← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · albion
Thread ID: 17235 | Posts: 2 | Started: 2005-03-11
2005-03-11 04:02 | User Profile
Will Rogers. Nathaniel West. Ben Hecht. James Thurber. The list could go on -- satirical geniuses all, whose wry, often cynical outlook would stand the test of time. Although satire is not a uniquely American form of expression, like jazz or ââ¬â [I]shudder[/I] ââ¬â line dancing, it has played a major role in defining the cultural Zeitgeist. The early revolutionary and post revolutionary days were full with satire. Popular songs mocked the British and local politicians, while newspapers which were generally affiliated with a political party or politician ââ¬â used their pages to take jabs at their enemies. Thus, satire was prevalent during the early days of our nation, but it didn't hit its stride until a national calamity ââ¬â the Civil War. During the Civil War, satirical publications flourished. Of publications with Northern sympathies there was [I]Vanity Fair [/I] (1860-65), [I]Funniest of the Phun[/I] (1864-56), and [I]Yankee Notions[/I] (1852-75). Southern sympathies were dominated by the widely distributed British magazine [I]Punch[/I], which existed from 1841 to 2002, though its take on race relations undoubtedly evolved over the those 160 years. It was joined by another pro-south British publication, the cleverly titled [I]Fun[/I]. These publications were the equivalent to the [I]National Lampoon [/I] or the [I]Onion [/I] today. They were fi lled with satirical stories and early political cartoons, which brimmed over with contempt for politicians and political infrastructures. They were also some of the most intellectually stimulating and literary publications of the time. The publishers, editors and cartoonists of these publications clearly understood that the conscience of the people could not be won with reason alone; their rival's absurdity, both political and moral, must be exaggerated using humor. [IMG]http://www.graphicwitness.org/group/nastwmt.jpg[/IMG] The foremost political satirist of his generation was Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist for [I]Harper's[/I]. In 1873, Nast won notoriety for his satirical campaign against New York City's Tweed Ring -- a corrupt consortium of political cogs ââ¬â run by political boss William Maeger Tweed. The infamous cartoon of Boss Tweed and his associates made to look like vultures remains one of the most famous political cartoons of all time. [IMG]http://www.artnet.com/magazine/features/hoving/Images/hoving4-7-1b.jpg[/IMG] Naturally, Tweed found little to laugh at. He is purported to have said: ââ¬ÅStop them damned pictures! I don't care what the papers write about me. My constituents can't read. But damn it, they can see picture. However, it's uncertain whether Tweed actually made this less than aldermanic plea, though one can assume that he probably made similar proclamations, using only the choicest 19th century vulgarities. As a result of Nast's cartoons, Tweed was sent to prison on corruption charges. After serving only one year, he was released from prison. However, he would soon find himself back in the slammer, this time for accumulating debts in excess of $6 million. He died in prison in 1876, a befitting end to a political criminal of brobdingnagian proportions. But lest you think that satire only has the power to destroy political lives and send individuals into downward spirals of ruination, remember Mark Twain, who pointed out the faults of American culture. Remember a myriad other American humorists and satirists whose witty take on the absurdities of the times are still remembered as powerful and pertinent.
2005-03-11 15:34 | User Profile
Albion, before I jump willy-nilly into a reply. clarify something. This is a cut-and-paste, yes? But from where? There's no link, and it doesn't really read like Wikipedia.