A Drawing Of A Crying Lady Liberty At The Pearly Gates
August 10, 2016 4:07 PM Subscribe
In 1967 political cartoonist Pat Oliphant drew an editorial cartoon just to win the Pulitizer - "one of the worst cartoons I've ever drawn" - trying to appeal to the judges' tastes and prevailing political opinion. And guess what happened.
This is also a pretty hagiographic article for a man who drew these two cartoons.
posted by dilaudid at 4:28 PM on August 10, 2016 [75 favorites]
posted by dilaudid at 4:28 PM on August 10, 2016 [75 favorites]
Jesus, those are repulsive, dilaudid. He shouldn't have respectable outlets anymore for those alone. That's as bad as anything Ramirez ever did.
posted by Countess Elena at 4:32 PM on August 10, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by Countess Elena at 4:32 PM on August 10, 2016 [8 favorites]
This is also a pretty hagiographic article for a man who drew these two cartoons.
Christ, what an asshole.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:33 PM on August 10, 2016 [54 favorites]
Christ, what an asshole.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:33 PM on August 10, 2016 [54 favorites]
trying to appeal to the judges' tastes and prevailing political opinion
This is the only way I could get above a C on essays in literature class.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 4:37 PM on August 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
This is the only way I could get above a C on essays in literature class.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 4:37 PM on August 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
What really bothers me about this article, as much as I like Ann Telnaes, is that it doesn’t actually say why Oliphant considers his winning cartoon to be bad, beyond that it fit certain predictable patterns.
posted by Going To Maine at 4:38 PM on August 10, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Going To Maine at 4:38 PM on August 10, 2016 [4 favorites]
Oliphant is rather infamous(ly fucking gross).
posted by atoxyl at 4:45 PM on August 10, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by atoxyl at 4:45 PM on August 10, 2016 [8 favorites]
This is also a pretty hagiographic article for a man who drew these two cartoons.
This comment could be made about most any editorial cartoonist; the job is built on outrage.
posted by Going To Maine at 4:45 PM on August 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
This comment could be made about most any editorial cartoonist; the job is built on outrage.
posted by Going To Maine at 4:45 PM on August 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
I think there's plenty of cartoonists that prove you can be outrageous without being racist.
posted by dilaudid at 4:50 PM on August 10, 2016 [17 favorites]
posted by dilaudid at 4:50 PM on August 10, 2016 [17 favorites]
This comment could be made about most any editorial cartoonist; the job is built on outrage.
True, but there's a difference between using that outrage to right a wrong and just being a racist prick. In the cartoons dilaudid linked, Oliphant is certainly in the latter category.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:50 PM on August 10, 2016 [4 favorites]
True, but there's a difference between using that outrage to right a wrong and just being a racist prick. In the cartoons dilaudid linked, Oliphant is certainly in the latter category.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:50 PM on August 10, 2016 [4 favorites]
Sure (though I’m not seeing it for the Condi-as-a-parrot cartoon…) but the CJR is going to be far more free-speech friendly than, say, MetaFilter. (Ditto Telnaes herself, who was decidedly in the Je Suis Charlie camp.) So I guess I have a harder time getting up my dander about this than if, say, we were talking about an article in Mother Jones.
posted by Going To Maine at 4:56 PM on August 10, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Going To Maine at 4:56 PM on August 10, 2016 [3 favorites]
This is also a pretty hagiographic article for a man who drew these two cartoons.
I wonder if Oliphant was an inspiration for whoever does The Onion's editorial cartoons. (Is it J.J. Sedelmaier or Ward Sutton, perhaps?)
posted by a lungful of dragon at 5:04 PM on August 10, 2016 [6 favorites]
I wonder if Oliphant was an inspiration for whoever does The Onion's editorial cartoons. (Is it J.J. Sedelmaier or Ward Sutton, perhaps?)
posted by a lungful of dragon at 5:04 PM on August 10, 2016 [6 favorites]
I always that the inspiration for The Onion's political cartoons was 'Zyklon' Ben Garrison. Who regularly and steadily exceeds the cartoons that are meant to be a satire of his style.
posted by LeRoienJaune at 5:16 PM on August 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by LeRoienJaune at 5:16 PM on August 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
Maybe it's just a comment on the shelf-life of political cartoons, but I lived through the Vietnam War and think I have a pretty good recollection of the issues involved, but I don't have a clue what that Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoon with Ho Chi Minh is supposed to be about.
posted by layceepee at 5:27 PM on August 10, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by layceepee at 5:27 PM on August 10, 2016 [9 favorites]
I think the Onion's political cartoons are satire of basically every political cartoonist in American newspapers, plus of general right-wing crankery.
posted by atoxyl at 5:53 PM on August 10, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by atoxyl at 5:53 PM on August 10, 2016 [4 favorites]
so this is what trolling looked like before the internet
posted by ostranenie at 6:16 PM on August 10, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by ostranenie at 6:16 PM on August 10, 2016 [5 favorites]
Oliphant 'casually retired' in January 2015 after publishing these two Charlie Hebro-related cartoons. Before that, he was minimally active, skewering Obama (and Congress), Putin and Netanyahu and their impotent opposition, various bureaucratic entities, the NRA, the Catholic Church and the GOP at large (while treating Hillary as 'inevitable' in mid '14); also being all over the place on 'the immigration debate'
Still, he did seem to "get" the Emotional Labor issue right two years ago,and did something racially charged but NOT racist.
