Nakeya - Political Cartoon

Political Cartoon

            When you see political cartoons in the Sunday paper, and you haven’t had any knowledge what it means unless you watch and keep up with government. You can use these seven characteristics to identify a cartoon and have the idea of what the cartoon stands for, context, iconography, exaggeration, irony, caricature, symbol, and caption.

In this political cartoon, Paul Ryan holds an axe to cut down the Obama Medicare plan, while the donkeys, which represent democrats, they don’t see a problem and they don’t plan on fixing it. They are ignoring the issue, blocking out anyone who brings up Obama Care. Because Obama our president, is a democrat. The democrats agree that Obama Care is in perfect condition. Paul Ryan who is a republican, thinks that it’s a problem and wants to fix the Medicare problem.

There are five of the seven characteristics in this political cartoon they are context, exaggeration, symbols, and caricature. First we have the context, its Paul Ryan’s plan to cut Obama care and fix Medicare while the democrats see no problem are avoiding the issue. Context is trying to see if a person gets what the cartoon is about. Also we have a caption which sets up the context of the cartoon. They help understand the cartoon a little bit better.

Then we have exaggeration, the donkeys are being exaggerated because donkeys don’t really plug their ears, speak, or wear t-shirts in real life and to fix Medicare you don’t fix it with an axe. Most political cartoons are almost always exaggerated, to give the reader an unrealistic depiction. Next we have symbols, the donkey and the axe are symbols, and almost everyone knows what a donkey stands for. They stand for democrats, and the axe stands for cutting things down. In this political cartoon Paul Ryan plans to cut down Medicare. Symbols are always important to put in a cartoon because people will get the cartoon; they will understand it better. 

Finally we have caricature. Caricature is just something famous about a person like their physical appearance. In this cartoon we can see that this is Paul Ryan because he is known form his big ears and nose. Caricature is very helpful when you’re looking at a political cartoon because it gives an idea of who is being represented.

There are two more characteristics that were not represented in this cartoon they were, iconography which uses images that suggest an incident or and idea. It immediately clears up an image. The other is irony, it simply contrasts between what appears to be expressed and what it actually is being expressed.

You should have your own say so, also should work as a team, but should have your own thought about ideas. Have your own individuality. When finding out the conclusion you should listen to both sides and as a team make the right decision. Even if you work independently, you always have the art of discussing independently with others. 

Mahalia - Political Cartoon

Analyzing Political Cartoon

            Political cartoons have been around for hundreds of years; the reason behind them is to catch people’s attention. They try to make the cartoons funny while showing the purpose they are trying to send people. In this paper there is going to be analyzing of a political cartoon using five out of seven; they are context, iconography, exaggeration, caricature, and symbol.

             When taking a looking at the cartoon for the first time you see President Obama with milking buckets and a big smile on his face; he is carrying about a dozen buckets as he is walking to milk his supper skinny milk cow. The cow has a scared look on its face and Obama is oblivious to the look the skinny cow is giving him but when taking a closer look there is so much more behind the political cartoon. When taking a second look at the political cartoon it takes place in a barn where it features President Obama as a farmer. Obama is carrying ton and tons of buckets that represent debt he has put America in. He is chipper and is overly happy to be going to milk a super skinny cow which stands for the U.S. Treasury; Obama is glowing and shows no worry about milking a cow that has nothing left to give but the cow has a scared look on its face knowing Obama has nothing left to give it to make it grow (money). The cow (U.S. Treasury) also has a scared look because it knows it will not be able to stand on its own if Obama continues to suck it dry. Obama has taken everything that the cow was worth and now it is worth nothing; it also shows how Obama has run down the economy and he does not care. When describing the political cartoon it covered five the five traits.

Context stands for all the problems going on in the political cartoon. The problems betrayed in the political cartoon are Obama sucking the cow dry (U.S. Treasury); he is leaving no money left and he is doing nothing about replenishing it. While the cow is barely standing and is in bad shape he continues to be chipper.

