A highlight of the presidential debate this year was when Mitt Romney, in trying to make light the cutting of funding for PBS, made the mistake of targeting Big Bird in his argument. While I think the onslaught of political cartoons at his expense have been a bit much, it was merely a bad joke, I was pretty appalled when this subject of sesame street was brought up in the presidential debate. What I wanted from this debate was a chance to really learn the facts of the candidate's platforms, what I got was a chance for Mitt Romney to make himself more likeable and Obama to stick with the same facts of his entire campaign. This political cartoon is one that I found particularly interesting, as it brings back Romney's earlier flop concerning the recorded private fundraiser and his attack of the 47% of America that he believes to be freeloading off of the government. It also pulls into play the issues of outsourcing, and how many jobs America has lost to cheaper labor across seas. While I don't think that Romeny really thought before he went after Big Bird it is clear that Americans have latched onto this statement against a figure of most of our childhoods and run wild with it, this is certainly not the first cartoon I have seen dealing with the beloved feathery giant and his impending pink slip. I think in a time like this it is more important for our presidential candidates to honestly stand behind their platform, as opposed to cracking jokes about a children's character.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
I Wonder What Will Happen to Snuffaluffagus.
A highlight of the presidential debate this year was when Mitt Romney, in trying to make light the cutting of funding for PBS, made the mistake of targeting Big Bird in his argument. While I think the onslaught of political cartoons at his expense have been a bit much, it was merely a bad joke, I was pretty appalled when this subject of sesame street was brought up in the presidential debate. What I wanted from this debate was a chance to really learn the facts of the candidate's platforms, what I got was a chance for Mitt Romney to make himself more likeable and Obama to stick with the same facts of his entire campaign. This political cartoon is one that I found particularly interesting, as it brings back Romney's earlier flop concerning the recorded private fundraiser and his attack of the 47% of America that he believes to be freeloading off of the government. It also pulls into play the issues of outsourcing, and how many jobs America has lost to cheaper labor across seas. While I don't think that Romeny really thought before he went after Big Bird it is clear that Americans have latched onto this statement against a figure of most of our childhoods and run wild with it, this is certainly not the first cartoon I have seen dealing with the beloved feathery giant and his impending pink slip. I think in a time like this it is more important for our presidential candidates to honestly stand behind their platform, as opposed to cracking jokes about a children's character.
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This does speak to the power of images, or rather symbols. Romney though he could use Big Bird as an image around which his base would rally. His opponents have used it to make their point about his priorities. Either way, Big Bird stands for much more than Sesame Street.
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