What does Donnelly have to say about cartoons effecting change?

 

Through her humorous but meaningful cartoons, Liza Donnelly aims to draw attention to the “stupid rules” we all tend to follow as a society regarding gender stereotypes, specific to womanhood. According to Donnelly, these are a set of universal rules which we are imprinted with at birth. They have become ubiquitous assumptions and expectations embedded in our daily lives, most of the time being unconscious thoughts. In her TEDTalk, Donnelly mentions that we may follow these rules or adopt these beliefs even if we don’t intend to. These expectations are dangerous as they have the potential to make women feel trapped or limited when deciding what they want to do, who they want to be and how they must feel. Donnelly has used her “fear” of being a woman as motivation to produce cartoons which raise awareness on this subject matter. As a woman herself, she has a promising understanding of the impact of these expectations. She aspires to present these stereotypes using a humorous approach in order to grab the audience’s attention and prompt them to really think about the rules we are following. Her cartoons often exaggerate the particular stereotype which effectively brings its stupidity to light, as well as express the negative effects they may bring upon women. Because these stereotypes are adopted unconsciously, it is vital for them to be brought to our attention in order to eliminate them and allow for a progression in our thinking. Donnelly believes that a well thought out, easily understood cartoon has the power to make quiet voices be heard and in turn leads its audience to think and perhaps reflect if they can relate to the subject matter. She strives to make a difference for women by showcasing and mocking omnipresent female stereotypes, humiliating those who possess such beliefs. Her cartoons are making a change, “one laugh at a time”.

 

Some powerful cartoons by Liza Donnelly: