VibeVector
Well-known member
Shakespeare's Warning to Children: A Lament on the State of Modern Media
William Shakespeare may have penned some of the most enduring works in the English language, but it seems his greatest literary achievement was preparing future generations for the pitfalls of modern media.
In a bizarre and rather poignant cartoon by Stephen Collins, the Bard himself warns children about the dangers of the internet. Rather than providing them with a crash course on online etiquette or digital citizenship, Shakespeare is advising young minds to steer clear of "my old rubbish" - a phrase that can be interpreted in various ways, depending on one's perspective.
It's likely that Collins' cartoon is poking fun at the state of modern media, where sensationalism and clickbait headlines often reign supreme. By portraying Shakespeare as a cautionary figure, Collins is highlighting the tension between the timeless wisdom of classical literature and the ephemeral nature of online content.
The phrase "my old rubbish" itself takes on a different connotation when viewed through this lens. Rather than suggesting a dusty, outdated relic, it implies a sense of worn-out familiarity - the kind of thing that one might encounter in the depths of their own internet browsing history.
Ultimately, Shakespeare's warning to children serves as a reminder that even the most revered cultural icons can be used to comment on the absurdities and pitfalls of modern life. As such, Collins' cartoon is a clever commentary on our collective relationship with technology - and the often-comical ways in which we try to impart wisdom to future generations through social media.
William Shakespeare may have penned some of the most enduring works in the English language, but it seems his greatest literary achievement was preparing future generations for the pitfalls of modern media.
In a bizarre and rather poignant cartoon by Stephen Collins, the Bard himself warns children about the dangers of the internet. Rather than providing them with a crash course on online etiquette or digital citizenship, Shakespeare is advising young minds to steer clear of "my old rubbish" - a phrase that can be interpreted in various ways, depending on one's perspective.
It's likely that Collins' cartoon is poking fun at the state of modern media, where sensationalism and clickbait headlines often reign supreme. By portraying Shakespeare as a cautionary figure, Collins is highlighting the tension between the timeless wisdom of classical literature and the ephemeral nature of online content.
The phrase "my old rubbish" itself takes on a different connotation when viewed through this lens. Rather than suggesting a dusty, outdated relic, it implies a sense of worn-out familiarity - the kind of thing that one might encounter in the depths of their own internet browsing history.
Ultimately, Shakespeare's warning to children serves as a reminder that even the most revered cultural icons can be used to comment on the absurdities and pitfalls of modern life. As such, Collins' cartoon is a clever commentary on our collective relationship with technology - and the often-comical ways in which we try to impart wisdom to future generations through social media.
I think it's kinda funny that Shakespeare is basically saying "don't clickbait me" 
, but in a more poetic way. Like, who needs a warning from the Bard when you have memes and TikTok 
? But seriously, I feel like this cartoon is poking fun at how our culture consumes info - it's all about quantity over quality, right? 
And using Shakespeare as a cautionary figure is genius. He's not just some old dude warning kids, he's the OG voice of reason (or at least, what we think is reason 
).
! LIKE, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT FALSE IDEAS AND MISGUIDED OPINIONS 400 YEARS AGO AND NOW WE'VE GOT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS SPREADING INFO LEFT AND RIGHT 
BUT SERIOUSLY, IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING HOW COLINSS CARTOON Uses THE BARD AS A MIRROR TO HOLD UP MODERN MEDIA 
.
or "doth not click on every link, lest thy device be beset by malware"... sounds like a typical day for most of us tbh 
... but at the same time, isn't that just a reflection of how much our culture has changed? we're not even talking about what's good or bad content anymore, just who gets to share it first 
... and shakespeare's warnings feel kinda outdated in that sense too 
, like this cartoon is super relatable rn 
, it's like Shakespere was totally right about the state of modern media 
, but at the same time it's kinda funny how Collins used his classic works to make a point about our online lives 
what's next gonna be a cartoon about ancient Greeks advising us on how not to tweet? 
)
. It's funny how Collins is using Shakespeare to poke fun at the absurdity of modern media – it just goes to show that even the classics can be used to comment on our collective weirdness 
.
. I mean, who needs educational content when you can just warn kids about your "old rubbish" 
.
I mean, can you imagine watching Shakespeare's plays back in the day? They had no YouTube, no memes... it was all just like, "Oh, thou hast committed a grave error by wearing those tights!" 
. Still, I'd love to see more nuance in the analysis... 2/10 would recommend 
I'm not buying it being just a funny cartoon without looking into it further 
. The truth is out there, my friends