Gazette cartoon ruffles feelings
The Gazette has published an editorial cartoon by Boris, reproduced here in a reaction piece by Petit Petit Gamin and condemned by, among others, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who has called on the other party leaders to condemn it.
Isabelle Hachey spoke with the artist, who says his intention was entirely the opposite of how it has been widely taken. He didn’t intend to besmirch the memory of René Lévesque, whom he admired, but to mock the anglos who chose not to join in with the Quebec independence movement or to honour Lévesque.
Why the Gazette is pissing in its own cereal is for anyone to guess.
Emily 21:03 on 2022-08-30 Permalink
Gazette editor’s own note about the cartoon: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/gazette-editors-note-about-the-controversial-boris-cartoon
Kate 23:19 on 2022-08-30 Permalink
Bert Archer has not learned to read the room. Thanks, Emily.
H. John 08:46 on 2022-08-31 Permalink
This morning Paul Arcand interviewed the artist:
https://www.985fm.ca/audio/504943/entrevue-avec-l-auteur-de-la-controversee-caricature-de-rene-levesque
Kate 09:09 on 2022-08-31 Permalink
Thanks, H. John.
Toula Drimonis sums it up: This is not a good cartoon.
Is Bert Archer fool enough to think that being talked about is better than not being talked about? During an election campaign, to boot? The Gazette has never done any favours to Quebec anglos, so I guess it’s continuing that tradition, at least.
Tim 09:31 on 2022-08-31 Permalink
The dog is wearing a Canadian flag. The rest of Canada generally reviles Lévesque; he’s known, rightly or wrongly, as the man that tried to breakup Canada, didn’t sign the Charter and collected a Federal government pension along the way. The nuanced view of him from Quebec anglos does not extend past provincial borders. This obviously offends many in this province, but the cartoon accurately captures the sentiment of those outside of Quebec.
Kate 09:35 on 2022-08-31 Permalink
Yes, but the Gazette is not (in theory) produced for the ROC, but for Quebec anglos.
Kevin 11:32 on 2022-08-31 Permalink
Boris should have used labels, like Stan Kelly of the famous “Sickos” meme.
Kate 18:19 on 2022-08-31 Permalink
Those labels feel so early 20th century. If you have to include footnotes, your drawing is not doing its job.
Orr 10:32 on 2022-09-03 Permalink
As someone with 12 feet of shelf space of the many great Quebec/Canadian/American/British/French op-ed/political cartoonist’s books, I have never regarded Boris as a particularly talented op-ed cartoonist. Boris doesn’t seem to hit his target very well, and/or chooses his targets poorly.
On the other hand this week we learned that PSPP reads the Gazette every morning.