Showing posts with label media commentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label media commentary. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Political Cartoons & Fairy Tales 2017: 'The Emperor's New Clothes'

 :
via theweek.com
You thought we were going to begin with strategically covered naked politicians, weren't you? We loved this take on The Emperor's New Clothes, specifically because it's not the 'usual take' cartoonists aim for when marrying political satire, cartoons and this particular fairy tale.

Continuing the 'fairy tales in political commentary via cartoons' posts, (what a mouthful) we thought we'd round up some of The Emperor's New Clothes takes. Hm. They're really not very, er, flattering, are they? (And we don't just mean in the sensibility factor.) In fact, not only have we NOT included all the variations available, we've had a lot of trouble trying to pick something 'appropriate' for the header image. Yikes.

One image we won't be showing though is the art installation by activist art group, INDECLINE,  that began popping up in major US cities toward the end of last year.

From the announcement for the first event in August 2016, which, incidentally, says it wasn't actually about Trump:
The Emperor’s New Clothes: Art, Imagination, & Our Battle Against the Titanic
The “titanic” (a reference to Greek mythology) is a powerful force in American culture today. It’s the unlimited and excessive, the huge and crude, and it runs roughshod over the relatively small, uniquely beautiful beings, places, and things that many of us love. The titanic “out there” numbs our feeling and dwarfs our sensitivities. We experience our own titanism “inside” as stress and emptiness.
 

The best weapon against titanism is our imagination. A recent installation by art activists opposing Donald Trump, that references the Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” inspired me to explore the story. 
Where is the “titanic” in your life and in our community, and can we use this story to kick-start a creative response to these questions? Come hear the story and consider how art and other inducements to the imagination can be used in our war against the titanic. 
Politico.com 
Hosted by local mythologist Catherine Svehla. All open-minded adults are welcome. 
Please note, although Trump is a handy target for talk of the titanic, this event is not about him….
So... with that introduction, plus the giant naked statue of the President-to-be at the time, we don't know how much else got discussed, or proposed at that meeting as being 'titanics' that needed to be included in the 'war'.

Take a look at the political cartoons below. Some are from before the 'crowning' and others were created after January 20th.
via The Star Tribune
ct - The Cap Times (Madison, Wisconsin)


Cagle.com (political cartoon central!)


Courier Journal

Cagle.com
Jerry Holbert via townhall.com
Our first 'fairy tales in political cartoons 2017' post, featuring The Boy Who Cried Wolf is HERE.
#RRR

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Political Cartoons & Fairy Tales 2017: 'The President Who Cried Wolf'

Artist unknown - Source HERE

Using fairy tales in political commentary, and especially political cartoons is something of a tradition. The current state of US politics and national division being what it is, it's no surprise to see certain fairy tales making regular appearances again. Always popular for referencing politics are Pinocchio, The Emperor's New Clothes and Jack and the Beanstalk, all making regular appearances in tense times and The Boy Who Cried Wolf, though usually less used, is a regular 'go to' for 2017, accompanying cries of fake news and 'alternative facts'.

Above is a political cartoon by Tom Toles, from The Washington Post, focusing on distractions - the other, related, theme of Cry Wolf.

Charleston City Paper has regular cartoons, drawn and written by Stegelin, and uses fairy tales regularly for social commentary as well. The latest makes use of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, with the emphasis on 'alternative facts'.

We'll just leave it here for you to critique. (Click to view full size.)
#RRR