Gender Cartoons Precis

Gender Cartoon Precis
Liza Donnelly
1. Political Cartoon - Michael Chen
https://www.shethepeople.tv/top-videos/using-cartoons-to-challenge-gender-perceptions-meet-liza-donnelly/
Observation Notes
What choices do you see? What do you notice? Analysis

(symbolism, exaggeration/distortion, (What might it mean? How does it contribute to
stereotypes, irony, analogy, captions/labeling) the purpose of the artist? Is it effective?)
● There are phrases/words in the air which - The phrases might represent the
have tangible gender-related socialization or corruption of the child’s
connotations. pure soul by whatever forms of media
● The shape of the mom is exaggerated from society. In this case the phrases are
(the most feminine body parts are the feminine stereotype ones thus the
focused on): tiny feet and skinny legs, baby is turning into this.
large buttocks, tiny waist, pointy breasts, - The mom is what the baby will ultimately
and tiny arms. become - the baby will, after being
○ Her arms and legs also appeared exposed by society and by the mom to
to be coated by fabric. this hard line thing, become exactly what
● There mom also is attached to multiple this image is. They can then tell their own
symbols of the common feminism, e.g. babies. Thus the actual moment
high heels, pearl necklace, headband, portrayed in the cartoon may have
earrings, lipstick, and handbag. significance because it shows the way by
● The colors are interesting - the child has which we move through.
pink all about them and the woman has - The colors may reflect this - the pink is a
red. more pure color - so although the child
● and the mom are both entrenched in the
societal feminine expectations, hence the
red and pink, the child is still pure and
softer, while the mom has entered the
adult world long ago and done many bad
things which tainted this pink. This also
shows the aforementioned transition
from one to the other.
Considering the observations above, what is the message? What is the purpose of the cartoon?
An interesting comparison can be made between this cartoon and the epochal “One is not born but
becomes woman”, from de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex. This phrase is credited with introducing the
sex-gender distinction - stating that to be born with female genitalia (sex ) isn’t really related to what
a woman is (gender). What is interesting is that here this child is portrayed as already being a women,
which seems to subvert the sex-gender distinction by pointing to this inseparableness of having
female genitalia and being a woman, as even this child the only identifiable thing is that they have
female genitalia and yet they are already the cultural women. However, it seems that what this is
actually saying is that the current society is so embedded with the idea of what a woman is so that it
might as well be this way. It is being ironic - obviously barely born babies do not have the woman
gender characteristics yet, but the society is so embedded that they become it.
Write a Rhetorical Precis

(follow instructions on the canvas page)
In her unnamed cartoon (no date), Liza Donnelly, a popular feminist cartoonist, asserts that young
females are socialized from a very young age towards the current cultural expectation of a
woman.Donnelly uses exaggeration, captions, symbolism, and irony to demonstrate and advance her
claim. Donnelly wishes to use the humor and subversion of expectations that come with cartoons to
persuade people about the position of women in society (open their eyes), in this case a specific
example of how current society behaves with respect to women. The tone of the cartoon is slightly
ironic and unrealistic, which may push the viewer to view the status quo as even more bad once the
connection is made.
2. Political Cartoon - Nathan Thomsen

https://sayfty.com/liza-donnelly/
Observation Notes

In the comic, the woman is sitting in a job The comic is exaggerating the man’s perception
interview with a boss, who is equal in height and of equal women, thinking of them as children
represented as equivalent to the woman, but in despite their age and equal height to him. Thus,
the man’s head, he imagines a little girl playing the point of the comic is to demonstrate how
with a doll, showing that he’s basically equating women are reduced and degraded consciously by
herself with a child, even though she is a grown men (such as in interviews as represented),
woman, being ironic. The gender difference is causing the men to see the women as lesser and
also exaggerated by the colors of the suits, with probably therefore unfit for many jobs, when
the male boss wearing a blue suit and the women bosses don’t think of women as capable enough
wearing a pink blouse. Those are the 2 dominant to have a job or be equal to men. The message
colors in the comic, dragging the viewers seems obvious and clear, making it effective
attention to them. There are no captions or enough for its purpose.
labels, aside from the Resume on the paper the
man is reading.
The message is that women, despite being equal to men, are often misinterpreted and seen as
immature or incapable. The cartoon purposefully exaggerates this viewpoint by showing the man
thinking of the woman as a child, highlighting the ridiculousness of his perspective.

