The Political Satire/Meme Thread

[Danoff]

Why do all of these Brexit cartoons seem to have such a submissive, inferior, image of the UK? The EU is a tree and the UK is just a branch on it?

 

[UKMikey]

It's hardly as if we're the entire tree...

 

[zzz_pt]

Why do all of these Brexit cartoons seem to have such a submissive, inferior, image of the UK? The EU is a tree and the UK is just a branch on it?

It wouldn't be as funny if it wasn't a meme, I guess.

The EU is supposed to be the tree trunk and each country a branch. It makes sense.

 

[Danoff]

It wouldn't be as funny if it wasn't a meme, I guess.

The EU is supposed to be the tree trunk and each country a branch. It makes sense.

It's hardly as if we're the entire tree...

The metaphor of being the branch presupposes the desired conclusion (and I get that that's why it's picked as a metaphor). It presupposes that the UK can't stand on its own, that it is integrally reliant on the EU.

There are other metaphors that could work without being so... submissive and self-deprecating.

 

[zzz_pt]

The metaphor of being the branch presupposes the desired conclusion (and I get that that's why it's picked as a metaphor). It presupposes that the UK can't stand on its own, that it is integrally reliant on the EU.

There are other metaphors that could work without being so... submissive and self-deprecating.

Isn't the point of a cartoon to be biased and exaggerate the view the author holds about a certain situation? This is a common type of meme too (cutting the branch you're sitting on). Don't even know if the author is british, but considering the millions of people for and against Brexit and BJ, I see this meme as an accurate reflections of the Remain side.

 

[Danoff]

Isn't the point of a cartoon to be biased and exaggerate the view the author holds about a certain situation? This is a common type of meme too (cutting the branch you're sitting on). Don't even know if the author is british, but considering the millions of people for and against Brexit and BJ, I see this meme as an accurate reflections of the Remain side.

I get it... I just don't quite get the appeal. Why would one want to see their country as this needy appendage. To the extent that the rest of the world sees it this way, I'd expect that to be somewhat offensive to UK people. "You're worthless on your own, and will shrivel and die. It's obvious to all of the rest of us that you're entirely reliant on others for your very existence. HAHA".

The cymbals player saying he was going to release a solo album was similar. Comeon... the UK is more like this guy:

Just with bad teeth.

 

[Dennisch]

The UK could be that guy, but only if his instruments are going their own way.

 

[zzz_pt]

I get it... I just don't quite get the appeal. Why would one want to see their country as this needy appendage. To the extent that the rest of the world sees it this way, I'd expect that to be somewhat offensive to UK people. "You're worthless on your own, and will shrivel and die. It's obvious to all of the rest of us that you're entirely reliant on others for your very existence. HAHA".

The cymbals player saying he was going to release a solo album was similar. Comeon... the UK is more like this guy:

Just with bad teeth.

That was funny

But I'm pretty sure scotish, northern irish and some english and welsh people don't think that's offensive at all. And it's about their country. Or more about their leaders, than their country. I see it as a criticism of british politicians and their inaptitude to think about the consequences of their actions and decisions, not as much as the power or lack of power of a more independent UK.

Also, in the cartoon, the EU falls as well. So there's that. ^^

 

[VolkswagenX]

 

[Danoff]

Also, in the cartoon, the EU falls as well. So there's that. ^^

I got the impression that this was the impossible outcome that would never happen.

If you presented the same analogy to many Americans "ok, America is the branch, the tree is the UN, you're cutting yourself off of the tree and obviously going to fall", many of them would say "no hold on a sec, that's not how it is".

 

[zzz_pt]

I got the impression that this was the impossible outcome that would never happen.

If you presented the same analogy to many Americans "ok, America is the branch, the tree is the UN, you're cutting yourself off of the tree and obviously going to fall", many of them would say "no hold on a sec, that's not how it is".

Even I would raise an eyebrow in that case, given how huge the US military is. The US is a key country to keep peace and security, as much as possible, around the world. I don't think the UK leaving the EU is as catastrophic as if the US would leave the UN.

But this is kind of off topic ^^

 

[UKMikey]

The metaphor of being the branch presupposes the desired conclusion (and I get that that's why it's picked as a metaphor). It presupposes that the UK can't stand on its own, that it is integrally reliant on the EU.

When I dissect these cartoons people complain and say I have no sense of humour...

I feel that saying the tree metaphor presupposes we cannot survive without the EU is a bit of a reach. Couldn't you take that branch and plant it somewhere else like a tree cutting? Maybe in that case we'd end up with a branch plant economy.

 

[GranTurNismo]

 

[Sander 001]

 

[Danoff]

When I dissect these cartoons people complain and say I have no sense of humour...

Actually I kinda took that image to mean that the president falsely equates the two, which have obvious differences. So the joke is on him. Maybe I read too far into it. Anyway, this thread is partially exactly to have a discussion about these memes.

I feel that saying the tree metaphor presupposes we cannot survive without the EU is a bit of a reach. Couldn't you take that branch and plant it somewhere else like a tree cutting? Maybe in that case we'd end up with a branch plant economy.

Maybe, but it's certainly not portraying the UK as a self-reliant, resilient, and capable entity which can take care of itself. That's all I'm saying, it's very subservient.

 

[Liquid]

Maybe, but it's certainly not portraying the UK as a self-reliant, resilient, and capable entity which can take care of itself.

Perhaps there's a reason for that.

 

[Danoff]

Perhaps there's a reason for that.

Yea, because the culture in Europe is so entirely wrapped up in socialism that any indication that you can stand on your own, and have some merit in yourself is beaten down in favor of needing the masses around you. Any argument that you don't need even a portion of society has to get dumped on, and so we see this co-dependent crap become so pervasive that people don't even realize it when they demonstrate a profound sense of insecurity.

