TOW #13 - Visual

This political cartoon by Wasserman is clearly trying to make a statement about the current U.S. Congress. In the background, Washington D.C., and more specifically the Congress building, is shown while the foreground depicts two congressmen. The first aspect of this work that makes the overall message more effective is rather simple: each man is wearing a different color tie. Blue traditionally symbolizes the Democratic party, while red traditionally represents the Republican party. By representing both parties as in cahoots with one another the criticism is broadened to the entirety of congress rather than one party or the other. This also serves to broaden the audience of the visual text. If Wasserman were to target only Republicans, for example, he would risk offending readers who primarily agree with the Republican platform. It would also serve to weaken his argument that Congress as a whole is not invested in the concerns of the people, as representing one party would imply that only that group was at fault.

While this is a visual text, it is still reliant on words to make its overall purpose clear. The man in blue brings up an actual issue, a notice that all airbags nationwide must be recalled. In effect this scenario is rather absurd, but in context the entire nation is at risk. The second man simply reassures his startled friend by reminding him that they still have their jobs, and that there is nothing for them to personally worry about. The greater message is clear: Congress is out of touch with problems that affect everyday Americans. The first bubble serves to raise the stakes, and to make Congress's relative inaction seem dire. The issue presented could cause great harm to the nation if not fixed, but Congress does not feel a need to move as their jobs are not at risk.

The larger message of the text is not simply that Congress is content to mull about doing nothing. Instead it challenges the reader to force their elected officials into action by making it seem like their jobs are at risk. Changing out one party for the other will not change the issue either, Wasserman's image argues, as it is the people within the institution causing the problem not individual parties.