After closer inspection, what at first appeared to me to be a cute cartoon on the cover of Metro Santa Cruz, turned out to be one of the most offensive mainstream political cartoons I've ever seen. I've been a reader of the local free-paper for many years, and I'm surprised by their apparent oversight on the cover of this issue.The cartoon, by Steven DeCinzo, depicts a giant, thousand foot tall Super Obama standing on the West Coast of the United States, with both feet firmly planted here in Santa Cruz. His right foot has crushed the Santa Cruz Sentinel building, while his left foot has laid to waste the KSCO radio studios. Why is Obama crushing these two free-speech centers?
The Santa Cruz Sentinel is your basic daily local newspaper that prints whatever information the Associated Press allows to trickle down, while KSCO is the only talk radio station in the Monterey Bay area whose format hosts numerous political and social views, and is certainly more diverse than every other radio station in the area.
The most unfortunate detail in the DeCinzo cartoon, is a swastika at the base of the KSCO rubble. What pray-tell is Mr. DeCinzo implying? If he is saying that KSCO is a nazi organization, he should be aware how offensive that accusation must be to the Zwerlings, the Jewish family who owns the station as well as the other Jewish personalities and employees who work at the station.
Following is a tongue-in-cheek Rhetro Zenberg re-interpretation of the offensive cartoon.
A giant smirking monster, like something right out of Jason and the Argonauts, has began it's heinous attack on the United States, starting here in Santa Cruz. His first decisive act was the destruction of free-speech by crushing the local print and talk radio mediums. No voices of descent will be tolerated by the proud self-aggrandizing giant who takes time to pose. The powerful muscle bulge in his arms causes the fabrique of his swastika armband to tear and fall upon the rubble of KSCO at his feet. And he's only just begun.
I usually like some of DeCinzo's depictions of Santa Cruz. Below are two of my favorites.
1 comment:
I'm confused about the artist's use of... well, art. I mean, I understand that a level of pejorative diminution is part of the editorial cartoon style; it's rather like calling an old friend a "son-of-a-gun" to indicate favour and good will in a very familiar, informal register. Hence Super Barack's neotenic features and caricatured foibles (the mole on his left cheek, f'rinstance). But what gives with the swastika? Is Super Barack a friend crushing our enemies (who cry out everywhere for help), or an enemy crushing our friends (who likewise c.o.e.f.h.)?
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