TEDSummit 2019
Patrick Chappatte: A free world needs satire
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We need humor like we need the air we breathe, says editorial cartoonist Patrick Chappatte. In a talk illustrated with highlights from a career spent skewering everything from dictators and ideologues to selfies and social media mobs, Chappatte makes a resounding, often hilarious case for the necessity of satire. "Political cartoons were born with democracy, and they are challenged when freedom is," he says.
Patrick Chappatte - Editorial cartoonist
Using clean, simple pencil strokes, editorial cartoonist Patrick Chappatte wields globally literate and to-the-point humor on world events -- the tragic, the farcical and the absurd. Full bio
Using clean, simple pencil strokes, editorial cartoonist Patrick Chappatte wields globally literate and to-the-point humor on world events -- the tragic, the farcical and the absurd. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I've been a political cartoonist
on the global stage for the last 20 years.
on the global stage for the last 20 years.
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Hey, we have seen a lot of things
happen in those 20 years.
happen in those 20 years.
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We saw three different Catholic popes,
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and we witnessed that unique moment:
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the election of a pope
on St. Peter's Square --
on St. Peter's Square --
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you know, the little white smoke
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and the official announcement.
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[It's a boy!]
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(Laughter)
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(Applause)
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We saw four American presidents.
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Obama, of course.
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Oh, Europeans liked him a lot.
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He was a multilateralist.
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He favored diplomacy.
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He wanted to be friends with Iran.
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(Laughter)
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And then ...
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reality imitated caricature
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the day Donald Trump became the President
of the United States of America.
of the United States of America.
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(Laughter)
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(Applause)
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You know, people come to us and they say,
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"It's too easy for you cartoonists.
I mean -- with people like Trump?"
I mean -- with people like Trump?"
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Well, no, it's not easy
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to caricature a man
who is himself a caricature.
who is himself a caricature.
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(Laughter)
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No.
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(Applause)
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Populists are no easy target for satire
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because you try to nail them down one day,
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and the next day, they outdo you.
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For example, as soon as he was elected,
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I tried to imagine the tweet
that Trump would send on Christmas Eve.
that Trump would send on Christmas Eve.
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So I did this, OK?
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[Merry Christmas to all!
Except all those pathetic losers. So sad.]
Except all those pathetic losers. So sad.]
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(Laughter)
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And basically, the next day,
Trump tweeted this:
Trump tweeted this:
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[Happy New Year to all,
including to my many enemies
including to my many enemies
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and those who have fought me
and lost so badly
and lost so badly
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they just don't know what to do. Love!]
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(Laughter)
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It's the same!
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(Applause)
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This is the era of strongmen.
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And soon, Donald Trump was able to meet
his personal hero, Vladimir Putin,
his personal hero, Vladimir Putin,
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and this is how the first meeting went:
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[I'll help you find the hackers.
Give me your password.]
Give me your password.]
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(Laughter)
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And I'm not inventing anything.
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He came out of that first meeting
saying that the two of them had agreed
saying that the two of them had agreed
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on a joint task force on cybersecurity.
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This is true, if you do remember.
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Oh, who would have imagined
the things we saw over these 20 years.
the things we saw over these 20 years.
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We saw Great Britain run towards
a European Union exit.
a European Union exit.
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[Hard Brexit?]
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(Laughter)
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In the Middle East,
we believed for a while
we believed for a while
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in the democratic miracle
of the Arab Spring.
of the Arab Spring.
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We saw dictators fall,
we saw others hang on.
we saw others hang on.
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(Laughter)
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And then there is the timeless
Kim dynasty of North Korea.
Kim dynasty of North Korea.
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These guys seem to be coming
straight out of Cartoon Network.
straight out of Cartoon Network.
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I was blessed to be able
to draw two of them.
to draw two of them.
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Kim Jong-il, the father,
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when he died a few years ago,
that was a very dangerous moment.
that was a very dangerous moment.
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[That was close!]
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(Laughter)
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That was --
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(Applause)
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And then the son, Kim Jong-un,
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proved himself a worthy
successor to the throne.
successor to the throne.
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He's now friends with the US president.
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They meet each other all the time,
and they talk like friends.
and they talk like friends.
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[What kind of hair gel?]
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(Laughter)
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Should we be surprised
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to be living in a world
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ruled by egomaniacs?
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What if they were just
a reflection of ourselves?
a reflection of ourselves?
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I mean, look at us, each of us.
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(Laughter)
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Yeah, we love our smartphones;
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we love our selfies;
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we love ourselves.
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And thanks to Facebook,
we have a lot of friends
we have a lot of friends
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all over the world.
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Mark Zuckerberg is our friend.
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(Laughter)
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You know, he and his peers
in Silicon Valley
in Silicon Valley
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are the kings and the emperors
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of our time.
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Showing that the emperors have no clothes,
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that's the task of satire, right?
