New York Times Youth Political Cartoon Competition – Analysis

 

In this cartoon we can see a grown man hitting a Juul, sitting next to a young boy, presumably his son, who has thrown aside his toys and is also smoking a Juul. The cartoon may be trying to highlight the way that vape products are being targeted towards younger kids, especially through enticing ads and product placement. This is reflected in the scene as the sign in the background advertising ‘pre-k registration’ is covered by a Juul advertisement. Additionally, the cartoon mocks the infamous juicy flavours of vape products. In the scene the man asks the boy for the ‘flavour’ of his pod and the boy replies ‘goo ga. (applesauce, it’s a classic)’. The juxtaposition between the baby sounds and the sophistication of the answer is very humours, but also denotes the idea that these sweet and catchy flavours are made to be very popular amongst young kids. The cartoon also suggests that kids are starting to vape from younger and younger ages. This is emphasises through the exaggeration of the baby, still in nappies, sitting and taking a hit. Additionally, the relaxed laid back tone created by the man’s facial expressions and body language may be mimicking the current attitude towards these products, where people are convinced there is not negative effects of vaping and not enough is being done to reduce its popularity.

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