TOW 23

For as long as there have been politics there have been people criticizing the moves of politicians.  One way in which people do this is through the use of cartoons.  Gary Varvel has crafted this technique through his 40 years of experience and uses it in criticism of the minimum wage hike.  His cartoon depicts three people in fast-food styled uniforms.  Above them is the caption, “2 out 3 like a minimum wage hike.”  The then has each employee with a speech bubble.  2 of the characters say that they got a raise where as the third is saying that he lost his job to pay for the other two people’s raises.  This cartoon comments on a touchy issue and presents an idea without seeming too harsh.  That is the strength of political cartoons.  Political cartoons are able to poke fun and open the holes in ideas with out seeming as if they are too strong in criticism. They are strong because they are casual enough that they do not force people to become defensive, and instead lull them with humor.  Varvel’s cartoon also works with implied logic.  Without fully saying his point he allows his audience to see the cartoon and analyze it for themselves.  This further distances him from the topic and makes it even safer for him to talk about.  Lastly, the cartoon conveys what words could not.  In showing the audience the failures of an idea it is not thinking hypothetically.  Whereas when someone may say the same idea others could deny it or simply say that it does not make sense.  Varvel’s style of pushing this idea on his audience makes it much more clear and easy to understand for his audience and that is what makes it truly effective in its purpose.