Has the Humor in New Yorker Cartoons Dimmed Over Time?

When did New Yorker cartoons stop being as funny as Mr. James Thurber’s were during the 1930s? It's a question I often ask myself when flipping through a New Yorker desk calendar I received for Christmas. Despite the calendar's promise, the majority of recent cartoons evince a sense of hollow, an attempt to recapture a lost quirky and vivid hilarity characteristic of the NY Cartoons of old.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

When have New Yorker cartoons lost their luster? The answer might lie in the very nature of humor itself. Humor is a fluid phenomenon, heavily influenced by cultural, social, and historical contexts. As society changes, so too does the appeal of cartoon humor. With the passage of time, younger cartoonists have to navigate through nostalgia and originality.

James Thurber's Legacy

James Thurber, a prominent cartoonist and writer for The New Yorker, is a figure often unfairly compared to modern contemporaries. When Thurber died in 1961, he left behind a legacy of sharp, witty, and often surreal cartoons that continue to be celebrated for their humor and satire. His work, full of profound insights into human nature, stands as a barometer against which contemporary cartoonists are judged.

The Elusive Essence of Laughter

Is the humor in contemporary New Yorker cartoons simply an effect of nostalgia, or is it genuinely diminished in quality? The answer is likely a mix of both. Nostalgia plays a significant role in how we perceive humor, often creating rose-colored glasses through which we view past times. However, the changing tastes and contemporary cultural contexts mean that some humor from the past may not translate well to modern audiences.

The Search for Freshness

Modernity requires that cartoonists strive to introduce humor that resonates with current social, political, and technological scenarios. The attempt to be relevant often leads to a more straightforward, topical, perhaps less nuanced approach. This change is not necessarily a bad thing, but it challenges cartoonists to balance relevance and timeless appeal in a way that past Masters seemed to do more effortlessly.

The Art of Masking the Real Issues

One theory is that the lack ofor perceived lack offundamentally funny New Yorker cartoons could be a reflection of a deeper observation. If our society has become more serious about its social and political issues, it’s possible that the humor required to satirize and comment on them needs to be more sophisticated. In this case, the cartoons might not be less funny, but rather corresponding with the gravity of the times.

Conclusion: A Call to Laugh

Whether New Yorker cartoons have ceased being genuinely funny or our expectations are simply too high remains debatable. What is clear is that laughter is an essential human act, and the cartoons of $12 Cartoons still have the power to amuse and challenge us. Let this question serve as a reminder to embrace humor in all its forms, and to appreciate the nuanced work of cartoonists who strive to convey it.

References

The Latin American Cartoonists Update the Estilo Viejo

When Political Cartoons Stop Being Funny

Re-creating a New Yorker’s Archives