New York Post Cartoon Offends Pro-Being Offended People
I don't know about you, but I find this cartoon from yesterday's New York Post vile and insulting…
Hey, looks like Sam Stein from Huffington Post feels the same way…
A cartoon likening the author of the stimulus bill, perhaps President Barack Obama, with a rabid chimpanzee graced the pages of the New York Post on Wednesday. The drawing, from famed cartoonist Sean Delonas, is rife with violent imagery and racial undertones.
Oh, wait, no. I didn't mean that. I just meant that– What? Al Sharpton is weighing in? Well, I'm sure he'll be reasonable and won't blow this out of proportion…
"The cartoon in today's New York Post is troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys. One has to question whether the cartoonist is making a less than casual reference to this…"
Um, I just meant that the cartoon was lazy and non-sensical, stringing together two incredibly disparate news items in a way that wasn't even remotely creative or thought-provoking.
I didn't mean to imply that it was racist. And I'm not one to shy away from calling people or things out for being racist.
I just think that some small amount of thought has to go into something for it to actually be racist.
RSS
The accusation that the Chimp represents Obama seems to assume that Obama wrote the stimulus bill.
Really?
Lacking wit, but not in the least bit racist.
I learned in 6th grade that the President of the United States does not WRITE legislation; the Congress does that!! I think with the election of President Obama, the country has basically (and certainly the majority of the electorate) moved past race as a (reason, excuse) for critcising a person's stand on issues that affect the whole nation.
The cartoon will certainly not win any awards for the greatest segue between a recent nationally reported event and commentary on the abominable "Porkulous Bill" foisted upon this nation. A bill that was WRITTEN by Congress (primarily by Speaker Pelosi or by Majority Leader Harry Reid – both of which, in my opinion, have LESS intelligence than a chimp) and SIGNED INTO LAW by the President.
Lost in all the hoopla, is the tragic story of a dead chimp and his love for human eyeballs and face.
Christ why is that everyone seems to think the President doesn't write legislation. A President or any citizen for that matter can write legislation, but it is up to Congress to vote on it. No more, no less.
But in this case as well as all of Mr. Obama's political career he chose not to write the bill. So claiming the monkey represents him is a bigotist statement by men who want to keep themselves relevant now that Jim Crow days are gone
Hope you don't mind a comment from here in Scotland.
It is obvious to me that the monkey is meant to depict your President as being closely associated with the Stimulus Bill – never mind the niceties about who actually wrote it.
It is pandering to those who use the "monkey" scenario for racialist slurs and for it to have been shot is beyond belief considering what has happened in the USA in the not to distant past.
However, considering the source and the conduct of some at the Republican rallies, not really surprising.
I could only hope that the Post is not making fun of knuckle dragging democrats and what should be the appropriate action for the those that think there is no accountability left for those that cater to the portion of society that feeds at the government trough. Loans for wetbacks and those that have no intention of paying them back rammed up the rear of the average American that works for a living?? What a novel Idea for a stimulus package!!
"Birth of a Nation," the original "King Kong" and the "Tarzan" series are examples of media images that helped to give form to much of the USA's 'unconscious' racial feelings. The Post knew exactly what it was doing.
Did anyone actually consider that blacks DO look like chimps and apes?? I mean, many of them do, its undeniable. How is that racist? It may not be a nice thing to point out, but that doesn't make it racist. Some white people look like owls, or turkeys, or chipmunks..its true. How many buck toothed poeple are called beavers?? Again, not a nice comment, but not racist. Blacks would be better off not escalating this whole thing and empowering people like Sharpton and just laughing at themselves and saying, "ya know what, some of us do look like apes and monkeys." Really, what is the big deal? Blacks hold the key to letting go of racism, not whites. But many never will. It is a crutch, built in excuse to constantly complain about "white" America.
As long as "white" America believes there is a "white" America, there will be racism. America is a place of many cultures, ideas, and ethnicities, and with those differences their are many stereotypes. But, just because one person or group believes one to be true, doesn't mean that it actually is. The educated people that read this will already know that. My problem is that when I, as an African American male, interact with white people I face the "why can't I call you a *N*" question, or variations of racial jokes that I do not want to put in this comment. I find it hard to be comfortable in a place where people are trying to point out a racial stereotype. White people say get over it, or get past it, like they don't see their parents getting jobs for them, and getting them into good jobs because of "who" they know. We still bring it up(not complain) because it is hard to make it to the top when the previous generation still cheat for you. Yes there is still competition for jobs out there, but most of that competition is created because of laws that say that jobs "have" to have a certain amount of blacks or minorities. When do we stop being a quota? I am not saying that white children don't work hard because a majority of the ones I know, they do. Also, I have no problem with the its not what you know, its who you know thing going on. But why act like we don't know that a majority of black parents don't know CEO's? As far as the cartoon goes, everyone knows what the guy was doing, he was creating controversy, its what people do, they create drama, to spark arguments, and gain attention. So certain feelings of the public can surface its ugly face. Well, I can say one thing, George Bush sure looked like a chimp to me, but I have never seen him portrayed as a monkey…
TO EZEEL–
Many whites look like apes too, ie: George Bush…Stop being racist!!
It's called evolution, people…look into it!