Art isn't created just to please our eyes; it also transfers ideas and provokes thought on social problems. Austrian cartoonist Gerhard Haderer has been producing satirical illustrations and cartoons for adults for decades now, highlighting the awful problems with society.
Gerhard Haderer had even faced the court for one of his brutally honest books, The Life of Jesus. It triggered violent reactions, because of the society problems discussed in it, in Europe, especially from the Catholic Church. The story culminated in 2005 when Haderer was convicted in Greece for insulting the religious community and was given a six-month suspended sentence in absentia. A few months later, however, this verdict was corrected on appeal, and Gerhard Haderer was acquitted.
The artist developed his realistic style when working as a graphic designer and illustrator for advertising agencies early in his career. It wasn't until a cancer operation in 1985 when Gerhard abandoned his commercial dreams and became a freelance caricaturist and satirical illustrator, mainly focusing on social issues. Scroll down to check out his unsettling and at times scary cartoons and vote for your favorites.
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this happens so much at live concerts, just put the damn phone down and enjoy the experience!
People said the same thing about books when reading became more widespread. Just saying.
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Inaccurate. Even children who use iPads like to do other things in my experience.
You haven't met my brothers! My younger one recently had a tantrum because he was told to get off the TV after several hours.
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Kids didn't buy themselves those devices. Parents did. Don't throw shade on kids using what was given to them.
That was my thought too. And the parent is letting them sit using their devices instead of getting them to help baking. Is it actually a failure in the parents, to make the effort to engage with their children, rather than technology taking their kids away? I think the kids would choose activities with parents if they were used to them being offered the chance.
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this isn't true for a majority of families. I hate these art pieces complaining about people using their phones to capture a picture or take a selfie. When I go to a restaurant no one is on their phone and I have never seen or experienced a social media centred holiday. This is a gross exaggeration. I don't know if it's because this a american normality but where I live it is very different.
mine are in making cookies with me. . . .and dinner and washing dishes .. . and just engaging in what has to be done. time and place for everything
Sad, but true, Now! I'm glad my children went OUTSIDE to play! I never bought them this stuff.
There was a time when we used to go out of our house, call our friends in the neighbor and used to play throughout the day. But now a days the digital world has ruined everything. Kids don't leave their house and stay indoor.
They play and chat with their friends online. Nothing is lost. They just can be friends with kids from all over the world, not just neighbors.
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The cell phone was created and expanded upon to do just this; distract the kids, so they can be taught all types of foul c**p. Society and the media don't have these types of gatherings, anymore. It's all about generic and baseless interactions between people. And to consume and do what society says. All the great lessons that parents and guardians can teach their children - IS BEING DESTROYED and FORGOTTEN ABOUT. Smh
That's so sad some of my best memories were making Christmas cookies with all my family and friends
Yes but... Now I want those biscuits... or a piece of the dough!
In recent "The Nation" magazine article says those devices are not allowed for children in Europe because of radiation exposure and possible brain cancer results.
So sad. The children are missing more than can be described. It is just not possible to fully enjoy interaction electronically.
This one's particularly sad and I am seeing it happen in our own family. Not funny
That is how it is today, no interaction with family. Just on the I pads,.
Thank god I could still be a normal child. I mean true nowadays I DO spend most of time indoors, but when I was a little kid, I used to go play outside with my brother and cousins all the time. This generation does not do that.
the awful sight that i saw in where i live is an empty playground... I couldnt remember a days in my childhood tht the play ground is empty, even when it rained...
Children being brainwashed and exploited instead of being respectful and showing gratitude. There could be a series of these illustrations with the same kids in the background, at the dinner table, camping, at a restaurant, at a national park, at a baseball game, etc, etc.
You have to put the cookies closer together! This way takes to long!
I didn't even see the kids in the background. I only saw the cookie cut-outs and thought it was an appropriate comment on Holiday consumerism. ...where Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentines are a combined commercialized blur.
People say children missing there childhoods but whom influenced them and allowed them to use technology?? Rather than teaching basic skills and expecting school to pick up the slack!!!???
Most kids, today’s kids, would jump at the chance to help make cookies. This one’s a no go.
So sad.. I loved making cookies w my mother... there are ways to use technology together tho..
if shes like my mom criticising everything u do n says ur in the way thats the issue
Hahaha this is so me. Both the woman and the kids in the background. One can do both really :)
So what’s wrong with being engulfed with technology? I see it as a form of evolution the same way the car replaced the horse, electronics will replace paper and books saving millions in trees, oils and polymers.
