The comparison by which the classic piece “The Problem We All Live With,” by Norman Rockwell, is seemingly equated to the political cartoon of Betsy DeVos drawn by Glenn McCoy, implies correlation where there is none. However, in the current age of mass media consumption we as a collective are too quick to dismiss ideologies that are tangential in any way. Therefore, regardless of however right or wrong this comparison was, the primary focus of the comparison is to analyze the context and the intent. With the provided context for both art pieces, we come to understand that despite being stylized in the same manner, and even having the same root issue of a clash in the education system, these two pieces deal with two entirely separate and unequitable issues in the education system. The first being the issue of segregation, in which Ruby Bridges was antagonized by a pro-segregation mob who wanted to prevent progress in the education system. The second being an issue of political influence on education that intends on reverting the progress made in the education system, and still has no correlation to segregation.
As for the intent, or purpose, it is clear that McCoy intends to imply that the backlash received by DeVos upon her visit to a school was similar to the suffering and struggle of Bridges of a much earlier time. However, we know that this is incorrect since, while they were both being targeted, DeVos is being cast out for her clear lack of qualification with a legitimate reason, as opposed to being racially segregated. Rockwell’s piece carries much more weight and is evident by how it is memorialized in his museum. The symbolism of the unstained white dress, the Federal Marshals escorting her, and the racist graffiti in the background all serve to convey a point that truly good progress is being made in the education system, despite the issue at large that was segregation of the time.
In addition to intent it is also important to note who exactly it is intended for. The audience for McCoy is as clear as its motive, in that it is a conservative piece meant for a conservative audience who would easily glance over that the original artwork, which deals with a much more poignant and separate issue. Whereas the audience for Rockwell’s painting may have been more targeted at the time, it has since become a generalized piece of American history that I personally remember learning about in grade school – and would imagine most kids around the country were aware of as well.
As for my own stance on the expressive painting and satirical cartoon, I am nearly unbiased. The issues of 1960’s segregation were far before my time and though so much progress has been made there is still so much more to be done. From firsthand experience alone I know the unfortunate and hidden reality of modern race relations despite what mass media might try to portray. Yet this does not stop me and many others from taking the initiative inspired by Rockwell and Bridges, and carrying that effort onward. As for the cartoon, I have no issue with its creation. While I am critical of the means by which it tries to achieve its punchline, I understand that it is still just satire at the end of it all.
It is most important to note that the caricature of DeVos is in a political cartoon. From a media and genre perspective these two pieces have very different intents and therefore will be remembered in very different ways. Yet for the sake of uncensored media and the entire history of political satire it is important that cartoons were and continued to be made like this. While that might seem controversial, understand that I am aware of the gross comparison between the suffering of Bridges to DeVos, but comedy and satire is an open range to put it bluntly. As the great comedy duo Matt Stone and Trey Parker once said, “Either everything’s okay, or nothing’s okay.” As an objective society and open-minded students, it is our duty to analyze that political cartoon down to the core, and even once we conclude that it is in poor taste, we must accept it for the joke that it is and nothing more.
By analyzing the context and intent of each of these two artworks we have clarified the much-needed distinction between the similar caricatures. Though in learning this distinction we also must come to understand the role comedy plays in our society and how it is meant to influence us on a national level. In all likelihood, the cartoon by McCoy will be forgotten shortly after DeVos leaves her position, yet the Rockwell painting will be looked back on for generations as a monument to the progress towards true racial equality in America. As for future political cartoons that may use this very same painting for their spoof, we are hopefully inclined to treat them the same way.
This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
