A Rhetorical Analysis Of Political Cartoons

The text in this political cartoon is extremely important to the overall meaning. The text is found as a speech bubble over the penguins. The penguins are seen saying “It’s nothing guys- just a hoax perpetrated by prankster climate scientists in a vast worldwide conspiracy”. Bagley clearly uses a sarcastic tone in his choice of words. His message is that the public is under the impression that global warming is not a real threat and that despite worldwide scientific evidence, the public refuses to see the issue in front of them. Additionally, the rhetoric Bagley uses is extremely important because by including words like “hoax” and “conspiracy”, that carry strong, negative connotations, Bagley is adding to the absurdity of the situation. Those words carry an association of some crazy far fetched idea that has no validity so Bagley uses this to further criticise the public. The penguins themselves carry great meaning. Off all ways to communicate his message Bagley
In addition to criticism many offer indirect calls for action. Political cartoons are essential in discussing politics as without them, one of the easiest, most accessible ways to communicate viewpoints would be gone. Political cartoons are really the epitome of the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” as they get a discussion going by addressing issue they have issue with. In addition, when looking at two political cartoons side by side, they offer a lot of insight as to the overarching issue with the american political system. As seen in these two cartoons, in addition to the public adequately legitimizing issues, policymakers often wait to take action until the public takes action. So, in order for the Flint water crisis and global warming to be addressed properly, the public has to actively speak up for the lack of attention these issue are