Iconography represents the people, animals or objects in the cartoon that portrays different characters/ characteristics. President Obama is portrayed as a famer who is going to go milk his cow; the super skinny cow represents the U.S. Treasury; and the buckets he is caring stands for debts.

Exaggeration is used to make an overstatement; they make the cow super skinny and scared because Obama wants more for it and it has nothing left to give him. They also make Obama happy about getting more milk (money) for the debts (buckets) he has put America in.

Caricature is used to help people identify who or what’s in the cartoon pictures easier; when people draw President Obama they make sure the first thing they see is his ears. They make sure that they make them overly large so it helps people identify him easier.

Symbols are regarded as something like person or object; in the cartoon picture it has the super skinny cow symbolizing as the U.S. Treasury and the buckets stand for debt.

“It is essential in a democratic society that young people and adults learn how to think, learn how to make up their minds.”- (Institute for Propaganda Analysis. The Fine Art of Propaganda. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1939) When people draw political cartoons it is merely their own opinion and everyone has a right to agree with their opinion or disagree. People draw funny cartoons to get there voice heard. When people draw political cartoons they exaggerate and use caricature for example when seeing President Obama’s cartoon because it always has big ears. They like to use iconography to help people relate or to understand their opinion more. In the cartoons it shows a lot of context because no matter who is President there is always going to be some sort of problem; they like to use symbols to enhance the problem. We the people live in a democratic society and are raised to learn how to make up our minds; so when looking at a political cartoon people need to remember its one persons view and people need to learn to know that not everyone see the same thing when analyzing cartoons.

Darian - Political Cartoon

Political Ad Analysis

“It is essential in a democratic society that young people and adults learn how to think, learn how to make up their minds. They must learn how to think independently, and they must learn how to think together.” We see ads everyday but we may not always know their significance, especially when it comes to political ads. 
    Political ads use a variety of elements to make a point. These elements include those of context, iconography, exaggeration, irony caricature, symbol and caption. The context of this ad showcases the cartoonist’s view of the afterwards of Obama’s presidential term.  “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” It is a statement that has been constantly debated throughout this year’s election campaign. The numbers say that we are better off, but I think the cartoonist is referring to the fact that President Obama couldn’t really come up with a “yes” or “no” answer in the beginning. Back in 2008 the economy was really bad. We almost went into a depression, hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost, and housing prices decreased dramatically. Basically things were a mess, and our economy was “on the verge of complete collapse.”
    Caricature is one of the major elements in this cartoon. In fact this ad is rife with caricature, that’s what makes it. If they weren’t there, the cartoon wouldn’t have as much of an impact. Actually I don’t think it would be at all understandable if instead the cartoonist had just simply drawn people and labeled them, “banker, average Joe, GM worker, terrorist.” So the average person (middle class) is portrayed as being poorly clothed and dirty looking, which suggests that the largest social class in America is not being taken care of, that they are suffering while others profit.  The terrorist character has exaggerated features and a long beard, creating the obvious image of a terrorist to anybody who looks at the cartoon.
    Symbols also make up a large part of the ad. The empty cup in the average person’s hands could represent the “empty promises” of the president , or simply that the middle class has been ignored and has nothing. While the horns, pointed tail and flames depicted on the terrorist suggest him as being the devil, the evil thing that threatens America. 
    The business suits could be both a symbol and a representation of caricature. They denote having wealth, and being well off. People who wear business suits are usually those who work for large companies, and are in the top income bracket. Anybody who looks at a cartoon where the characters are wearing suits can say, “oh they must be rich or affluent,” even without any background information or knowledge about the subject. If the suits weren’t there, it could be hard to distinguish between other characters.
    What helps to set the cartoon up is the caption. If that question wasn’t there it would be hard to really comprehend the point that is trying to be made. Though it is possible for one to get some sort of basic meaning without the caption (average people are struggling, terrorists are evil, GM and the banks are doing fine), the viewer would be missing the key point.; are they really better off? You can’t get that the terrorist is being grouped withe average American in terms of being well off if the captions saying “no” weren’t there. By having both the average American and terrorist characters say “no” to the question, the cartoonist is giving them something in common, which is crazy because normally people wouldn’t think of middle class Americans and terrorists as having anything in common. He’s making the statement in saying that both groups haven not benefited by the current administration, while banks and corporations (those in the upper class) have benefited a great deal.
    “They must come to conclusions, but at the same time they must recognize the right of other men to come to opposite conclusions. So far as individuals are concerned, the art of democracy is the art of thinking and discussing independently together.” If you don’t have education, where’s the foundation? If people formed answers without knowledge or some sort of basis, where would we be? We would have opinions without facts, and opinions without facts are called speculation. Speculation is hardly enough to come to a concrete decision about something, especially in matters that concern others besides yourself. 
    Political ads spark debate and argument; they provoke thought and discussion. The ads are appealing to the masses because they are humorous and persuasive, which encourages people to get informed. If they look at an ad and don’t understand it, chances are that they will end up asking or researching what the ad is about so that can come to some sort of understanding. To make a good democracy/republic work you have to have a community of intelligent, well informed people, and that’s what the political ads help to achieve.

