Endangered?

Political cartoons play a communication and entertainment role in American culture. There are ways that political cartoons are put to make people think about an opinion about an issue that may be going on in the world or within one’s country, where more than often they are about the government. There was a political cartoon written in the Antelope Valley Newspaper on Thursday, May 05, 2011, called Prickly City by Scott Stantis. This cartoon was talking about a Senator gone missing and that bad things do not happen; but that the senator makes bad things happen. When asked “bad things can’t happen to bad people”, the cartoon then had a character say” well, he did get elected to the U.S. Senate…” In other words, to me the cartoon was saying that the senate is crooked. This can be controversial to some who would disagree, but for those who agree they would find it funny. Here is where the cartoon represents entertainment. It is funny to read a cartoon that is making fun of an issue. Some people do appreciate a laugh.

            There was also a cartoon that came out on Thursday, May 5, 2011, that talked about an issue that almost everyone should know about here in the United States. Osama Bin Laden being dead. The Cartoon has a radio speaking with Zawahiri sitting in front of it. He has a target on his chest and a number 2 button on his vest. He is sitting in what looks like a cave and listening to the radio saying “Osama Bin Laden is Dead…”The bubble above Zawahiri said “And I don’t feel so good myself.” I gather from the cartoon that another terrorist that is known by many to be a terrorist is next to be found and he should be scared. People who are patriotic would not only find this funny, but will cause more patriotism on them.

Marlette, the Author of “Freedom of Speech and the Editorial Cartoon”, seems to think that political cartoons are endangered. When looking through the paper on Thursday, May 05, 2011, I only found four political cartoons in the whole paper. I do not read major papers like the Los Angeles Times, but I do read the local Antelope Valley Newspaper. I have noticed that the paper only has a few political cartoons. I do not know how many cartoons the paper has had before the time that I began reading the paper, but I can say that I do not read the political cartoons often. When Marlette stated that political cartoons are endangered, it may not be for reasons he thinks completely. Some people do not know everything that is happening in the world, read that part of the newspaper, and may not understand the cartoon, so they do not read them. The cartoons becoming endangered may be true within the idea of the readers not reading or taking any interest in them. There may be some truth also in some cartoons being cut from print when editing the newspaper.