The Real Gorilla

Lisa Benson is a somewhat well known political cartoonist and radio show host. This cartoon has been posted and reposted across multiple websites and shared numerous times over social media. Like her other cartoons, it has no original source or website that it was posted to. On the surface, there are several babies sitting at the feet of a very disgruntled gorilla. From the imagery it is concluded that it is supposed to be a gorilla enclosure or exhibit. The words ‘NATIONAL DEBT’ are printed on the side of the wall below two talking figures. The two figures are a donkey and an elephant both wearing suits, the donkey is saying to the elephant, Me?! I thought you were watching them. This is in reference to the small children next to the gorilla. Given the subject material and current events, the cartoon was created to show the indebtedness of our two parties, the ignorance of the American people, and the …show more content…
The gorilla in the cartoon represents danger with his large size and his arms extended, similar to Harambe when he became agitated. However, the look on the gorilla’s face looks annoyed or disappointed because the children have been in the exhibit for a long time; The United States has been in debt for a long time, and the two parties have just now noticed. Additionally, the children, while poking at the child that fell into Harambes exhibit, represent the population of the United States as a whole because of the somewhat diverse group of children and the hat on one of them that says USA. The children being stuck in the exhibit shows how the United States is trapped by the national debt and doesn't have any means to escape without the government, represented by the democrats and republicans, who could easily help the children. The donkey speaking to the elephant is referencing the children who fell into the exhibit and placing blame onto the other