In the comic by Liza Donnely, captioned on Sayfty as “Man sexist towards a woman applicant”,
presents the argument that men frequently degrade women and think of them as lesser, despite their
equal status in reality. By using techniques such as color choices for gender, irony in the situation,
symbolism in their height, and an exaggeration of real world experiences and scenarios, her claim is
propped up by the vividness of the comic. She wants people to be mindful of how they perceive
others, particularly those of different gender, in everyday situations, lest they risk thinking of them as
lesser and inexperienced. Her tone is obviously comedic and exaggerative, as she is a comic artist, but
she acknowledges and seriously tries to address the issue described in the comic in order to increase
the awareness of the audience towards it.
3. Political Cartoon- Saee Ashtaputre
Observation Notes

- The title of the book mentions that - The book represents the expectations
women need to follow rules in almost society has of women
every aspect of their life - The fact that she is wearing a
- The book is pink, which is a traditionally “masculine” color while reading a book
feminine color trying to teach her how to be a woman
- The woman’s shirt is blue, a traditionally shows that many women are forced to
masculine color give up their own interests to conform to
- The woman looks unhappy with the idea stereotypes
that she will have to follow all these rules, - I think the fact that she’s dressed quite
and she also looks a little intimidated simply emphasizes that she hasn’t really
- She seems to be wearing very simple been exposed to these rules yet, and
clothing she’s just learning about them
The message of the cartoon is that many women are forced to sacrifice their own interests to become
a version of themselves that is accepted by society. The purpose of the cartoon is to point out how
unfair and demanding this is.

In her cartoon, “The Social Rulebook,” Liza Donnelly sheds light on societal expectations that are
forced upon women. She is able to emphasize her point by using captions on the book and
contrasting colors that are traditionally assigned to a gender. Donelly wants more people to be aware
of rules that are placed on both genders and create an environment where individuals can act
according to their own values. Her disapproving tone suggests to the audience that the idea of social
rules is unfair and restrictive.
4. Political Cartoon AVEN ELDER (DUH)

Observation Notes
I notice that there is a group of men, everyone is The one woman is likely a reference to very few
leaning back in their chairs including the women women actually working within leading
who are lean back. Her chair also seems to be a positions.. She reminding herself that she has
little farther than the table. The woman is worked as hard as any of the men, she also might
reminding herself that she belongs at the table, have been
there are six men and one woman.
The message is that when they have jobs in executive positions, they feel welcomed by men. Also
that women need to conform to men to even operate in a position of power.

In his TED Talk, “Ingenuity and elegance in ancient African alphabets” (2013), Saki Mafundikwa, a
Zimbabwean teacher, author and historian, proclaims that Africans need to look within their own
historical artifacts to create designs, logos, textiles, and art.
Liza Donnelly, a political cartoonist, argues that women in executive positions is not enough on it's
own, women need to be incorporated to the culture of a executives in her cartoon “I am supposed to
be here” (2015).
5. Political Cartoon Amber Parker
https://lizadon
nelly.com/archives/bridesmaids
Observation Notes

- Her nose is very pointy and long - Could be meant to make her even more
- Same level as the dog similar to the dog (they can both smell
- “Heeling”- meaning to stop/ be really well), could also be just an artistic
restricted, could also be a play on words style. Makes the woman stand out
- No color in the picture - The woman is at the same level as the
- The dog kind of looks like it was just dog, which could represent how women
minding its own business feel. They feel like they aren't really
- the woman looks friendly and sort of respected and that they are on the same
reassured level as the animals. Notice how there
- The dog looks surprised are no other characters here, just a
- The woman’s clothing/earrings woman and an animal. They are also
- Dog has a collar on given the same things (drink, napkin,
- It doesn't say who is saying the phrase at etc). Social commentary on how women
the bottom, but the womans mouth is are treated like animals
open - Heeling- this is what dogs are told to do
- Her glass is empty, the dogs is like almost when they are getting too far ahead,
full pulling too much, or otherwise doing
- No one else in the room something their owners don't like. The
woman is saying she often feels like she
is told to heel- to slow down or that she’s
going too far ahead, kind of like she is on
a leash being controlled by other people.
This is a common sentiment felt by many
women, feeling they are restricted or
limited in life, they have to stay in close
proximity to who they are told to be.
Heel could also be a play on words,
instead of meaning healing. This could be
the woman saying she is tired of beong
stepped on and hurt, so she is tired of
healing from this
- No color could mean that their life feels
kind of dull or without color
- The dog looks surprised, maybe that a
human feels the same way as it does
- Glasses could be something with
exhaustion or the glass half full/half
empty. The woman has drunk more,
maybe meaning that she feels out of
energy or out of breath like she just went
on a long run and needs lots of water
- Her clothing is stereotypical, sort of
generalizing women or showing how
society wants women to be
The cartoon is portraying that women feel like they are treated like animals. They are limited in what
they can do, feeling like they always have to slow down and heel. They aren't allowed to roam free
and do what they want, they are on a leash, controlled by society. This cartoon portrays the limitation
and inequality women feel. It is to show in a more literal sense how women feel, showing the rest of
the world their thoughts on the situation.

