Posted on 08/09/2007 9:27:04 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
WASHINGTON--Washington Post political cartoonist Tom Toles seems to think the events of United flight 93 were funny.
In a cartoon dated August 8, and syndicated nationally, Toles depicted a group of harried airline passengers, frustrated by poor service, sitting on a plane and plotting to attack the pilots.
The drawing, reproduced here shows a fat white man in a business suit telling his fellow travelers: "Okay, we'll rush down the aisle, break through the cockpit door, and force the pilot to fly us to the destination printed on our tickets."
In response, and in contravention to all that is decent and in good taste, another passenger says..."let's roll."
Then, as if the fact he is referencing 9/11 wasn't clear enough, Toles himself, in cartoon form, observes "[The] cockpit door has been reinforced."
The motivation for Toles' attempt to turn the heroes of 9/11 into a joke is unclear. It may be that he is just completely insensitive to the events of that date. It could be that he thinks heroes should be mocked, not honored. It might even be that Toles, like many liberals, would like to trivialize the events of September 11, and the bravery of Americans on that date, since honoring either might harm their "peace at any price" agenda.
Whatever the motivation, however, he should be ashamed of this cartoon.
Apparently you don’t have to have a sense of humor (or ability to draw) to be a cartoonist for the Washington Post.
ping
The cartoon is somewhat ambiguous. I think a reasonable person could conclude that it is not a joke at the expense of 9/11 heroes, but a joke at the expense of impatient airline passengers who want to get to their destination as fast as possible.
“The motivation for Toles’ attempt to turn the heroes of 9/11 into a joke is unclear.”
No it is not, clearly Toles is an idiot. His motivation was to let the world know.
In his early days with the Buffalo News and at SUNYAB, he had some clever toons. Some wines age nicely. He turned to vinegar.
Why even care about this? This is our version of the Allah cartoon. Let it roll off you back and be e better person because of it.
I’m not sure your comparison is accurate. No one here is calling for a fatwa against Toles, rioting in the street or killing nuns over this cartoon. I just think its in extremely poor taste and deserving of criticism.
I say we riot and burn the Washington Post!
oh wait, we’re not islamists.
I wasn’t offended by the cartoon at all. It may have been the funniest Toles I’ve read. (not saying much)
The guy saying “Let’s roll!” is cute in a way. But then it makes you remember 9/11 and you want to laugh at the guys in the cartoon and tell them to shut up and sit down. In the scope of things, risking you life to save others doesn’t really compare with getting to your destination on time.
I fail to see any disrespect to the United 93 passengers here.
They published Herblock for years, didn’t they?
The commentator dropped the “and on time” from the cartoon, it changes things a bit. I think he’s putting too much of his own thinking on it. Sure Toles is using United 93 as a model but that’s not what he’s making fun of. He’s making fun of crappy airline service. Maybe not skillfully done, but nothing to get all bunched up over either.
I must be twisted because I got a chuckle out of it.......
Toles stopped being funny quite some time ago. I agree early on he had some interesting pieces.
Over time they became intellectually dishonest. And pieces like this are just offensive without much reason.
Count me among those believing that you are over reacting. The guy might be jerk — most political cartoonist published in the big papers are — but I think it is a stretch to be offended by what is described here.
Friday, April 28, 2006
United 93: No Heroic Deed Goes Unspoiled by the Left
http://onecosmos.blogspot.com/2006/04/united-93-no-heroic-deed-goes.html
bttt
He’s making fun of crappy airline service
__________
and I read it as making fun of people who think that getting delayed is that big of a deal.
Pretty good cartoonist that can, in one frame, have a bunch of people interpret the cartoon in different, even contradictory, ways.
I don’t see the mocking of #93 at all.
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