I am in awe every time I see the power of the people manifested in demonstrations as it has been for the past few days with the protestors of the New York Post.
Longtime political cartoonist Sean Delonas drew a picture that was published in the Post this Wednesday. Many feel this cartoon played on the racist history of Blacks being compared to primates.*
The strength, tenacity, courage, and determination of protesters is often times inspiring. How awesome that this group of people got together to make a change, and they saw results from it.
The New York Post issued an apology today to those they offended with the cartoon. The apology was a bit back-handed because they refused to apologize to those they believe initiated the opposition. They felt those with long time grievances used this cartoon as an opportunity to enact revenge on the controversial and conservative newspaper. (Though they didn't name names, the main opponent has been Rev. Al Sharpton, and I think we can infer they are talking about him.)
It is very possible that the Post and Delonas didn't intended any racial slur with the cartoon. I am willing to take them at their word that the chimp is a parody of Travis the chimp that was shot on Monday by police officers paired with a mock of the economic stimulus bill. However, there is NO WAY they didn't anticipate the implications that would be felt by comparing the author of the current stimulus bill (not only President Obama, but he IS the face of the bill) to a violent chimpanzee. In addition, they shot the chimp= they shot the author of the stimulus bill= they shot the President!!?? That's funny?
Many people want to site that President Bush was at times compared to monkeys as well. However, there is no history of whites being compared to primates in a racial defamation. If Bush had been compared to a Ritz of something with a comparative history, then (I would be outraged) a comparison could be made.
The Post shouldn't be surprised by the public backlash. I didn't even know about Travis until after I saw the bru-ha-ha over the cartoon. I'm sure many around the world will see this cartoon, know nothing of Travis, and instantly see it as a racial slur.
I am delighted the protestors got a semblance of an apology. We must stay on offensive people/media. We must never give up. Protest reminds us that there is much more that we can/must do for our communities than simply casting a ballot every 4 years.
I want to dedicate this to all the demonstrators (many of whom were college students) in 2003 that were jailed just for protesting the Iraqi War on the streets of Chicago, and to those who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Frankfort, KY in 1965.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!! UHURU!! HOTEP!!
* You can see the original cartoon here: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/18/national/main4809291.shtml
** You can see an altered version of the cartoon (not by Delonas) here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lee-camp/how-the-new-york-post-mon_b_16819...
I didn't see much humor in this cartoon. Maybe I am just dense but I don't see any connection between Travis the chimp and the stimulus bill. Travis the Chimp was shot because he apparently went mad and mauled someone. I disagree with a trillion dollar stimulus bill but Obama certainly is not mad.
I do believe I detect some selective outrage. I remember absolutely vile racial cartoons being drawn and published about Condoleezza Rice and also Clarence Thomas with no protesters showing up at the media outlets that printed them. And I saw quite a few cartoons depicting President Bush as a NAZI and it does not get much more vile than that. I wonder if this will become a trend where any effort to lampoon Obama as every other President in our history has been lampooned will be met with protest? I hope not!
Political satire is often harsh and sometimes over the top. People who can't take it should probably withdraw from public political life. I don't get too worked up about it. It may be gross and offensive but it is free speech and it is often very funny. I'm frankly more concerned about the protesters then I am about the publishers. Their actions, while not nearly so severe, remind me of the incident over in the Netherlands where a cartoon depicting Mohamed in an unflattering light caused riots, death threats and then riots all over the world.
I much prefer an open free society where occasionally something offensive gets printed then a society where the media is intimidated and cowed into politically correct silence. This type of behavior result in the incredible cowardice we recently witnessed in Britain where a Netherlands politician who has been critical of radical Islam was denied an entry visa while at the same time, London, which is often referred to as Londanistan, Muslim radicals enjoy absolute freedom to preach hatred and violence against the West.
Standards of behavior are not too bad although I prefer freedom. What is unacceptable is double standards where one group is treated one way and another group is treated another.
Good post, Jack.
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I wonder if this will become a trend where any effort to lampoon Obama as every other President in our history has been lampooned will be met with protest? I hope not!
