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Questions
1. Define the idiom “make light of”
2. Editorial cartoonists often use humor to make light of serious situations. How does the cartoonist take a lighthearted approach to a serious situation — which comic device does the cartoonist use to make light of a serious situation?
a) exaggeration
b) pun
c) parody
d) understatement
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the answers.
Cartoon by Dana Summers
Answers
1. to make light of: to act as if something is not serious or important (from thefreedictionary)
2. Depending on your point of view, the answer is either:
a) exaggeration: to think of or describe something as larger or greater than it really is – OR
d) understatement: intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is
NOTE TO STUDENTS: Cal Thomas wrote in a commentary in 2007: “We once taught our young people the virtues of…personal responsibility and accountability for one’s actions, chastity before and fidelity and commitment in marriage, honesty, integrity and virtue – not to mention the Ten Commandments.”
We know many teens are taught at home and in school to have honor and integrity. Unfortunately, many in the entertainment industry and media do not have these virtues. Multiple stories of scandal and bad behavior are permeating the news and can be quite disheartening, but consider the following exhortation from the bible:
“Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
— God’s word is truth. There is hope in God’s word!
