Kentucky Kim
Team Member Name: Devin Fowles
Publication: The Buffalo News
Date: 9/2/15
Cartoonist: Adam Zyglis, U.S.
Title of cartoon: Kentucky Kim
Cartoon# 14
What action is taking place in the cartoon?
What is the context?
The Title “Kentucky Kim” is very relevant title to
this cartoon. Following the trial of Kim, where she
was on trial for refusing to give marriage licenses to
gay couples (Jack Jennings, September 2015), Kim
issued a request to the Kentucky State government,
to change some marriage laws. Kentucky acknowledged Kim’s claim and made some changes to the
actual marriage license. The changes included not
having the marriage clerk’s name on the actual
license (Associated Press, December 2015). The
cartoon depicts this in force. Showing Kim holding
a marriage license to a gay couple known as church
and state. There have been ever increasing blurred
lines between church and state. The fact that church
and state are the gay couple is not only an ironic way
to show how Kim got her way with the state, but
also shows, in cartoon, the blurred lines between the
two.
Tone of the cartoon:
1) positive or negative framing of the issue
2) framing is supportive of or opposed to supporters
3) framing is supportive of or opposed to opponents
What “reality” is constructed/framed about
your issue?
The cartoon is trying to show how easily swayed
the state was in changing the way marriage licenses
were given. Church and state are framed by symbols. The representation of church and state shows
the relationship of church and state that continues
to grow closer and closer. Kim is set at a higher
position than either church or state. The cartoonist
uses Framing by Stereotypes (the stereotype for
church is a priest, and the stereotype for state is a
well dressed man or possibly politician )and Framing with value laden words (the book for church,
and the button for state) in order to get his point
across.
What are the symbols in the cartoon?
The gay couple are depicted as church and state,
symbolically showing they’re relationship toward
one another. The book for church and the button for
state are also symbols, helping the audience to know
who they actually are. Kim is a symbol as well, as
well as the piece of paper she holds in her hand, the
marriage license.
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Bibliography:
A. (2015, December 23). Kentucky bows to clerk Kim Davis and changes marriage license rules. Retrieved March 23, 2016,
from http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-kentucky-kim-davis-20151223-story.html
Jennings, J. (2015, September 02). The Religious Beliefs Of Kim Davis, The Anti-Gay Clerk Who Refuses To Do Her Job, Explained. Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2015/09/02/3698100/kim-davis-hypocritical-theology/
Zyglis, Adam. “CagleCartoons.com - View Image.” CagleCartoons.com - View Image. 12 Sept. 2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
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