And he perfectly nailed Trump back in 2011 when he threatened to run for president then.
But remember, Mr. Oliphant's Pulitzer period was almost 50 years ago, before GoComics started archiving his cartoons (1980, when he did this and this) and he became an equal opportunity offender with a shaky batting average but plenty of both strike-outs and home runs.
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:31 PM on August 10, 2016 [9 favorites]
Still, he did seem to "get" the Emotional Labor issue right two years ago,and did something racially charged but NOT racist.
And he perfectly nailed Trump back in 2011 when he threatened to run for president then.
But remember, Mr. Oliphant's Pulitzer period was almost 50 years ago, before GoComics started archiving his cartoons (1980, when he did this and this) and he became an equal opportunity offender with a shaky batting average but plenty of both strike-outs and home runs.
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:31 PM on August 10, 2016 [9 favorites]
I don't have a clue what that Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoon with Ho Chi Minh is supposed to be about
I'm not sure either but I'd guess, judging by his later work and the fact that he refers to this his worst cartoon, is that he meant it as a parody of a bleeding heart liberal cartoon, that he thought that the press and the Pulitzer committee were too pro-North Vietnam, too pro-Ho. A right-wing precursor to the Onion's satirical cartoons.
posted by Flashman at 6:48 PM on August 10, 2016
I'm not sure either but I'd guess, judging by his later work and the fact that he refers to this his worst cartoon, is that he meant it as a parody of a bleeding heart liberal cartoon, that he thought that the press and the Pulitzer committee were too pro-North Vietnam, too pro-Ho. A right-wing precursor to the Onion's satirical cartoons.
posted by Flashman at 6:48 PM on August 10, 2016
Pat Oliphant's charming remarks when Berke Breathed won the Pulitzer:
"My first objection is to the general uselessness of the Pulitzers: I wish it could be upgraded to a worthy professional award people could feel good about winning," Pat Oliphant said in a telephone interview. "I object to my profession being impinged upon by people like Breathed, who see themselves as rock stars, rather than cartoonists. It's negatively affecting what I would like to have taken as a serious form of commentary."
posted by lagomorphius at 7:16 PM on August 10, 2016 [4 favorites]
"My first objection is to the general uselessness of the Pulitzers: I wish it could be upgraded to a worthy professional award people could feel good about winning," Pat Oliphant said in a telephone interview. "I object to my profession being impinged upon by people like Breathed, who see themselves as rock stars, rather than cartoonists. It's negatively affecting what I would like to have taken as a serious form of commentary."
posted by lagomorphius at 7:16 PM on August 10, 2016 [4 favorites]
When Richard "Cul-De-Sac" Thompson (RIP) was doing the weekly "Richard's Poor Almanac", Oliphant did a guest comic/salute that's worth seeing. So he DID have an occasional kind word to say about other cartoonists.
Of course, it comes in the voice of his trademark tiny penguin (whose side comments in the corner were often more on-target than the main cartoon), and I just don't think he appreciated the "rock star status" of Berkeley Breathed's penguin creation Opus. (It must be noted that the Bloom County strips during the recent political conventions were among his most directly political EVER) No word on what he thinks of Tom Tomorrow, who admits his spokespenguin Sparky was inspired by Oliphant's little guy.
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:02 PM on August 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
Of course, it comes in the voice of his trademark tiny penguin (whose side comments in the corner were often more on-target than the main cartoon), and I just don't think he appreciated the "rock star status" of Berkeley Breathed's penguin creation Opus. (It must be noted that the Bloom County strips during the recent political conventions were among his most directly political EVER) No word on what he thinks of Tom Tomorrow, who admits his spokespenguin Sparky was inspired by Oliphant's little guy.
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:02 PM on August 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
the voice of his trademark tiny penguin (whose side comments in the corner were often more on-target than the main cartoon)
On that topic, is this a 'thing' for editorial cartoonists around the world?
I noticed that the Times of India's cartoonist always had a little guy offering his own addendum to the cartoon; supposedly he was meant to represent the man in the street.
Not being used to this convention (if it is a convention), I always found it irritating and I find it irritating in Oliphant.
It just smacks too much of having to explain the joke.
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:33 PM on August 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
On that topic, is this a 'thing' for editorial cartoonists around the world?
I noticed that the Times of India's cartoonist always had a little guy offering his own addendum to the cartoon; supposedly he was meant to represent the man in the street.
Not being used to this convention (if it is a convention), I always found it irritating and I find it irritating in Oliphant.