Children missing childhoods or children not experiencing your own image of what a childhood is supposed to be? Whilst I agree that fresh air and entertainment-less family centred time pays dividends, it is a sign of the times and good bad is just your interpretation of experience.
Oh wah, kids have a constant, essentially free resource of entertainment and education. Oh boo they're not making cakes and singing songs?
This I do not understand. I like reading books in paper but there is nothing wrong with electronic editions. If anything, they are more eco friendly. It is still the same activity just different medium.
Timeline: Catholic Church's sex abuse scandals https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/29/world/timeline-catholic-church-sexual-abuse-scandals/index.html
I'm not seeing this as a "fast food/obesity" thing, more like a CEO or corporate leader just greedily eating funds. Fat in wealth kind of thing
I immediately thought that the commando in the middle thinks in black and white, and reality is all sorts of colors.
George Orwell- Animal Farm: ''Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."
Not sure how many people knew this, but there is a forth monkey in this series. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil and do no evil.
I'm honestly tired of people, artists or not, claiming there's something "wrong" with today's society and the way we interact with technology. I'm sorry but if you want your kids to be "addicted" to technology, DON'T buy them a phone when they're six years old, suck it up and try PARENTING instead of shunning your kids away with digital toys and electronics.
Every time I see these kinds of things this is all I can think of raunisex_t...fef027.jpg 
I always think of Caveman Science Fiction: http://dresdencodak.com/2009/09/22/caveman-science-fiction/
Load More Replies... Lol,complaining about society and technology in a digital way.I am sure that all those artist never use computers,smartphones and social media.They should stop being hypocritical and blame the "society"
I didn't think about it as someone complaining, I thought it was just a reminder for myself to double check where I stand in these pictures. I thought they were interesting to scroll through.
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I love the mind of people who can tackle entire issues in a single image.
ya'll don't get the term, "satire" do you? Here you go. SATIRE: the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. Illustrators can joke about the things they see using the their own medium. This illustrator does a funny job of poking at topical issues. Get a grip. If you enjoy your phone, keep enjoying it. Relax.
Honestly? STOP WITH THE SELFIE STICK! It’s so overdone, every satrical illustration has the selfie stick. And yes, I do watch tv, but I GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY TOO!
If you think it is all about watching tv then you totally missed the point.
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Such superb artwork - such grievously sad subjects. Thank you, Gerhard Haderer, for holding up the mirror.
Caricature is always about something worth criticising or at least about making a mockery of. Haderer is a great artist, I love all his work.
These are great satires & political art ideas! Despite what many on here are bitching about, these are fun.
I browsed through all of this looking for the voluptuous girl riding a giant crocodile, did I find the wrong article?
People SUCK! Knowing what's wrong, see it graphically illustrated is one thing. Realization and doing something about it is another. Denial is the factor in between.
It amazes me how some people find fault with everything. Do they think their negativity makes them superior by pretending to overlook someone else’s obvious talent? The “flat earth” mentality is an example of logic being tossed out and replacing it with ego driven nonsense.
Another series of illustrations about "what's wrong with today's society" that says all the same things as the previous artist. No new insights. Boring.
There is a balance. I see the zombie students walking around staring at their phones. I see the fear of original thinking. I see (as most can) the way people burble on about Harry Potter and its ilk like they have zero imagination. I guess it's easy to steal what is of little value.
In my time we had real community where people actually engaged culture, played and talked together. Oddly, now that I'm older I'm glad everyone is disconnected / dumbed-down because for those of us non-techno deebs, it's nice to have every space to myself....even when it's filled with "people"...
In my time we had real community where people actually engaged culture, played and talked together. Oddly, now that I'm older I'm glad everyone is disconnected / dumbed-down because for those of us non-techno deebs, it's nice to have every space to myself....even when it's filled with "people".
These are about loneliness and emptiness, not about technology per se. Our whole society has been set up to eliminate all kinds of real human interactions. Don't blame technology, blame societal morays of rugged individualism, personal shame, and mindless worship of money.
Not nice to see comments written without thinking, in the comments section of an article with pictures that are supposed to make you think...
