Put
It On Your Tab
In her cartoons Ann Telnaes casts
a consistently critical eye on U.S. domestic policies, the political
leaders who develop them, and how these public figures conduct
national affairs. She highlights her concerns about a broad, yet
defined, range of issues, including challenges to First Amendment
rights, such as separation of church and state and civil rights;
varied forms of over-consumption; potential threats to women's
health; policies affecting family planning and reproduction rights;
racial and ethnic profiling; and the accountability of persons
in high positions of public trust. She caricatures President George
W. Bush, protests his nomination of Gale Norton for Secretary of
the Interior, criticizes major legislation originated by his administration--specifically
the U.S.A. Patriot Act, protests the 2004 record federal deficit
of $480 billion, and excoriates the presidential signing into law
of the "Partial Birth Abortion" ban. An "equal opportunity" cartoonist,
Telnaes also takes on leading Democrats such as Bill Clinton, Senator
Robert Byrd of West Virginia, and the party's recent slate of potential
Democratic presidential candidates.
We Interrupt Our Regularly
Scheduled
Programming to Bring You Reality,
September 13, 2001
Brush and ink and opaque white
over blue pencil and graphite on bristol board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-1968; LC-USZ62-134306
© Ann Telnaes (1)
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September 11th
In Telnaes's cartoon, a shocked and battered Uncle Sam responds
to news of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Telnaes also plays on
the popularity of "reality television" programs that portray
ordinary people placed in contrived situations.
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Gun Control Issues
One of the subjects that concerns Telnaes is "the availability
of guns and violence in American society"--in particular
children's access to weapons. This cartoon predates by three
years the gun deaths of fifteen people, including the two
teenage shooters, at Colorado's Columbine High School on
April 20, 1999.
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You kids stop fighting,
April 28, 1996
Brush and ink, tonal overlay, and opaque white
over blue pencil on bristol board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04620; LC-USZ62-134257
© Ann Telnaes (6)
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Americans of the Decadence,
August 9, 1997
Brush and ink and paste on
over violet pencil on bristol board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04675; LC-USZ62-134258
© Ann Telnaes (8)
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American Over-Consumption
Ann Telnaes comments pointedly on over-consumption in American
society in a number of her cartoons. "You see it so much," she
says. "Just go down to your local Wal-Mart. Americans, in
general, use a lot of stuff. Anyone that's done any traveling
overseas knows how wasteful we are." Telnaes's scene of twentieth-century
excess lampoons American over-consumption. Slothful, overweight
figures recline amid plentiful fast-food containers and multiple
televisions in a pseudo-Roman setting. This image is a take-off
on the famous painting The Romans of the Decadence (1847),
by French painter Thomas Couture (1815-1879), which created
a stir at the Paris Salon of 1847.
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Effects of Clinton Scandal
In January, 1998, Linda Tripp contacted Kenneth Starr, independent
counsel for the Whitewater investigations, about President
Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. Although Clinton
initially denied the affair, in this cartoon, Telnaes imagines
political candidates making preemptive confessions to ward
off surprise revelations and scandal. "All of a sudden, people
were starting to 'fess up to things they had done," Telnaes
says, "just to make sure it wouldn't get them in trouble
in their campaigns later on. And I thought, we're going to
get to a point where you have to explain everything you do,
even if it's perfectly innocent."
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Future Campaign Confessions
To Look Forward To . . . ,
February 8, 1998
Brush and ink, opaque white, and paste-ons
over blue and
violet pencil on bristol board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04676; LC-USZ62-134259
© Ann Telnaes (9)
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"The End Is Not Yet In
Sight,"
April 17, 1998
Brush and ink and opaque white
over violet and blue pencil
on bristol board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04677; LC-USZ62-134260
© Ann Telnaes (10)
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Starr's Investigation of Clinton
On April 16, 1998, Kenneth Starr declined the positions
of dean of the School of Law and dean of the School of Public
Policy at Pepperdine University. In a letter to Pepperdine's
president, Starr explained that he had looked forward to
becoming a dean "after completing my duties as Independent
Counsel. The work of that Office, however, has expanded considerably,
and the end is not yet in sight." As the independent counsel
investigating Whitewater, Starr was at the time focusing
on whether President Bill Clinton had encouraged Monica Lewinsky
to lie about their relationship.
