Political Cartoons

Politcal Cartoons

How to decode them

Multiple Choice

From the video you just watched you should now be able to define the term "political cartoon".

• An illustration or cartoon that contains a message that relates to current events or people

• An illustration or cartoon that illustrates how a current event played out

• An illustration or cartoon that contains a message that is coded so it forces people to analyze it in order to decode it

Multiple Choice

"Politcal cartoons can be understood by themselves. You don't need prior knowledge to get their message."

• true

• false

Multiple Select

What is the purpose of political cartoons?

• They provide entertainment to the reader.

• They provide insights on cultural assumptions.

• They persuade the reader to understand the cartoonist's point of view.

• They provide explanations so people can understand basic concepts better.

• They are there for students to learn about politics.

You should also be familiar with the following terms:

• Labeling

• Exaggeration

• Symbolism

Multiple Select

What questions do you want to ask yourself when analyzing a political cartoon?

• Is it lunch time yet?

• What issue is this political cartoon about?

• What is the cartoonist's opinion on that matter?

• What is my opinion on that matter?

• What does the teacher think about this cartoon?

Multiple Choice

What do all political cartoons have in common?

• They are biased.

• They are neutral.

• They favor liberal thinking.

• They favor conservative thinking.

• They have nothing in common.

Let's take a look at this cartoon from 2020.

Multiple Choice

What is an example of labeling here?

• The T-shirt

• Nothing

• The speech bubble by the man

• The speech bubble by the woman

• The speech bubbles

Multiple Choice

Is there an example of irony here?

• No.

• Yes, the fact that the statue was there before and is now gone is ironic.

• Yes, the fact that the couple claims the statue has always been there while the Native American stands behind them is ironic.

• The irony is in the fact that the woman has glasses but still doesn't seem to see and acknowledge the issue.

Let's check out this cartoon from 2019.

Multiple Select

What are examples of exaggeration here?

• The weapons arsenal

• The body shape of the white supremacist

• The blue sky

• The binoculars

• The persona of Uncle Sam

Multiple Select

What are symbols that need to be decoded before the cartoon can be analyzed?

• The red cap

• The Swastika (Nazi sign)

• Uncle Sam

• The weapons

Multiple Choice

What analogy is the cartoonist trying to make?

• The weapons stand for the weapons lobby and are an analogy to an ever growing arms industry that the American Population isn't able to spot.

• The binoculars and the lookout combined with the massive form of the white supremacist are an analogy of the lack of acknowledgment despite overwhelming evidence of white power terrorism.

• The massive form of the white supremacist is an anaolgy to the food industry and the fact that ever more people are obese in the USA.

So what is the message of this cartoon?

In a nutshell the cartoonist pokes fun at people complaining about "cancel culture" and "revisionist history" while doing so themselves.

And the message here?

In a nutshell the cartoonist displays the danger of the MAGA culture and the seemingly obliviousness to that by parts of the American population who are instead worried about Muslims and Mexicans.

Now you!

Take a look at this cartoon:

Ask yourself:

• What is the context?

• What is the purpose? What is the message?

• What symbols do you need to decode?

Here are some hints:

• How does the cartoonist make you understand the person on the left is sick?

• What race does the person on the right have?

• What is being criticized here?

• (Think of people's fear and who they blame for the Corona virus)

Open Ended

Take notes here as if you had to write an analysis about it!

That's it for today! Nice work! Take care!