En retorisk provokation
Om förolämpningar, satir och karikatyrer
RhetoricSatireCaricaturesFreedom of speechCharlie HebdoRetorikSatirKarikatyrerYttrandefrihetCharlie Hebdo
When is it acceptable to make fun of religion, and when does it become disrespectful? On January 7, 2015, the headquarters of the French satirical news paper Charlie Hebdo was subjected to a terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 12 staff members, due to the publishing of caricatures picturing the prophet Muhammed. The reactions that followed the attack circled around two perspectives; the importance of freedom of expression and the obligation to show respect for certain institutions and traditions in society. How come the caricatures can elicit such completely different reactions? This is the question that this thesis uses as a starting point for the examination of the subject caricatures and satire. The thesis examines caricatures and satire from a rhetorical perspective. It distinguishes four rhetorical aspects of caricature, and discusses if these rhetorical aspects can be what makes the difference regarding how provocative a drawing is considered. The thesis then uses the four rhetorical aspects found, to analyze two caricatures from the French satiric magazine Charlie Hebdo.