French Issue Is Bigger Than A Tasteless Toon

Right & Wrong

- Swapan Dasgupta

Although sometimes difficult to define, there is an important distinction between a cartoon and political caricature. The former is, ideally, aimed at making the reader chuckle while the political caricature demonises an adversary, making him appear hideous and offensive. In contemporary journalism, the difference between the two has often been obliterated. The legendary R K Laxman specialised in gentle stiletto jabs that corresponded to the mood of the times. His pocket cartoons were markedly different from those of contemporary British stalwarts such as Steve Bell and Martin Rowson and their penchant for — in the absence of a better word — brutalism.

The practice of depicting someone in a hideous way or creating national stereotypes is, of course, not new. During World War I, Kaiser Wilhelm II and his imposing moustache was a particular favourite, as were Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler in the next war. Japanese leaders were invariably portrayed as buck-toothed and with round glasses. They were also said to be inordinately fond of screaming ‘Banzai’ while charging with their samurai swords.