It's gross.

 

[Liquid]

Yea, because the culture in Europe is so entirely wrapped up in socialism that any indication that you can stand on your own, and have some merit in yourself is beaten down in favor of needing the masses around you. Any argument that you don't need even a portion of society has to get dumped on, and so we see this co-dependent crap become so pervasive that people don't even realize it when they demonstrate a profound sense of insecurity.

It's gross.

Yeah, no.

The point is that there is a lot of civil and/or social unrest and malcontent with the current government, in power through three different Prime Ministers for nearly a decade now, over many, many issues well before the Brexit referendum happened. Welfare reform, employment statuses and disability assessments have been a complete disaster as has the abuse of executive power attempting to override the legislative and judicial arms of Parliament. Lying to the public about how "there isn't a magic money tree" in the age of unprecedented austerity but paying an outright, publicly bigoted political party a £1 billion bung for a supply-and-demand scheme is perfectly fine with no repercussions or justification of where these resources magically come from is fine. That same political party is in the constituent country whose devolved Assembly has collapsed and not been functioning for 944 days (2 years, 7 months) yet the MLAs pick up their salaries to the blind eye of the central government who should be keeping an eye on things.

Portraying the UK as self-reliant and capable is inaccurate because... it isn't. Brexit cartoons aren't exclusively addressing the UK as leaving the European Union. It's addressing the reactionary, neo-imperial throwback to some godforsaken time when the UK was apparently a superpower on terms with the USA and USSR and superior to de Gaulle's France and Adenauer's West Germany. That hasn't been true since Anthony Eden; things have changed and it simply isn't any more. Even other members of the Commonwealth are laughing at London.

 

[Danoff]

Yeah, no.

The point is that there is a lot of civil and/or social unrest and malcontent with the current government, in power through three different Prime Ministers for nearly a decade now, over many, many issues well before the Brexit referendum happened. Welfare reform, employment statuses and disability assessments have been a complete disaster as has the abuse of executive power attempting to override the legislative and judicial arms of Parliament. Lying to the public about how "there isn't a magic money tree" in the age of unprecedented austerity but paying an outright, publicly bigoted political party a £1 billion bung for a supply-and-demand scheme is perfectly fine with no repercussions or justification of where these resources magically come from is fine. That same political party is in the constituent country whose devolved Assembly has collapsed and not been functioning for 944 days (2 years, 7 months) yet the MLAs pick up their salaries to the blind eye of the central government who should be keeping an eye on things.

Portraying the UK as self-reliant and capable is inaccurate because... it isn't. Brexit cartoons aren't exclusively addressing the UK as leaving the European Union. It's addressing the reactionary, neo-imperial throwback to some godforsaken time when the UK was apparently a superpower on terms with the USA and USSR and superior to de Gaulle's France and Adenauer's West Germany. That hasn't been true since Anthony Eden; things have changed and it simply isn't any more. Even other members of the Commonwealth are laughing at London.

There's only one part of this that actually responds to what I wrote. This part:

Portraying the UK as self-reliant and capable is inaccurate because... it isn't.

...which lacks any real substance to support it. The UK is absolutely a self-reliant and capable nation, far more so than most nations of the Earth. Give me a break.

 

[ryzno]

View attachment 846306

TBH McDonald's food does suck.

 

[Liquid]

The UK is absolutely a self-reliant and capable nation, far more so than most nations of the Earth. Give me a break.

How else would you illustrate something which has been advised against by several economists including the governor of the central bank, the two National Farmers' Union within the UK and has seen numerous companies such as Unilever, easyJet, Ryanair, Dyson, Ford, Panasonic, Philips, Sony, Aviva, Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Credit Suisse, UBS, Goldman Sachs and the European Medical Agency move various assets, headquarters and staff abroad to other EU countries before it has even happened?

It's merely a reflection of what some major businesses have done and expressed, whether you agree with that characterisation or not.

 

[Danoff]

How else would you illustrate something which has been advised against by several economists including the governor of the central bank, the two National Farmers' Union within the UK and has seen numerous companies such as Unilever, easyJet, Ryanair, Dyson, Ford, Panasonic, Philips, Sony, Aviva, Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Credit Suisse, UBS, Goldman Sachs and the European Medical Agency move various assets, headquarters and staff abroad to other EU countries before it has even happened?

Can't be done.

It's merely a reflection of what some major businesses have done and expressed, whether you agree with that characterisation or not.

I'm not doubting that it's being expressed.

 

[Liquid]

To be honest, there are so many memes about Brexit that it's become wearisome anyway. I'm waiting for UK as the 51st state to start gaining traction.

 

[Danoff]

To be honest, there are so many memes about Brexit that it's become wearisome anyway. I'm waiting for UK as the 51st state to start gaining traction.

Trump will get on that soon. Right after Greenland and Israel.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Then we can have a tea party in Boston.

 

[TenEightyOne]

Why do all of these Brexit cartoons seem to have such a submissive, inferior, image of the UK? The EU is a tree and the UK is just a branch on it?

The countries (except Holland) are all branches. The EU is the stem that we metaphorically fasten ourselves unto for strength and sustenance.

Holland is the funny flooded bit around the bottom that nobody quite understands.

This is, of course, a joke.

 

[Danoff]

The countries (except Holland) are all branches. The EU is the stem that we metaphorically fasten ourselves unto for strength and sustenance.

Holland is the funny flooded bit around the bottom that nobody quite understands.

This is, of course, a joke.

Germany is the branch that inexplicably tries to kill you every once in a while.

 

[Chrunch Houston]

 

[Downhill Dino]

They want to secede every other year anyways.

 

[Liquid]