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Hillary Clinton's Senate Campaign
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton filed papers to create
an exploratory committee to consider running for Senator
from New York state on July 6, 1999. The possibility that
she would be a candidate arose after the Monica Lewinsky
scandal had tarnished Bill Clinton's reputation. Hillary
Clinton was elected to the Senate in 2000.
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Clinton Legacy,
July 7, 1999
Brush and ink and opaque white
over violet pencil on bristol
board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04679; LC-USZ62-134261
© Ann Telnaes (12)
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Senator Byrd displays
his well known oratorical skills,
November 12, 1999
Brush and ink over violet pencil
and graphite on bristol
board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04717; LC-USZ62-134262
© Ann Telnaes (13)
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Byrd Support of Damaging Mining
On October 20, 1999, a federal court ruling that banned
mountaintop removal mining in West Virginia prompted action
by West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd to circumvent the regulation.
In this type of mining, mountains are blasted to get at low-sulfur
coal reserves; the debris is poured into valleys, burying
waterways and woodland. Byrd attached a rider to a federal
spending bill exempting West Virginia from following federal
environmental regulations. Byrd persuaded President Bill
Clinton to back the rider, but Clinton later withdrew his
support.
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Concern for Environmental Issues
President George W. Bush appointed Gale Norton, former Colorado
attorney general, as Secretary of the Interior in December
2000. Norton was known to support Bush's proposal that a
part of Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge be opened to drilling
for oil. Critics charged that exploring for oil would damage
the environment for animals, including caribou, which prefer
to give birth in the area marked for drilling.
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We're Dead Meat,
December 30, 2000
Brush and ink and opaque white
over blue pencil and graphite
on bristol board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04684; LC-USZ62-134263
Courtesy of Tribune Media Services (19)
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Mississippians Are Proud
of their Heritage,
April 18, 2001
Brush and ink over blue pencil
and graphite on bristol board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04685; LC-USZ62-134264
Courtesy of Tribune Media Services (20)
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Mississippi's Flag Controversy
On April 17, 2001, Mississippians voted by nearly two to
one to keep the Confederate battle flag as part of their
state flag. Supporters saw it as a symbol of Southern pride,
rather than as a symbol of slavery and an insult to African
Americans. Mississippi is the only state to incorporate the
Confederate emblem in its flag.
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Fighting Prejudice
Balbir Singh Sodhi, a member of the Sikh religion, was killed
at his Phoenix, Arizona, gas station on September 15, 2001,
because he was mistaken for a Muslim. Singh, like other Sikhs,
wore a turban and a beard, but was neither from the Middle
East nor practiced Islam. In the wake of September 11, there
were several attacks in the United States on people incorrectly
perceived to be Middle Eastern. On September 26, President
George W. Bush met with American Sikh and Muslim leaders
and reminded Americans not to be prejudiced or intolerant.
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Guide to identifying
people by their headgear,
September 26, 2001
Brush and ink and opaque white
over blue pencil on bristol board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-01971; LC-USZ62-134307
Courtesy of Tribune Media Services (23)
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It's Time We Put Religion
Back Into Our Institutions,
September 28, 2001
Brush and ink and opaque white
over pink pencil on bristol board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04689; LC-USZ62-134265
Courtesy of Tribune Media Services (25)
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Separation of Church and State
Heightened interest in the Taliban's repressive use of religion
in ruling Afghanistan gave perspective to Telnaes's ongoing
concern with challenges to the separation of church and state. "I
strongly believe in the separation of church and state," she
says. "People disagree with me and say this country was founded
on God and Christian principles, but that's not what I'm
talking about. I'm not an atheist. I'm not even an agnostic.
