Boris Johnson’s mounting trouble is treasure for satirists

LONDON (AP) — A politician’s troubles are a humorist’s treasures.

The scandal-prone British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given cartoonists and meme-makers unimaginable riches for years, and with his hold on power now in jeopardy, their fortunes are only growing.

Johnson and his staff are facing civil and criminal investigations into social gatherings they hosted last year while the rest of the U.K. was hunkering down under coronavirus restrictions. The episode raises serious questions about Johnson’s leadership and political accountability.

But what gives it extra bite — and gives humorists much to chew on — are the often ludicrous details: political aides hauling suitcases of wine into the prime minister's residence, or drunkenly breaking a swing set belonging to Johnson’s toddler son.

One recent newspaper cartoon captured the collision of tragedy and farce by depicting Johnson as the betrayed Roman ruler Julius Caesar, stabbed in the back with corkscrews.

Martin Rowson, a political cartoonist for The Guardian newspaper, says mockery is one of the trade-offs in democratic societies between government and governed: “They have power and we have the right to laugh at them.”

Britain has a long and proud tradition of political satire. In the 18th century, cartoonists such as James Gillray lampooned British politicians and royalty with an irreverence — even viciousness — that shocked many European visitors.

British TV shows like “Spitting Image,” with its latex puppet politicians, carried on the tradition in the late 20th century. These days, internet videos and memes have joined the fun.

When Johnson became prime minister in 2019, some feared he would be hard to satirize because he was already a cartoonish figure, with his thatch of blonde hair, rumpled clothes and...