Interpreting The Madness Inherent Within Us All (&Political Cartoons)

Recently I’ve developed a new hobby.  Due to my disregard for both myself and those of you reading, I will share it with you: looking at political cartoons.  Specifically, terrible political cartoons.  Generally, putting political messages in a drawing gives you almost as little room for insightful political commentary as putting political messages on a bumper sticker.  Sure, sometimes people can make a short, concise statement that is pretty clever and/or profound in a political cartoon.  Most of the time, though, they don't.

So what can qualify as an especially shitty political cartoon amongst a sea of "ehh"?

Holy shit, take a moment to really take it all in.

You know what pisses me off about this cartoon, besides being so insanely offensive?  It’s the fact that I can’t call the artist a moron because I have absolutely no idea what this cartoon is trying to communicate.  Here I have all these creative analogies ready about what an idiot the artist is, yet I have less answers here than the Khmer Rouge at a human rights trial.  Is the artist trying to say that the media is covering Herman Cain in a racist manner?  That the media will only let "black" reporters cover Herman Cain?  That there is actually a cable network out there called “Mainstream Media News”?  Under the Herman Cain presidency are we going to have to cover our faces with black shoe polish that we obtain from a box clearly labeled “black shoe polish”?

I guess that last one at least makes a little sense, because putting that much shoe polish on your face on a consistent basis can’t be good for your cognitive abilities.  We’re going to need a lot more clearly labeled boxes if this ended up being one of Cain’s policies, though I’m sure it wouldn’t be.  After all, rarely do candidates follow through on their promises when elected.  I swear, Politicians and their inability to follow through with their campaign promises to developmentally stunt our frontal lobes, am I right everyone?

Lets get real here for a moment.  In the United States, ethnic minorities generally aren’t treated fairly.  Research shows black people are three times more likely than white people to be arrested and 10 times more likely to be jailed for drugs offenses (http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/oct/31/race-bias-drug-arrests-claim).  When people who aren't white even try to bring up the fact that things aren’t equal, some white people talk it upon themselves to cry about reverse racism giving brown people free prostate exams from the authorities (thanks, Obamacare).

Some people say we are post-race as a country because we have a half black man as president, but that’s like saying we’re not afraid of immigrants because we hire them to exploit their labor.  So when we see a political cartoon like this, it’s a solemn reminder that, regardless of the point the artist is trying to make, there are issues we still face as a country that- holy shit, is that a bone in her hair?  Wow.

Yet I’ve always believed that you can never judge someone unless you’ve really made a conscious effort to try and experience things from his or her perspective.  It’s the reason I’m no longer allowed in thirty seven states in this unflinchingly Puritan country of ours.  Its also the same reason I just took eight shots of mercury and enough PCP to kill at least three fully grown adults.  Lets see if things start to make more sense.

So far I am staring at the painting and nothing different to be seems.  Maybe if I erats harder I notice will something to begin.  Pope, still nothing.  I blip that stonewall ytiralih picture genki subtlety casita lumberjack, ne?  The void kcab serats, y no puedo fiiish^  fiiiiiish.  !FISH.  I AM BECOME DEATH.  Father?????

Ah, clearly it’s a cynical statement on the human condition.