Obama and Administration

Team Member Name: McCall Bulloch

Publication: Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Date: February 22, 2013

Cartoonist: John Deering

U.S. or International: U.S.

Title of Cartoon: Get the Shotgun 

Cartoon Number: 15

What action is taking place in the cartoon? It shows Obama in the Oval Office looking worried when a man asks for Biden, who is out on the balcony shooting a shotgun.

What is the context? In a conference for Parents magazine, a mother from the crowd asked V.P. Joe Biden if her family would be defenseless in the case that assault-weapons were banned. Biden who has a tendency to go off script responded with "if you want to protect yourself, get a double-barrel shotgun." Biden continued to say that he gave the same advice to his wife, Jill. "You don't need an AR-15 — it's harder to aim, it's harder to use, and you don't need thirty rounds to protect yourself. Buy a shotgun! Buy a shotgun!"

Here's the full interview in all it's glory.

Neutral framing of stricter gun control laws.

Framing is neutral of those in favor for increased gun control.

Framing is neutral to those who are against increased gun control laws.

What reality is constructed/framed about stricter gun control laws? The cartoon is framing Joe Biden as a fool and displaying him in a way that makes it seem like the things he said have gotten him in trouble with Obama and the path to gun control. In the end, the joke is actually on the cartoonist because Biden's detour actually served Obama's purpose by highlighting the fact that the gun reforms aren't taking our guns, but are just regulating them. (Avalon)

Nonetheless, Biden was a bit inaccurate when he said that assault weapons are harder to use and aim, as shown in this fun video montage below.

Team Member Name: McCall Bulloch

Publication: Cagle Cartoons

Date: February 4, 2013

Cartoonist: Bob Gorrell

U.S. or International: U.S.

Title of Cartoon: Obama Shoots

Cartoon Number: 16

What action is taking place in the cartoon? It shows Obama looking aloof and shooting a gun that is pointed the wrong way.

What is the context? In an interview with New Republic, Obama voiced impatience with Republicans, the media, and issues that he is dealing with in his second term. On the subject of gun control, the President was asked whether he'd ever shot a gun before to which he responded, "Yes, in fact, up at Camp David, we do skeet shooting all the time." The President continued to go about how he respected the traditions of hunting families and said that it had to be understood that guns are used differently between rural and urban areas. Critics of the POTUS were skeptical that he had in fact actually shot a gun, shortly after the White House released this photo which the comic plays off of.

Negative framing of stricter gun control laws.

Framing is neutral of those in favor for increased gun control.

Framing is supporting to those who are against increased gun control laws.

What reality is constructed/framed about stricter gun control laws? The cartoonist employs satire and exaggeration with this cartoon. The photo magically was released after the interview and was clearly a publicity stunt that was hoped to silence those that were skeptical about the President's experience with firearms. With the barrel pointed at his face in the cartoon, the situation is framed in a way that makes it seem that Obama has no idea what he's doing as he and other Democrats try to tighten gun laws. Whether or not the President knows what he's doing with gun laws, this article makes it clear that he doesn't know how to handle a gun.

Given the reputation of FOX News though, we'll let you decide. Is the President a sharp shooter?

Team Member Name: McCall Bulloch

Publication: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Date: January 30, 2012
Cartoonist: Randy Bish
U.S. or International:  U.S.

Title of Cartoon: Mental Health

Cartoon Number: 17

What action is taking place in the cartoon? There’s a giant gorilla holding President Obama.

What is the context? There is a relationship between gun control and mental health. On the contrary, the correlation between the two isn't as strong as it's thought to be. "Gun violence is a mental health issue only to a very small extent and to a much smaller extent than most people assume," according to Paul Appelbaum, a psychiatrist and director of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons' Division of Law, Ethics and Psychiatry. Turning the focus to mental health is unlikely to achieve a reduction in gun violence and only further stigmatizes mental illness discouraging those with mental health problems from seeking professional help. (Young) 

Negative framing of stricter gun control laws.
Framing is opposed of those in favor for increased gun control.
Framing is supportive to those who are against increased gun control laws.

What reality is constructed/framed about stricter gun control laws? This cartoonist focuses in on a different area of gun control—not with the right to bear arms—but with the problem behind why gun control is even needed, mental health. The gorilla is representative of the looming problem of America’s mental health hence why the primate is so large. The cartoonist shows irony by placing Obama firmly in the monkey’s hand, but instead of addressing the problem of mental health, “or talking” to the gorilla he says he would rather go make even more laws that are already being ignored by those “crazy people” dealing with mental issues. In reality the cartoonist is portraying the issue inaccurately according to Huffington Post which discredits the ideals that are framed in this comic.