Obvious Needs

The political cartoon by Daryl Cagle suggests that the government isn’t fulfilling the needs of the people, needs that the people are clearly expressing in their signs such as jobs and “no-bailouts”.  The cartoon proposes that the ‘pigs’ (government) are claiming that they couldn’t possibly know what is expected of them.  The pigs are feigning ignorance to the surrounding situations and the people around them.  

One can pick out the visual irony pretty simply.  The speech balloons capture the pigs stating that they don’t know what is wanted of them from the people when below them the people are holding signs and hoping that their demands are met.  The way they sit on the piles of money seems to say, “Look at us, we are indulging on your dime and enjoying ourselves and we don’t know what you want from us.”

                The cartoon places the pigs on top of the people which suggests that they are higher in the society and that is a slight exaggeration.  The size of the pigs and the money bags compared to the people they are crushing is substantial. The size seems to say “I’m more important, my needs come first,” when this is not the case at all. Another form of exaggeration is the cigar smoke in the background; it is really thick and black. This seems to be common among wealthier people.  Making the government people pigs is an exaggeration in itself because it suggests that the government people are greedy which isn’t necessarily an exaggeration but could be seen as one by some.

The cartoon is just as rich with symbols as it is with visual irony and exaggeration.  The large money bags are a universal symbol of wealth and are widely recognized.  Cigars are also connected with wealth.  Suits and ties can symbolize a wealthier class of people. Pigs are often associated with greed which is fitting because the pigs in this cartoon are sitting on many large money bags.

                While the cartoon is missing some of the key features that most political cartoons have like iconography, caricature, and a caption it has many important features such as context, exaggeration, visual irony, and symbols.  I think that the cartoon brings up good points and kind of calls out to the government of this country to take care of its people before taking care of themselves since they have that obligation to.  The cartoon suggests that we as a people don’t want to hear the excuse of not being able to know what we want when we are clear to say what we want.