Individual Presentation or Panel Title

Drawing the Battle Lines: Portrayals of the “War on Women” in Political Cartoons

Abstract

In this paper, I will explore and compare the portrayal of the “war on women” in political cartoons by conservative and progressive cartoonists. The “war on women” was a catchall term to refer to Republican actions on federal and state levels against women’s rights during and following the 2010 Congressional campaigns. This term was frequently used by Democrats to describe these “attacks” and motivate their supporters against the Republicans and these pieces of legislation. I will analyze these cartoons by conducting a graphic discourse analysis. In other words, I will look for patterns and commonalities in the visual images in the cartoons to reveal the overarching ideologies and motivations behind the cartoonists. I expect to discover that the central aim of these cartoonists was to perpetuate their individual ideological myths about the “war on women,” redirect blame and attention away from their side, and demonize and belittle the opposing political force.

Presenter Information

Kelsey DeForest, Hollins University

Location

Janney Lounge

Start Date

20-4-2013 2:30 PM

End Date

20-4-2013 3:20 PM

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Apr 20th, 2:30 PM Apr 20th, 3:20 PM

Drawing the Battle Lines: Portrayals of the “War on Women” in Political Cartoons

Janney Lounge

In this paper, I will explore and compare the portrayal of the “war on women” in political cartoons by conservative and progressive cartoonists. The “war on women” was a catchall term to refer to Republican actions on federal and state levels against women’s rights during and following the 2010 Congressional campaigns. This term was frequently used by Democrats to describe these “attacks” and motivate their supporters against the Republicans and these pieces of legislation. I will analyze these cartoons by conducting a graphic discourse analysis. In other words, I will look for patterns and commonalities in the visual images in the cartoons to reveal the overarching ideologies and motivations behind the cartoonists. I expect to discover that the central aim of these cartoonists was to perpetuate their individual ideological myths about the “war on women,” redirect blame and attention away from their side, and demonize and belittle the opposing political force.