It just smacks too much of having to explain the joke.
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:33 PM on August 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
On that topic, is this a 'thing' for editorial cartoonists around the world?
It's been a part of cartooning for almost as long as there have been cartoons.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:38 PM on August 10, 2016 [3 favorites]
It's been a part of cartooning for almost as long as there have been cartoons.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:38 PM on August 10, 2016 [3 favorites]
Uh, OK. I guess I need to get out more.
Tiny platypus: "Sheesh, how did he not even know that?"
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:44 PM on August 10, 2016 [14 favorites]
Tiny platypus: "Sheesh, how did he not even know that?"
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:44 PM on August 10, 2016 [14 favorites]
I'm not sure either but I'd guess, judging by his later work and the fact that he refers to this his worst cartoon, is that he meant it as a parody of a bleeding heart liberal cartoon, that he thought that the press and the Pulitzer committee were too pro-North Vietnam, too pro-Ho. A right-wing precursor to the Onion's satirical cartoons.
I took it more as a parody of an anti-Ho cartoon actually? Hard to tell he seems really all over the place politically.
posted by atoxyl at 8:48 PM on August 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
I took it more as a parody of an anti-Ho cartoon actually? Hard to tell he seems really all over the place politically.
posted by atoxyl at 8:48 PM on August 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
I still don't understand why the nytimes only has Tim Kreider on as an essayist and not also as a cartoonist.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:20 PM on August 10, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:20 PM on August 10, 2016 [5 favorites]
See, I look at dilaudid's comment above, and I kind of have to laugh, because Bill Leak still gets to publish. (context).
posted by prismatic7 at 11:26 PM on August 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by prismatic7 at 11:26 PM on August 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
It's a meme that is used frequently in the satirical cartoons that appear in The Onion. At face value, it's the cartoonist implying that the theme of the cartoon is so self-evidently true that "Lady Liberty" (an animated version of the Statue of Liberty) joins in to applaud it, or so sad that Lady Liberty herself is brought to tears, &c.
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:37 AM on August 11, 2016
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:37 AM on August 11, 2016
So Oliphant gamed the system by cunningly choosing an entry that he thought would appeal to the judges' tastes? The wily old fox...!
posted by Segundus at 3:38 AM on August 11, 2016
posted by Segundus at 3:38 AM on August 11, 2016
Is there a rhinoceros in the background? I feel like I'm trying to decipher an autostereogram^.
posted by XMLicious at 4:32 AM on August 11, 2016
posted by XMLicious at 4:32 AM on August 11, 2016
. . . write what they want you'll end up with a Pulitzer Prize follow you right to the grave. Maybe won the Medal of honor the George Cross even the Nobel but once you've been stigmatized with the ultimate seal of mediocrity your obit will read Pulitzer Prize Novelist Dies at whatever because they're not advertising the winner no. No, like this whole plague of prizes wherever you look, it's the prize givers promoting themselves, trying to rescue their thoroughly discredited profession of journalism. "The press is a school that serves to turn men into brutes," Flaubert writes to George Sand "because it relieves them from thinking." The prize winners? They're just props, cartoonists, sports writers, political pundits, front page photos the bloodier the better for that instant of fame wrap the fish in tomorrow, good God how many Pulitzer Prizes are there? Over fifteen hundred entries, fourteen categories for journalists because if you started your bondage there you're halfway home with that whole gang of sponsors, trustees, juries, God knows what who've survived that Slough of Despond and floated to the top.--William Gaddis, Agapē Agape
posted by Westringia F. at 4:33 AM on August 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
This cartoon makes no sense to me. Mmmmmaybe if Ho Chi Minh was labeled COMMUNISM and there was maybe a bag of money labeled DEFICIT or something
posted by beerperson at 7:46 AM on August 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by beerperson at 7:46 AM on August 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
I can't get to a lot of the links here so can't comment on the specifics but I've gotta defend Oliphant, his comics were always so much better and it was such a relief when they finally replaced the crude, ugly old Herblock on the WaPo editorial pages, back in the day. The latter may also have been pretty good too, when he was younger, but that was before my time.
- former Washington Post delivery boy
posted by Rash at 7:56 AM on August 11, 2016
- former Washington Post delivery boy
posted by Rash at 7:56 AM on August 11, 2016
crude, ugly old Herblock
I WILL FIGHT YOU
posted by entropicamericana at 8:20 AM on August 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
I WILL FIGHT YOU
posted by entropicamericana at 8:20 AM on August 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
Here you go, beerperson.
Ok, so, it's been a while, but I sorta clicked to the latest one and then back through a half dozen strips... What the shit happened to the art in Penny Arcade?
posted by brennen at 11:50 AM on August 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Ok, so, it's been a while, but I sorta clicked to the latest one and then back through a half dozen strips... What the shit happened to the art in Penny Arcade?
posted by brennen at 11:50 AM on August 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by dilaudid at 4:18 PM on August 10, 2016 [4 favorites]