A pen may be mightier than a sword, but pencils are definitely mightier than pens! Ordinary folks may find cartoons on political and socio-economic events more enjoyable than their hard-hitting written versions in the form of articles or reports. Comic journalism (or graphic journalism) helps convey a humorous gist of the news and more effectively satirizes follies in policies, people and social practices.
Image Courtesy: Facebook
It does take great talent to convey an idea through a cartoon and a few words within the limit of a small column. Gifted cartoonists can present a humorous version of even the most serious issue.
However, more recently, ‘trolls’ have gained more popularity. A troll post is to social media what cartoons are to traditional newspapers. Trolls use popular images from the internet to comment on a particular topic or event.
Troll post about Vijay Mallya’s sudden exit from the country
Image Courtesy: Mallya
One can even say that troll posts will soon replace conventional cartoons. Trolls often use stills of famous actors or comedians from films. The original dialogues are replaced with fictional dialogues or captions that are relevant to the topic. It makes the situation funnier funnier especially if the reader/viewer is already familiar with the still from the film.
In Kerala, trolls often post about films and film stars (controversies, gossip and stereotypes in films); education sector (delay of results in universities, controversies regarding marking schemes of public exams) and most importantly politics.
Popular Malayalam troll communities like International Chalu Union and Troll Malayalam provide a platform to respond, react and criticize social issues, events and happenings. With over 9,000 contributors globally, International Chalu Union, popularly known as ICU, is one of the largest troll platforms in Malayalam.
Politics
Image Courtesy: Facebook
Films and actors
Image Courtesy: Facebook
Education
Image Courtesy: Facebook
Sports
Image Courtesy: Facebook
Advertisements
Image Courtesy: Facebook
Humorous troll posts only soften the impact of defamation. The new generation is no longer keen on hardcore statistics and jargon-filled articles that present the views of singular journalists and media houses. It’s all about the need for information coupled with entertainment and news at the fingertips.
These thoughts were penned by: Sreya Susan Chacko & Shwetha Pramod | III BA Communicative English | Marian College, Kuttikkanam, Kerala.