I hope not too!! If Obama didn't get made fun of as a political figure, he wouldn't have a true experience of being the President. Not to mention, we the people should have the opportunity to 'lampoon' him. It's only fair and funny. And actually he has been the butt of many a funny cartoon (esp #1 though I don't agree with its statement :) :
1. http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/gfo/lowres/gfon401l...
2. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20080309/cartoon20080309.gif
3. http://dekerivers.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/obama1.jpg
But there is no need for our jokes to include racial defamation. That doesn't just lampoon Obama that defames a people.
I much prefer an open free society where occasionally something offensive gets printed then a society where the media is intimidated and cowed into politically correct silence.
I don't foresee newspapers and cartoonists really being inhibited by protests like the recent ones of the NY Post in any way other than being more racially sensitive. So they will think twice before publishing something with racial overtones. THAT is a plus.
Protestors still shouldn't let anything TRULY offensive slide.
I generally feel that double standards are a horrible thing. However, and maybe double standard is not the appropriate term for this- idk, in dealing with race in America, each ethnic group (as a whole) don't have the same degree of acceptance and comfort with jokes about their history. I don't feel that any racial lampooning is appropriate, but I can image when it does, some groups are less sensitive about it than others. This is because groups are not oppressed to equal degrees because of it. And THIS is because we are not equal.
PS On a side side side note, I'm not sure if Travis "went" mad. Articles I've read make it seem like Herold, his owner, made their relationship very confusing for the chimp and he thought she was his mother or his 'mate'. Travis had a violent past of at least 13 years! This was not his first violent out lash. I was surprised that a chimp could inflict so much damage! The victim may be a candidate for a face transplant, and has already undergone multiple surgeries. Travis might still be alive (and numerous people unharmed) if Herold had not developed such an inappropriate relationship with him. Sad...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That was great.
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Many continue to be outraged by the Delonas/NY Post cartoon from Wed 2/18/09. The NAACP is calling for the Post Editor-in-Chief and others to give up their job positions.
Here is a link to the NAACP petition if you choose to support their stance:
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/2446/t/4676/campaign.jsp?campaign_KE...
This cartoon has sparked CNN to air the special national discussion "The Issue of Race in America" tonight at 11pm.
I'm not usually very interested in specials like these and others like "Black America" etc... but I plan on at least flipping through and checking it out. I mean hey, its CNN... and I generally like/am interested in CNN.
Racism aside, where's the humor, it's not clever, or anything. I'm outraged that the cartoonist would waste controversy on this unfunny cartoon.
I think it'll be fine if people criticize Obama for his politics even if it's over the top, it's already happened. Mad Magazine published an issue with Obama's face over Steve Correl's body with a caption that read "The 47 Year Old Political Virgin", this is about his politics not his race, and there was no sort of violence involved. When Bush is compared to mass murdering dictators, it's because of his politics not his race (no matter how over the top the comparison is) now when Madonna threw a grenade into Bush's lap in a music video, she was criticized for it.
I'm not one for boycotting the Post though, I think the You Tube thing said it all. I do think negative attention will do the Post good and bad, and that's how America should work, every body who offends someone has to take the heat for it, if you are scared of people not liking your art then you shouldn't be an artist. Name a great artist who has inspired thought, but avoided controversy, and that's great art, this is whack so it deserves all the negative attention.
I think people are already saying negative things about Obama, but I think everything people say about him negative or positive will be viewed differently because he's the first. We have never had these issues with a President before and we will never be the same, Obama's Presidency won't be like ever other President no matter what, it'll be different.
Good Blog as usual
Love-Health-Awareness-Wealth
Mjh
that people have to try so hard, and reach so low in order to criticize our new president.
I was impressed by Rachel Maddow's first month's assessment of what he has done as president so far.
I was also impressed by the turn out he received in Canada. He has an 80% approval rating in Canada.
That might not matter to some, but I find it impressive.
I think that people are going to frantically cast as much negativity as they can on the man before it becomes very apparent that America made the right choice, and then those people will shut up, and hope no one remembers their premature idiocy.
Just a hunch. Who knows what will happen. I am optimistic. I see something in Obama that is totally new, and foreign to our history.
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