoon. The follow up is the response from the hunter to Hilary's question. The artist could be making assumptions on the audience. He could be implying that first of all the audience would recognize or relate to what he illustrated. Another assumption could be that the stereotypes could be immediately recognizable. The stereotypes, like stated before, are impossible to miss which, in turn, makes it the most apparent thus making it the point of the cartoon.

Overall, David Horsey's cartoon, a door to Pennsylvanian stereotypes, shows audiences that there is humor in politics. Stereotypes are emphasized by words and actions and when those words and actions come from high elected officials, it becomes hard to miss, so hard in fact that they are almost true. Horsey did a great job illustrating Hilary into the words and actions she said and did, making apparent the stereotypes that Obama brought up. Both candidates are responsible, yet again, for making America look like a contradiction. This cartoon is proof that cartoons have a huge effect on society because someone, David Horsey, has made it visible to audiences.