Jasmine - Political Cartoon

Political Cartoon

            The context of this political cartoon is the high foreclosures that happened since Obama’s first term as president. In 2008, when Obama wasn’t president, filing foreclosures surpassed more than 3 million and the foreclosure rate for the United States was at 1.8%. That would be 1 in 54 homes filing for foreclosure across the nation.  There were 205,990 filings for foreclosure in May 2012, and 104,000 homes have entered the foreclosure process each month since then. This would be 1 in every 639 homes nationwide.

            They are comparing Obama to Earl from My Name Is Earl. We can tell that he is being represented as Earl because of the outfit that is being showed with the suspenders and striped shirt.  Also the way he is standing with his arms bent.  In the picture he is saying “Did I do that?” Earl says that every time he ruins or breaks something. And as we all know Earl, from his show he is very clumsy and tends to damage things for the people around him.

            America is being symbolized in the background because it is showing the overall shape of the U.S.  If you were to look at it, you would know that it’s America. President Obama is symbolizing Earl, which ruins everything

The exaggeration part of the cartoon is the sign on America that is in red, bold letters saying foreclosure. There are high areas covering half of the country intending where foreclosure is at its worst.

            Caricature: there isn’t any caricature in this, except President Obama’s face is on the body of Earl. But in other cartoons you will visibly tell that it’s Barak Obama because he is portrayed as having silly big ears and a long face to go along with it.

            This political cartoon ties into the quote “It is essential in a democratic society that young people and adults learn how to think, learn how to make up their minds. They must learn how to think independently, and they must learn how to think together. They must come to conclusions, but at the same time they must recognize the right of the other men to come to opposite conclusions. So far as individuals are concerned, the art of democracy is the art of thinking and discussing independently together.” because you, as a citizen of the United States have to take responsibility and be an active participant in society so you can correctly vote for the one that believes in what you believe in and what you want them to achieve. In order for that you have to be politically informed. You will be able to vote informed so you don’t choose a candidate who isn’t fit for the job. 

Reece - Political Cartoon

Political Cartoon

Political cartoons are a popular way to express personal option. Political cartoons have been around for many years to show all different sides of politics and what people feel is right and wrong about them. Right now in 2012 is a big time for political cartoons because of the new presidential election, there are numerous cartoons about both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney it’s not very hard to find a cartoon that gets your attention no matter what side of the new presidential election you’re on.

            A political cartoon that has grabbed my interest is the cartoon that shows Mitt Romney out hunting but is holding his gun backwards. The animals are mocking Romney and talking about his story that he spent the summer shooting wolverines that were attacking his cousins, and two dogs saying that ‘they don’t think this mutt Romney knows what he’s doing.” The holding the gun backwards and the animals just standing around watching him really makes him look like he doesn’t know what he’s doing.  There are literature traits in this cartoon, some are easy to spot and some aren’t as easy to see.