In her political cartoon “Bridesmaids” (2011), Liza Donnelly illustrates that women feel they are
treated similar to the way animals are treated, in the sense that they are constantly being limited in
what they can do. Donnelly uses a combination of symbolism, stereotypes, and imagery in her
illustration along with a caption at the bottom to support this. She wants to show how many women
feel so that a wide audience can understand these feelings and adequately respond to them. Her tired
tone shows her audience that the feelings being portrayed are very tiring to women, almost to the
point where they have accepted their fate, further establishing that something must be done to make
the lives of these women less tiring.
6. Political Cartoon (Bodacious Beach)
https://lizadonnelly.com/archives/drawing-bodies/thinking-of-losing-your-self-esteem
Observation Notes

I see the dolls look very similar to the girls The idea that girls will lose their self esteem
holding them, and the idea that people have the because there are many perfect ideals of
ability to decide when they can lose their self themselves like how they are playing with dolls
esteem. that look just like them except older and more
beautiful looking and thus it creates a very
unhealthy way to view themselves.
The purpose is to point out the unrealistic body expectations of girls and how through these ideals
they will never be able to meet the expectations set by society.
In the cartoon “thinking of losing your self esteem” (2015) Liza Donnelly speaks on the issues with
modern society and the creation of unhealthy standards for women such as the barbie doll as it shows a
woman who looks better than her and skinnier than her and makes her believe that she is less than a
piece of inanimate plastic representing a woman.
7. Political Cartoon - Swetha Iyer
Observation Notes

They are laying around in a stereotypical lazy Replicated the idea of what-if a female acted like
male fashion. Rather than sitting all poised like a modern man. These women are acting like
women are expected to be, one of them is modern day men and it impacts the purpose
stretched out, the other has her leg wide open, because the first thing that the viewer thinks is
and another is slouching down right in front of that the women are sitting inappropriately, but
the TV. THere is a slow chips bag and the soda then when the read the caption they understand
can in front of the sofa. the irony of the situation better
The purpose of this cartoon is to show that men and women should have the same expectations
themselves and that they should not be held to different societal roles and positions when they are
equally capable of everything.

In her political cartoon “Expectations” (2010) Liza Donnelly asserts that women should not be held to
different expectations than men. Donnely uses stereotypes and irony to show how men and women
have different expectations based off gender. She highlights that wen men and women act that same
way their actions are received and treated differently. Donnelly created irony by referencing the
expectations placed upon women who inthe cartoon are acting in the opposite manner of those
expectations.
8. Political Cartoon - Matt Sebahar
https://www.cartooningforpeace.org/en/dessinateurs/donnelly
Observation Notes

Irony, stereotyping, captioning There is irony in the man taking the place of a
It is all men and there are no women in the woman, and stereotypes in the clothing he
conference room to begin with. They also chose wears. Also the lack of women in the office shows
to have a man speak for women instead of a the typical lack of women in senior positions. Him
woman herself. bringing femisit viewpoint is ironic as he chose to
be a point of viewing with the clothing rather
than the ideas that they have. It shows the idea
that men often objectify women.
The message is that women have a lack of representation in the position of power, and often men
think that they can speak for them. The author wants this to stop, along with the objectification of
them once they have gained seniority. They also want to share that women have their own ideas and
aren’t just a man that looks different.

Liza Donnelly, a political cartoonist and speaker, critises the lack of influence and oportunities
women receive in positions of power through her political cartoon, “The Feminist Viewpoint”(2015).
She uses irony, captioning, and stereotypes to make the men in the office look foolish due to their
sexist ideas. Donnelly tries to convince people to change to let women speak for themselve, and to be
treated as powerful people in the world rather than objects that can be spoken for. The foolishness of
the men in the article allows for the audience to laugh at those people, or to shame those who act
similarly as the men in the cartoon.

Gender Cartoons Precis

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Gender Cartoons Precis

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Gender Cartoon Precis

1. Political Cartoon - Michael Chen

What choices do you see? What do you notice? Analysis

Write a Rhetorical Precis

2. Political Cartoon - Nathan Thomsen

What choices do you see? What do you notice? Analysis

Write a Rhetorical Precis

3. Political Cartoon- Saee Ashtaputre

What choices do you see? What do you notice? Analysis

Write a Rhetorical Precis

4. Political Cartoon AVEN ELDER (DUH)

Write a Rhetorical Precis

5. Political Cartoon Amber Parker

What choices do you see? What do you notice? Analysis

Write a Rhetorical Precis

6. Political Cartoon (Bodacious Beach)

What choices do you see? What do you notice? Analysis

7. Political Cartoon - Swetha Iyer

What choices do you see? What do you notice? Analysis

Write a Rhetorical Precis

8. Political Cartoon - Matt Sebahar

What choices do you see? What do you notice? Analysis

Write a Rhetorical Precis

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