The cartoon and the tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul: literacies, text genre, and their functions

Abstract

In May 2024, the newspaper Folha de São Paulo published a post on its Instagram page that sparked thousands of both reactions from readers and followers. The post featured a cartoon by artist Jean Galvão, which alluded to the climate tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This media controversy motivated the writing of this article, which analyzes the content of the post as well as the reactions and reasons behind the dissatisfaction of some readers. The aim of this study is to discuss the nature of the genre and its role within the modern media sphere, taking into account the theoretical perspectives of authors such as Bakhtin (2003), Possenti (2010), among others. Throughout the analysis, other cartoons are introduced to foster a dialogue among them, using the comparative method in order to understand why some cartoons are accepted while others are rejected in the current media environment, which is marked by the phenomenon known as "cancel culture." Understanding the processes of text production and interpretation is a relevant task for a society that is deeply communicative and brimming with judgments, yet not always willing to engage with the diverse forms of literacy required for a broader understanding of language phenomena.