The Message Behind The Laugh Essay - 2032 Words

The Message Behind The Laugh When people look at cartoons, most do not study the underlying message, but simply find humor in the split second message they just read. Dating back to The Golden Age, 1770-1830, a few men known as Townshend, Bunbury, Woodward, and Nixon, transformed the art form, introducing a more playful style and a strong element of personal caricature (http://www.cartoonmuseum.org/explore/history-of-cartoons-comics). [Webster] defines a cartoon as â€Å"a drawing, as in a newspaper or magazine, caricaturing or symbolizing, often satirically, some action, situation or person of topical interest† (quoted in Gerberg 128). Cartoons are divided into sub-categories depending on their purpose, and the message the author is trying to portray because each cartoon has a different goal the author is trying to achieve. In today’s age, we turn to expert Mort Gerberg to interpret the definition of cartoons and educate how cartoons are utilized to express opinions u sing different tones. Gerberg is a professional cartoonist whose work has appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, Playboy, Harvard Business Review, and The Huffington Post (128). He has contributed to 43 books on the topic of cartooning during his career and he wrote, â€Å"What Is a Cartoon,† to argue that cartoons are rhetorical constructs using images and languages to express opinions. A type of cartoon that plays an important role in society is known as political cartoons. Defined by Myers, â€Å"political andShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Importance of Verbal and Nonverbal Miscommunication664 Words   |  3 PagesCommunication is messages one uses to relay information to another person through words or language. 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