Exercise 32: Michael Leunig’s cartoon (p. 58)
Explain how the words and image combine to convey Leunig’s message.
In Leunig’s cartoon published in The Age (11/07/08), the title “iWant” is a pun on the iPhone and iPod. The title emphasises the self-centred nature of society with its multitude of convenient accessories that impersonalise our lifestyle.
The tone of the cartoon is cynical and facetious. It suggests that the “iWant” generation wants everything at its finger tips. It values convenience and expediency over meaning and personal contact. There is no real purpose to these technological features. Their raison d’etre is instant gratification. The labels suggest an indolent lifestyle (“fast food maps”) as well as an impersonal one (“101 instant excuses”). The labels are also humorous (“digital bum scratcher” and “canned laughter”) and mock users. Some captions — “croaking frog sound” and “whooping sound” — imply that users are becoming increasingly impersonal and prefer ready-made sounds.
How does the dialogue reinforce Mr Tandberg’s characterisation of the parents? What is his tone and message?
Mr Tandberg criticises parents’ behaviour by implying that they are irresponsibly supplying alcohol to children. The father states, “I have a terrible hangover”, which suggests that parents were also drinking to excess during the party. The image of the parents suggests that they are exhausted and sick.
What figurative language is evident in the ‘war lies’ cartoon? What is the message?
The image suggests that during times of war, those in charge do not tell the public the truth. The graphic image of the spinning top literally shows that the lies are “spinning out of control” and that governments and defence officials are deceiving the public.
Exercise 33: Mark Knight cartoon (p. 59)
Explain how the combination of the graphic and textual elements convey Mr Knight’s viewpoint.
Mr Knight creatively presents the issue of asylum-seeking in humorous terms. He uses the playful analogy of a game of snakes and ladders and illustrates the key ingredients and stakeholders – the family who suffers hardship, the smiling people “smuggler’, a rickety boat and the Australian navy vessel. Upon arriving at the “finish” line the refugees are deported to Malaysia. The impetus for the journey is presented as an emotional appeal – you are “desperate to escape harsh living conditions”.
Whilst the analogy seeks to inject humour, it also shows that the boat journey to “freedom” becomes a game of chance — anything can happen. The innocent and ignorant family is at the complete mercy of a throw of the dice. Disaster could strike at any time and they will be returned to “Start”. Mr Knight suggests that the odds tend to be stacked against the asylum /freedom seekers and they are unlikely to end up in Australia. But this will not deter the happy people smuggler who is often the only one to benefit.
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