Too-Political Cartoons

Scott Hardie | March 27, 2005
I read a lot of newspaper comics every day — we're overdue for a Comic Strip Roundup, come to think of it — but two editorial cartoonists who I will no longer be reading are Ted Rall and Glenn McCoy, who have both crossed a line in recent weeks.

Rall has always been hard on President Bush, consistently drawing him in a pseudo-fascist military uniform no matter what the situation, and portraying him as a murderously irresponsible warmonger. But the portrayal reached a new extreme with the February 24th strip: (link) Rall says that Bush is in fact worse than Adolf Hitler, because Hitler had the decency to shoot himself in the head when his own military campaign went poorly? Seriously, what the fuck kind of alternative reality does Ted Rall live in? This man doesn't just come from some other liberal planet; he's from a whole other liberal galaxy on the far side of the universe. Satire must necessarily be grounded in reality to be successful; an editorial cartoon with this degree of lunacy to it can serve no purpose. I'm offended as an American and disgusted as an intelligent person.

McCoy does a very funny daily strip called "The Duplex" that I will continue to enjoy in the non-editorial section, but he has irked me in the past with his political cartoons by attacking liberal people, instead of liberal ideas or liberal politicians. It's one thing to criticize John Kerry for being a hypocrite, but it's another thing to criticize Kerry voters for preferring his hypocrisy (as if we did). McCoy's March 25th strip was the final straw: (link) Because we liberals have views that align against the people who seek to keep Terri Schiavo alive, we are in fact killing her? Forgive me, but I can't help but be angry when someone calls me a murderer, whether it's an animal-rights activist on the left or an abortion activist on the right. Because I have the decency and ethical fiber not to presume to make Michael Schiavo's decision for him, I'm a murderer? I refuse to be called that. McCoy has insulted me for the last time.

Kris Weberg | March 27, 2005
Ted Rall is an asshole, no doubt. And yes, too much political comment in this country mistakes ad hominem for substantive critique. (Yes, I'm aware of the irony in this response.)

Another one for the list: Mallard Fillmore, which is generally too busy being political to actually tell jokes. It belongs on the editorial page as a counterpoint to Doonesbury, not the funnies page where it sits uneasily next to Mary Worth and Blondie.

Anna Gregoline | March 28, 2005
Geez, that IS rather harsh. What ugly cartoons. I wholeheartedly agree, especially with the murderer stuff. Views are actions, apparantly, I'm seeing that kind of ideal being pushed more and more. Sickening.

Jackie Mason | March 28, 2005
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