Political Cartoons and American History
This Indiana University website is a fine online resource of political cartoon history with examples as far back as the Colonial Era. Abraham Lincoln depicted as a monkey is always a crowd pleaser.
Every time I think cartoonists are rude of late, I just have a look back at those polite and gracious days of yore. Crikey.
Some years back, I won a government grant to study American popular culture. It was a thrill to get to go into the bowels of the Library of Congress and look at cartoons stored carefully in the vaults, in archival boxes, covered in tissue paper. There were Thomas Nast originals, breathtaking to see up close.
There were also some vile cartoons about the sex life of Marie Antoinette. These vicious cartoons and the misinformation spread in them helped fuel the hatred of the peasants during the French Revolution.
c
I’m not so certain people have gotten ruder through the years as much as its what you are willing to see. I make a habit of trying to find one cheerful thing for every negative comment or problem. Its helped my outlook a lot. 🙂
Looking up at the stars will not alter the objective reality that monkeys fling poo.
I’ve read a number of studies that people are generally ruder than in the past, primarily because they have more outlets to get away with bad behavior and there is no social stigma.
Then again, how much of that perception is nostalgia, I do not know.
The internet is a prime example of a big, fat outlet for rude, with absolutely no consequences.
Some are only polite when they fear reprisals. On the internet, there are no reprisals. Just more rude. And rude on top of rude.
I once read it referred to as a perfect storm of perpetual bickering.
Not here, though. People are pretty nice on this board. Because they fear my banhammer.
BTW, it is so polite and pleasant where I live that when Peter David came to visit, he assumed I knew everyone he saw because everyone smiled and waved.
No, everyone just smiles and waves to everyone. All the time.
I’m curious as to how a researcher would define and quantify “rudeness.” It might be worth a Google search on my part when I have some free time… someday. 🙂
About 20 years ago I ran the audio board and phones for a local radio talk show and a handful of callers used to heap verbal abuse on me regularly. Most people were civil, though, perhaps due in part to the fact that a real live person was on the other end of the phone (i.e. me). I can’t back it up scientifically but my gut tells me the anonymity afforded by the internet has definitely unleashed more people’s inner jackass.
The internet does allow for a lot of rudeness I’ll grant but I try to avoid a lot of the bickering because it just makes me tense and upset and wastes my time. I can’t control how rude people are but I can control how I react. I can also choose to smile throughout the day instead of frown so that is what I try and work on. 🙂 That and please and thank you help bunches. 😀
Marina: couldn’t agree more. I no longer visit some message boards and websites. Life is too short.