Political Cartoons

Over the past week we have been looking at political cartoons by different cartoon artists. These cartoons are similar in the fact that they all protest against sexual assault and violence towards women. Many of the cartoons we looked at involved US President Donald Trump, unfortunately not to reference him as an advocate of this global issue but as one more well connected individual who gets away with such crimes due to his political and societal status. With a history of sexual abuse, harassment and misconduct, Trump was targeted by many cartoonists when it came to his fitness of serving as president. One cartoon by Nick Anderson shows a caricatured portrayal of Trump about to have a Tic Tac looking at three women pictured and labelled as [statue of] Liberty, [Lady] Justice and Truth. The Tic Tacs are a reference to the leaked audio of a conversation between Trump and Billy Bush in 2005, when they were recording a video for Access Hollywood with Arianne Zucker, where Trump states “I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her (Referring to Zucker). You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful. I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait”. Going back to the cartoon and the importance of the Tic Tac reference, it makes it clear to the reader the main message trying to be communicated: Trump, once president, will abuse his power over the three women exposed in the cartoon; Liberty, Justice and Truth, getting himself, along with other members of his administration and inner, away safe with what would be unacceptable in any other circumstance or involving any other people.