This guy is so pretentious with his holier than thou attitude. Judging by the ratings on these images, it looks like the lot of Boredpanda's commenter demographic is an older generation of pseudo pretentious persons who are mad at younger people for existing. How dare the new generations continue to progress and leave you behind. I feel sorry for you guys who upvoted the selfie images because you will never be truly as pretentious as this artist. Ever. Even though you think you are lmao
Don't buy your children smartphones and don't let them watch TV. They are being manipulated! And you too, by the way.
People, there are options between saying nothing and going nuclear
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So you share his opinions that some things are wrong, yet you area allowed to write it very boringly but he can't draw them in humorous ways? Why?
Load More Replies... I'm honestly tired of people, artists or not, claiming there's something "wrong" with today's society and the way we interact with technology. I'm sorry but if you want your kids to be "addicted" to technology, DON'T buy them a phone when they're six years old, suck it up and try PARENTING instead of shunning your kids away with digital toys and electronics.
Every time I see these kinds of things this is all I can think of raunisex_t...fef027.jpg
I always think of Caveman Science Fiction: http://dresdencodak.com/2009/09/22/caveman-science-fiction/
Load More Replies... Lol,complaining about society and technology in a digital way.I am sure that all those artist never use computers,smartphones and social media.They should stop being hypocritical and blame the "society"
I didn't think about it as someone complaining, I thought it was just a reminder for myself to double check where I stand in these pictures. I thought they were interesting to scroll through.
Load More Replies... I love the mind of people who can tackle entire issues in a single image.
ya'll don't get the term, "satire" do you? Here you go. SATIRE: the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. Illustrators can joke about the things they see using the their own medium. This illustrator does a funny job of poking at topical issues. Get a grip. If you enjoy your phone, keep enjoying it. Relax.
Honestly? STOP WITH THE SELFIE STICK! It’s so overdone, every satrical illustration has the selfie stick. And yes, I do watch tv, but I GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY TOO!
If you think it is all about watching tv then you totally missed the point.
Load More Replies... Such superb artwork - such grievously sad subjects. Thank you, Gerhard Haderer, for holding up the mirror.
Caricature is always about something worth criticising or at least about making a mockery of. Haderer is a great artist, I love all his work.
These are great satires & political art ideas! Despite what many on here are bitching about, these are fun.
I browsed through all of this looking for the voluptuous girl riding a giant crocodile, did I find the wrong article?
People SUCK! Knowing what's wrong, see it graphically illustrated is one thing. Realization and doing something about it is another. Denial is the factor in between.
It amazes me how some people find fault with everything. Do they think their negativity makes them superior by pretending to overlook someone else’s obvious talent? The “flat earth” mentality is an example of logic being tossed out and replacing it with ego driven nonsense.
Another series of illustrations about "what's wrong with today's society" that says all the same things as the previous artist. No new insights. Boring.
There is a balance. I see the zombie students walking around staring at their phones. I see the fear of original thinking. I see (as most can) the way people burble on about Harry Potter and its ilk like they have zero imagination. I guess it's easy to steal what is of little value.
In my time we had real community where people actually engaged culture, played and talked together. Oddly, now that I'm older I'm glad everyone is disconnected / dumbed-down because for those of us non-techno deebs, it's nice to have every space to myself....even when it's filled with "people"...
In my time we had real community where people actually engaged culture, played and talked together. Oddly, now that I'm older I'm glad everyone is disconnected / dumbed-down because for those of us non-techno deebs, it's nice to have every space to myself....even when it's filled with "people".
These are about loneliness and emptiness, not about technology per se. Our whole society has been set up to eliminate all kinds of real human interactions. Don't blame technology, blame societal morays of rugged individualism, personal shame, and mindless worship of money.
Not nice to see comments written without thinking, in the comments section of an article with pictures that are supposed to make you think...
This guy is so pretentious with his holier than thou attitude. Judging by the ratings on these images, it looks like the lot of Boredpanda's commenter demographic is an older generation of pseudo pretentious persons who are mad at younger people for existing. How dare the new generations continue to progress and leave you behind. I feel sorry for you guys who upvoted the selfie images because you will never be truly as pretentious as this artist. Ever. Even though you think you are lmao
Don't buy your children smartphones and don't let them watch TV. They are being manipulated! And you too, by the way.
People, there are options between saying nothing and going nuclear
Load More Replies... So you share his opinions that some things are wrong, yet you area allowed to write it very boringly but he can't draw them in humorous ways? Why?
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