#04 Sign Language

Following on from the last blog...

QOTD: Do cartoons/comics/fictional depictions get a message across better?

This blog is going to be about the use of placards during protests, the ones with references to/from religion. Protests are generally pretty serious things, and because of this the props, such as placards used, need to be well made and effective at getting a particular message across.

Most of the time protests are to achieve, or get something. For instance:

Onto serious things though. For instance; here's one that's a little strange but makes you think

Equally dodgy territories to manoeuvre- Religion and Politics and this placard crashes into them both. There is a lot of information in just this one picture that we can probably deduce. Even simply this persons knowledge of the historical person of Jesus being 'brown', and the cartoon picture showing him as such, rather than going along with traditional Western depictions of him as white tell us something about them. I would assume this poster was also anti-Obama, since it appears to be suggesting Obama is promising more than he can deliver or is capable of. I mean clearly including the boldly coloured cartoon picture was to draw people's attention- probably namely religious ones here.What do you think?

As you could probably guess, religion related cartoon involving protest signs are quite a niche wee search... and you would be right. Like here's one that would be great....

...if I had but any idea what you meant grumpy man with glasses. 

Oh 'ang about! A little further reading tells me this was made in protest of the indian government for the imprisonment of a man called Anna for standing up to the government. The comic now clearly makes sense, on the part of these people it is suggesting that in a civilised society all are calm and peaceful and democratic while others have their opinions and only in an uncivilised one do authorities react in such a way. This is not necessarily religion based but shows exactly what I mean about the effectiveness of cartoon. 

However, this protest sign is MUCH more relevant. Here the 'modern art' is in the entire picture, in her clear strength and what she is symbolising by (it seems) being naked, and even the monochrome effect put on the photography, and of course the theological aspect is more than evident. 

As it is in: 

Appears this method is popular amongst feminists... although they might argue that that's because they have so much to protest to regarding religion... but I'll leave that with you to think about. 

However, overall it seems that clearly religious people are generally more likely to protest ABOUT cartoons (see next blog ;) ) than by using them.

Still let me know what you think about this and the QOTD! :-)