            When it comes to traits this cartoon doesn’t have very many because the cartoon is pretty straight foreword when looking at it. These traits have lots of similarities. Context of this cartoon is that Mitt Romney is out hunting and is holding his gun backwards but has told stories that he spent the summer shooting wolverines. So this shows that Romney might be a story teller and is just lying to persuade people into voting for him. Exaggeration of this cartoon is holding the gun backwards while out hunting and Romney acting like he knows what he’s doing. Irony in this cartoon is the story of him hunting that he told. When he says that he has been hunting before but doesn’t know how to hold a gun.  The biggest and most obvious symbol of the cartoon is holding the gun backwards.

            “They must come to conclusions, but at the same time they must recognize the right of other men to come to opposite conclusions.” (Institute for propaganda. New York. Harcourt, brace and company, 1939) This sentence is saying that someone may think that someone else is wrong, but has to come to a conclusion that the other person might be right. This relates to my cartoon of interest because people might say he’s a liar because of the way he’s holding the gun but he might not be in the wrong because he could have been making a statement about hunting and someone might have took it as him saying he knows about hunting. I think it just proves, never judge a book by it’s cover.       

Karleigh - Political Cartoon

Political propaganda often tricks people into thinking either negatively or positively about a candidate.  Politicians use media as a tactic to make their opponents look undesirable, which in turn gives their audience the illusion that they are the more appropriate candidate.  Politicians use commercials, political ads, political cartoons and many other forms of media to persuade the public. 

Throughout my research I found many political cartoons that spiked my interest.  There were cartoons that depicted Mitt Romney as the top candidate, and there were cartoons that were created to give the illusion that Barack Obama is the best candidate for president. 

In the political cartoon that I chose, Barack Obama is standing in front of a mountain of money, naked.  He is holding a sign that says “Free Birth Control”.  Half buried in the mountain of money is a sign that says Obama Care.  “$16 TRILLION DEBT” is shown on the mountain of money. On top of the mountain of money a solar panel and a windmill reside.  In front of the mountain of money there is a headstone, engraved in the headstone is “US Economy”.  Next to Obama there is a sign that shows the gas prices.  Instead of showing the gas prices there are symbols, which insinuate cuss words.  Hanging from the sign is a man, with the word “jobs” written across his shirt.  The caption on the political cartoon says “POLITICAL COVER”.  The caption insinuates that issues that Obama is focused on, such as helping the environment and his new healthcare plan, Obama Care, are covering up all of the issues that Obama ignores, like the skyrocketing gas prices and the economy. 

I believe that the man who was hung underneath the sign with the word jobs written across his shirt is there to show the audience that due to the economy, which is in the ground, American citizens’ job opportunities are dead.  The mountain of money represents the 16 trillion dollars of debt that America has gradually gained.  I think that the Romney Administration included America’s debt, because the media shows that decreasing the deficit isn’t one of Obama’s priorities.  The solar panel and windmill are included because taking care of the environment and reversing the effects global warming is having on our world are one of Obama’s priorities.  The reason the solar panel and windmill are placed on top of the mountain of debt is because the Romney administration is trying to imply that Obama’s focus on global warming and the environment is adding to the mountain of debt America is bearing.  Along with the solar panel and windmill, Obama Care is placed in the mountain of debt in order to give the illusion that his healthcare plan will only increase America’s debt.

Although I have never been particularly interested in politics, viewing political cartoons and ads has opened my eyes.  The political cartoon gives its viewers the idea that Obama’s priority issues are solar energy, free birth control and Obama Care.  Although this may be true, it doesn’t necessarily mean that America’s debt and sinking economy aren’t on his priority list.  After writing this essay I firmly believe that young people and adults need to learn how to form informed opinions on matters of government and politics.  I think it is crucial for each citizen to form their own opinion, based on their beliefs, but also to be able to correlate and think together with other citizens.  Individuals need to always remember that they have the right to come to their own conclusions, as other individuals have the right to oppose their conclusions.  Democracy is defined as a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.  The Founders created a democratic society so that the government’s sole purpose is to serve the people.  In order for the government to serve citizens properly, individuals must educate themselves on political issues and candidates that they are electing into the government.