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Speaking truth to power.
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This has always been the historical role
of political cartooning.
of political cartooning.
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In the 1830s, postrevolutionary France
under King Louis Philippe,
under King Louis Philippe,
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journalists and caricaturists fought hard
for the freedom of the press.
for the freedom of the press.
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They were jailed, they were fined,
but they prevailed.
but they prevailed.
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And this caricature of the king by Daumier
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came to define the monarch.
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It marked history.
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It became the timeless symbol
of satire triumphing over autocracy.
of satire triumphing over autocracy.
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Today, 200 years after Daumier,
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are political cartoons
at risk of disappearing?
at risk of disappearing?
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Take this blank space on the front page of
Turkish opposition newspaper "Cumhuriyet."
Turkish opposition newspaper "Cumhuriyet."
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This is where Musa Kart's
cartoon used to appear.
cartoon used to appear.
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In 2018, Musa Kart was sentenced
to three years in jail.
to three years in jail.
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For doing what?
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For doing political cartoons
in Erdoğan's Turkey.
in Erdoğan's Turkey.
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Cartoonists from Venezuela, Russia, Syria
have been forced into exile.
have been forced into exile.
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06:06
Look at this image.
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It seems so innocent, right?
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Yet it is so provocative.
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When he posted this image,
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Hani Abbas knew it would change his life.
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It was in 2012, and the Syrians
were taking to the streets.
were taking to the streets.
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Of course, the little red flower
is the symbol of the Syrian revolution.
is the symbol of the Syrian revolution.
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So pretty soon, the regime was after him,
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and he had to flee the country.
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A good friend of his,
cartoonist Akram Raslan,
cartoonist Akram Raslan,
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didn't make it out of Syria.
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He died under torture.
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In the United States of America recently,
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some of the very top cartoonists,
like Nick Anderson and Rob Rogers --
like Nick Anderson and Rob Rogers --
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this is a cartoon by Rob --
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[Memorial Day 2018.
(on tombstone) Truth. Honor. Rule of Law.]
(on tombstone) Truth. Honor. Rule of Law.]
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they lost their positions
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because their publishers
found their work too critical of Trump.
found their work too critical of Trump.
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And the same happened
to Canadian cartoonist Michael de Adder.
to Canadian cartoonist Michael de Adder.
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Hey, maybe we should start worrying.
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Political cartoons
were born with democracy,
were born with democracy,
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and they are challenged when freedom is.
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You know, over the years,
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with the Cartooning for Peace Foundation
and other initiatives,
and other initiatives,
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Kofi Annan -- this is not well
known -- he was the honorary chair
known -- he was the honorary chair
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of our foundation,
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the late Kofi Annan, Nobel Peace Laureate.
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He was a great defender of cartoons.
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Or, on the board of the Association
of American Editorial Cartoonists,
of American Editorial Cartoonists,
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we have advocated on behalf of jailed,
threatened, fired, exiled cartoonists.
threatened, fired, exiled cartoonists.
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But I never saw a case
of someone losing his job
of someone losing his job
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over a cartoon he didn't do.
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Well, that happened to me.
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For the last 20 years, I have been
with the "International Herald Tribune"
with the "International Herald Tribune"
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and the "New York Times."
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Then something happened.
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In April 2019,
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a cartoon by a famous
Portuguese cartoonist,
Portuguese cartoonist,
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which was first published
in a newspaper "El Expresso" in Lisbon,
in a newspaper "El Expresso" in Lisbon,
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was picked by an editor
at the "New York Times"
at the "New York Times"
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and reprinted in
the international editions.
the international editions.
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This thing blew up.
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It was denounced as anti-Semitic,
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triggered widespread outrage,
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apologies
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and a lot of damage control by the Times.
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A month after, my editor told me
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they were ending
political cartoons altogether.
political cartoons altogether.
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So we could, and we should,
have a discussion about that cartoon.
have a discussion about that cartoon.
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Some people say it reminds them
of the worst anti-Semitic propaganda.
of the worst anti-Semitic propaganda.
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Others, including in Israel,
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say no, it's just
a harsh criticism of Trump,
a harsh criticism of Trump,
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who is shown as blindly following
the Prime Minister of Israel.
the Prime Minister of Israel.
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I have some issues with this cartoon,
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but that discussion did not happen
at the "New York Times."
at the "New York Times."
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Under attack, they took the easiest path:
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in order to not have problems
with political cartoons in the future,
with political cartoons in the future,
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let's not have any at all.
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Hey, this is new.
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Did we just invent
preventive self-censorship?
preventive self-censorship?
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I think this is bigger than cartoons.
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This is about opinion and journalism.
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This, in the end, is about democracy.
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We now live in a world
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where moralistic mobs
gather on social media
gather on social media
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and rise like a storm.