But I think that separation of church and state is the best
way to protect everyone's right to worship as they choose." In
this cartoon Telnaes uses the startling visual contrast between
two figures, an armed member of the Taliban and an All- American
mother, to warn about the danger posed by closely linking
faith with government. |
Losing Civil Rights
On December 4, 2001, Attorney General John Ashcroft told
a Senate Judiciary Committee that to defend the United States,
strong anti-terrorism measures were needed, including some
that Democrats contended violated civil rights and the Constitution.
Among the most controversial measures were plans to monitor
conversations between detained suspects and their attorneys
and to try those who were not American citizens in military
tribunals. Telnaes expected more protest, yet, "People seemed
to so easily say, we can just give a little bit of our freedom
away, to make sure we're all safe," she observed. "Like it's
no big deal."
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For
the New Year I've Decided to Give Up
Smoking, Drinking,
and My Civil Rights,
December 6, 2001
Ink brush over pink pencil and graphite
underdrawing with opaque white
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04690; LC-USZ62-134266
Courtesy of Tribune Media Services (66)
Color print
from digital scan |
[FBI, child, library
bookdrop],
June 25, 2002
Brush and ink and opaque white
over pink pencil on bristol board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04691; LC-USZ62-134267
Courtesy of Tribune Media Services (31)
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Patriot Act and Privacy
This cartoon takes aim at Section 215 of the U.S.A. Patriot
Act, which allows federal agents to demand a person's library
and bookstore records in the interests of national security.
Critics charged that such action was a violation of civil
liberties. In the cartoon, the girl who holds a copy of 1001
Arabian Nights, is being questioned by the FBI. "Librarians
were great during that time," says Telnaes, " because they
actively protested giving up their records." |
Health Hazards of Overeating
Research reported in the New England Journal of Medicine issue
of February 2003 indicated that being overweight and obesity
are a factor in 20 percent of women's deaths from cancer.
Breast cancer and heart disease have been particularly linked
to obesity and being overweight. Even so, supersized portions
and two-for-one value meals are often featured at fast-food
restaurants and exemplify a form of over-consumption in America
which Telnaes highlights in this cartoon.
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Supersizing,
February 19, 2003
ink brush over pink pencil underdrawing
with opaque white
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04785; LC-USZ62-134268
Courtesy of Women's eNews (67)
Color print
from digital scan |
$480 Billion
Deficit,
August 28, 2003
Color print from digital scan
Courtesy of Women's eNews (65)
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A Record Federal Deficit
On August 26, 2003, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget
Office released a report that predicted a record federal
deficit of $480 billion in 2004. It also confirmed that the
2003 deficit would reach $401 billion. The Bush administration
blamed the economy, the September 11 attacks, and the increase
in defense spending for the deficit rather than the $350
billion in tax cuts, which many thought favored the wealthy,
that Congress had granted at the president's urging. Telnaes's
cartoon points out that, no matter what the official explanation
about the budget, ultimately the American public pays for
the economic impact of the deficit and increased spending. |
Monopolies in Communications Industries
On June 2, 2003, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
revised broadcasting rules to allow a single company to own
television stations that reach 45 percent of households.
A single company would also be allowed to own newspapers,
television and radio stations in the same city. Critics charged
that the new rules would create monopolies, giving control
of news and entertainment to a small number of companies.
Telnaes plays on the popular phrase, "The opera's not over
until the fat lady sings." The lady's singing in the cartoon
signals the end of competition. The opera diva figure refers
to the three types of media: television, radio, and print.
Telnaes found it difficult at first to think of how to represent
print media, but then devised the idea of using newspaper
print for the skirt pattern. The Financial Times's
story on the FCC decision provided a warm peach color.
