U.S. GOVERNMENT
TAKES THE HEAT
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Team member name: Mike Woodfield
Publication: Tribune Content Agency
Date: 9/30/2013
Cartoonist: Walt Handelsman
US/International: US
Title of cartoon: “Government Shutdown Cartoons”
Cartoon #3
What action is taking place in this cartoon? What is the context?
In this cartoon a World War 2 veteran is holding his walker up to President Obama’s neck exclaiming, “I got your barricades right here sonny!” When the Government shutdown the National Parks and Memorials had to shutdown as well, due to lack of funding. Many barricades were put up around memorials to protect them from people coming in. On October 1st, 2013 a group of veterans came to tour the World War 2 Memorial. At first they thought they wouldn’t be able to see the memorial, however, someone moved the barricade so the vets could see the memorial that was built in honor of them. (Koran and Killough October 1, 2013)
memorials to protect them from people coming in. On October 1st, 2013 a group of veterans came to tour the World War 2 Memorial. At first they thought they wouldn’t be able to see the memorial, however, someone moved the barricade so the vets could see the memorial that was built in honor of them. (Koran and Killough October 1, 2013).
Which side is supported by the framing of the cartoon?
In this cartoon it is obvious that President Obama is NOT being supported. He (Obama) is seen as the reason behind the shutdown in this cartoon. Exaggeration and symbolism are the persuasive techniques being used in this cartoon.
What evidence can you give that the cartoon supports one side or the other?
The President is really skinny and frail, looking weak and helpless. By illustrating.
the President in this way, Summers is using exaggeration to persuade you. The walker around the President’s neck is a symbol of the barricades that surrounded the memorial. (Library of Congress, 2012).
What “reality” is framed/constructed about your issue?
The reality be framed here is that the vets aren’t happy about their memorial being shutdown. The viewer of this cartoon is lead to believe that it is the President’s fault. It leads you to believe that his intentions were to make the veterans unhappy or that they weren’t considered in the decision.
analysis:
More truthiness is found than truth in this cartoon. In reality President Obama’s intentions weren’t malicious and a veteran never put his walker up around the President’s neck. This cartoon did well in expressing the overall feeling of the vets that visited the World War 2 memorial on October 1, 2013. (Koran and Killough October 1, 2013)