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The most outraged voices
tend to define the conversation,
tend to define the conversation,
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and the angry crowd follows in.
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These social media mobs,
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sometimes fueled by interest groups,
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fall upon newsrooms
in an overwhelming blow.
in an overwhelming blow.
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They send publishers and editors
scrambling for countermeasures.
scrambling for countermeasures.
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This leaves no room
for meaningful discussions.
for meaningful discussions.
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Twitter is a place for fury,
not for debate.
not for debate.
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And you know what?
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Someone described pretty well
our human condition in this noisy age.
our human condition in this noisy age.
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You know who?
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Shakespeare, 400 years ago.
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["(Life is) a tale told by an idiot, full
of sound and fury, signifying nothing."]
of sound and fury, signifying nothing."]
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This speaks to me.
Shakespeare is still very relevant, no?
Shakespeare is still very relevant, no?
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But the world has changed a bit.
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[Too long!]
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(Laughter)
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It's true.
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(Applause)
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You know, social media is both
a blessing and a curse for cartoons.
a blessing and a curse for cartoons.
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This is the era of the image,
so they get shared, they get viral,
so they get shared, they get viral,
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but that also makes them a prime target.
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More than often, the real target
behind the cartoon
behind the cartoon
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is the media that published it.
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[Covering Iraq?
No, Trump!]
No, Trump!]
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That relationship between
traditional media and social media
traditional media and social media
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is a funny one.
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On one hand, you have
the time-consuming process
the time-consuming process
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of information, verification, curation.
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On the other hand,
it's an open buffet, frankly,
it's an open buffet, frankly,
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for rumors, opinions, emotions,
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amplified by algorithms.
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Even quality newspapers mimic the codes
of social networks on their websites.
of social networks on their websites.
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They highlight the 10 most read,
the 10 most shared stories.
the 10 most shared stories.
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They should put forward
the 10 most important stories.
the 10 most important stories.
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(Applause)
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The media must not be
intimidated by social media,
intimidated by social media,
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and editors should stop
being afraid of the angry mob.
being afraid of the angry mob.
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(Applause)
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We're not going to put up warnings
the way we do on cigarette packs, are we?
the way we do on cigarette packs, are we?
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[Satire can hurt your feelings]
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(Laughter)
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Come on.
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[Under your bikini
you could be hiding a sex bomb]
you could be hiding a sex bomb]
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Political cartoons are meant
to provoke, just like opinions.
to provoke, just like opinions.
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But before all, they are meant
to be thought-provoking.
to be thought-provoking.
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You feel hurt?
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Just let it go.
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You don't like it?
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Look the other way.
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Freedom of expression
is not incompatible with dialogue
is not incompatible with dialogue
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and listening to each other.
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But it is incompatible with intolerance.
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(Applause)
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Let us not become our own censors
in the name of political correctness.
in the name of political correctness.
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We need to stand up, we need to push back,
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because if we don't,
we will wake up tomorrow
we will wake up tomorrow
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in a sanitized world,
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where any form of satire and political
cartooning becomes impossible.
cartooning becomes impossible.
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Because, when political pressure
meets political correctness,
meets political correctness,
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freedom of speech perishes.
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(Applause)
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Do you remember January 2015?
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With the massacre
of journalists and cartoonists
of journalists and cartoonists
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at "Charlie Hebdo" in Paris,
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we discovered the most
extreme form of censorship:
extreme form of censorship:
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murder.
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Remember how it felt.
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[Without humor we are all dead]
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Whatever one thought
of that satirical magazine,
of that satirical magazine,
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however one felt about
those particular cartoons,
those particular cartoons,
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we all sensed that something
fundamental was at stake,
fundamental was at stake,
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that citizens of free societies --
actually, citizens of any society --
actually, citizens of any society --
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need humor as much as the air we breathe.
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This is why the extremists,
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the dictators, the autocrats and, frankly,
all the ideologues of the world
all the ideologues of the world
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cannot stand humor.
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In the insane world we live in right now,
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we need political cartoons more than ever.
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And we need humor.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Patrick Chappatte - Editorial cartoonistUsing clean, simple pencil strokes, editorial cartoonist Patrick Chappatte wields globally literate and to-the-point humor on world events -- the tragic, the farcical and the absurd.
Why you should listen
Patrick Chappatte is a global soul. Born in Pakistan to a Lebanese mother and a Swiss father, raised in Singapore, he has lived in New York and lives now in Geneva, Switzerland. Perhaps this explains his way of looking at world events, applying the unfettered perspective of humor to the tragic, the farcical and the absurd.
His simple line delivers pointed jokes. He draws for The International Herald Tribune (in English) and for the Swiss newspapers Le Temps (in French) and NZZ am Sonntag (in German), and in all three languages the subtle insightfulness of his cartoons consistently robs you of a laugh, or more.
Patrick Chappatte | Speaker | TED.com