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The FCC Lady Sings,
June 2, 2003
Brush and ink, collage, and opaque white
over pink paper and graphite on bristol
board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04706; LC-USZ62-134269
Courtesy of Tribune Media Services (41)
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Silicone
Implants,
July 22, 2003
Ink brush over pink pencil underdrawing
with opaque white
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04787; LC-USZ62-134271
Courtesy of Women's eNews (68)
Color print
from digital scan |
Sufficient Clinical Trials on Implants?
On July 21, 2003, the National Organization for Women, Public
Citizen, and other consumer and health groups asked the federal
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to delay reviewing applications
to market silicone breast implants because of long-term health
risks. They argued that only clinical trials that lasted
seven to ten years would give enough information about the
impact of the implants on women's health. The FDA maintained
that two years of clinical trials were sufficient. Silicone
implants were banned in 1992 after the FDA received increasing
complaints about the problems they allegedly caused. In October
2003, an FDA advisory committee recommended they be allowed
back on the market. |
Candidate Dean as Contender for Southern
Support
Howard Dean, contender for the 2004 Democratic presidential
nomination, drew criticism from fellow democrats for declaring
in an interview that he wanted to be "the candidate for guys
with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks." Dean also
drew criticism for favoring state regulation of guns and
opposing stronger federal gun control. In defending himself,
Dean called the Confederate flag "a loathsome symbol," but
argued that "we have to reach out to all disenfranchised
people," such as disaffected voters in the South.
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Dean (The
Mouth Will Rise Again),
November 4,
2003
Brush and ink and opaque white
over pink pencil and graphite on bristol board
Courtesy of Tribune Media Services (69)
Color print
from digital scan |
The "Partial Birth Abortion" Ban
Signing Ceremony,
November 6, 2003
Brush and ink and opaque white
over graphite, pink and blue pencil on bristol
board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04712; LC-USZ62-134274
Courtesy of Tribune Media Services (46)
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President Signs Ban on Partial-Birth Abortion
On November 5, 2003, President George W. Bush signed into
law a ban on partial-birth abortion. This rarely used procedure
is performed in pregnancies that have advanced beyond eighteen
to twenty weeks. The smiling men who surrounded the president
as he signed the bill included Jerry Falwell, Attorney General
John Ashcroft, and Senator George Allen. No women appeared
in the widely distributed photograph of the signing. "The
situation is so absurd that you don't have to do much," says
Telnaes. "You're just showing what everyone who looks at
the photo is thinking." |
Views of Marriage
The highest court in Massachusetts ruled on November 18,
2003, that, according to the state constitution, gay couples
have the right to marry. The ruling stated that "the Massachusetts
Constitution affirms the dignity and equality of all individuals.
It forbids the creation of second- class citizens." Telnaes's
cartoon underscores how the traditional view of marriage
between a man and a woman left plenty of room for second-class
citizenship.
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"So, which of you gets
to endure centuries of
2nd class status and
being legally considered the
property of your husband?"
November 21, 2003
Brush and ink and opaque white
over pink pencil and graphite on bristol board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-04713; LC-USZ62-134275
Courtesy of Tribune Media Services (47)
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Resolution for 2004:
Lose the Dead Weight,
January 4, 2004
Brush and ink and opaque white
over graphite on bristol board
LC-DIG-ppmsca-05501; LC-USZ62-134276
Courtesy of Tribune Media Services (48)
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A Crowd of Presidential Contenders
With ten months to go until the 2004 presidential elections,
the nine Democratic contenders vying for their party's nomination
were, clockwise from center: Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich,
Carol Moseley Braun, Wesley Clark, John Kerry, Dick Gephardt,
John Edwards, Al Sharpton, and Joe Lieberman. The New Year's
resolution expressed in Telnaes's cartoon was to trim down
the field to a manageable size. Braun and Gephardt dropped
out of the race later in January. |
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