What Has Swine Flu Taught Us?
Jeez. Sorry for the late post today. Outside projects have had me distracted, but I apologize.
The Michele Bachmann story is here (not hard to find, really); you can read the transcript of a Lou Dobbs show which argues “swine flu” justifies shutting down the U.S.-Mexican border (just like flipping a switch, right?); and a whole gallery of lame swine flu jokes committed by the world’s professional political cartoonists. There are a couple that DON’T suck, but they are exceptions to the rule. The few that really caught my eye last week: David Brown’s allusion to illegal immigrants; Nigerian Tayo’s blatantly racist pig; one of several pigs that fly jokes I have seen around; hey, another joke about the U.S.-Mexican border; Oliphant’s “what now?” cartoon. Blegh.
May 5th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
What really drives me nuts is when I can’t even tell what side of an issue the cartoonist is trying to lampoon. Is that “sneeze-guard” cartoon suggesting that the closing the Mexican border will actually protect us from germs? Or is he pointing out that trying to close the entire US/Mexican border is just as ludicrous an idea as building an actual 2000 mile long sneeze guard? I honestly have no idea which point he’s trying to make. And I feel that way more often than not with mainstream political cartoons.
May 5th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Wow, I hadn’t thought about either “deeper meaning.” All I saw was a lame joke. Either of your options could be true, which makes the cartoon a failure; political cartoons, as you argue, should have a “point to make,” a point of view, a clearly stated position. Or at least be funny, fer crap’s sake.