TOW 15: Political Cartoon

 

While browsing the web, I found a political cartoon that depicts a belief held by many regarding Obamacare. Published in US News, this political cartoon protests Obamacare on the grounds that it takes away jobs. A contrast of colors and facial expressions communicate the artist’s feelings in an effective way.

 

Set in a largely brightly-colored room with white and pink walls lies a man, obviously sick, in bed. Standing by his bed is Obama, directing the man’s attention towards an “Obamacare doctor” standing at the door: the grim reaper, the one object in the room with a stark dark coloring. The stark difference in the coloring of the room contrasted with the darkness that the grim reaper brings symbolizes the lousy effect that Obama’s Obamacare has had on jobs, the man lying on his deathbed. Yet another effective rhetorical device used is the difference in facial expressions. The man, jobs, lying in bed, has a perplexed and anxious look on his face, whereas Obama is bright, sunny and encouraging, and the grim reaper’s face is not shown at all. This depicts Obama as manipulative because he is endorsing something that will ultimately bring harm to jobs. The artist of this cartoon does an amazing job of conveying his message in a simple and clear way, allowing his audience to easily grasp and contemplate the sincerity of his claim.

TOW 14: Is the Hoverboard Cool?

            The technology that we have access to in modern day allows new inventions to come out on a daily basis. One of the most ragingly popular of these inventions is the hoverboard. A sort-of motorized skateboard, the hoverboard became almost instantly, the new mode of transportation in America. Endorsed by popular music stars such as Wiz Khalifa, it is safe to say that this unsafe vehicle (they are known to occasionally catch on fire), is quite the rage. In his article Is the Hoverboard Cool?, Michael Christie, long-time “opinionator” for the New York Times, anecdotally and humorously gives an example of a time when technology failed him, a rare sighting in the world we live in today.

            Michael Christie was a skateboarder for the better part of his life, so naturally he became curious when hoverboards rose in popularity. So, one day, he went to an electronics store and decided to try one out—but to no avail. Within minutes of stepping on the hoverboard, he fell. His anecdotal summary of this experience allows the reader to follow his thought process and the necessary steps it took for him to realize that sometimes new technology is not necessary, no matter how “cool” it is—and hopefully, will allow them to come to the same conclusion (and save themselves from the embarrassment that he experienced). In addition to the anecdotal nature of his article, Christie incorporates humor into his story. Instead of wallowing in self-pity when he fell in the middle of the store, Christie simply embraces the embarrassment with an eloquent statement that he “limped toward the doors and the safety of the past.” This statement and others like it give his failure a humorous edge, which allows Christie to make an example of himself. This tactic successfully shows his readers what NOT to do because they will remember that they do not want to be laughed at like they laughed at Michael Christie.

            Overall, Christie’s humorous tone when relaying an anecdote allows him to successfully communicate the message not only that sometimes technology will fail us, but also that new is not always better.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/opinion/sunday/is-the-hoverboard-cool.html?ref=opinion