Did this bar owner go to far

[TIGERJC]

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/2008/05/13/mulligans_0514.html

Marietta bar owner Mike Norman says the T-shirts he's peddling, featuring a look-a-like of cartoon chimp Curious George peeling a banana, with "Obama in '08" underneath, are not meant to offend.

Norman acknowledged the imagery's Jim Crow roots but said he sees nothing wrong with depicting a prominent African-American as a monkey,"We're not living in the (19)40's," he said. "Look at him . . . the hairline, the ears — he looks just like Curious George."

About a dozen prostestors rallied against the shirts Tuesday afternoon, condemning them as racist and asking Norman, longtime proprietor of Mulligan's Bar and Grill on Roswell Street, to stop selling them.

Marietta native Pam Lindley, 47, joined the protest after reading about the controversy online.

"I don't want people to think this is what Marietta is all about," she added, motioning towards the tavern. "This is what some people think the South is still like. Marietta's come a long way but I guess it's still got a little ways to go."

She said she'd like to see the city ban Norman's provocative musings regularly posted on a sign out front of the bar, which is near Marietta's downtown square. The loosely formed coalition of civil rights activists who gathered Tuesday say they will continue their campaign against Norman's "hate speech."

But his defenders are just as resolute. Mulligan's is a refuge, they say, in an otherwise hypersensitive world. Here, smoking isn't only allowed, it's expected.

"This place is a diamond in the rough," said Gene McKinley, a Woodstock engineer. "People here are genuine and honest. It's the one place I can go without having to worry if I'm offending someone."

Norman said he's been he's been fielding calls throughout the day about his T-shirts, which he began selling in late April. "One guy in New Jersey wanted me to send him 100 shirts," said Norman, 63.

He said he noted physical similarities between the Democratic front runner and the cartoon monkey while watching a Curious George movie with his grandchildren.

Someone — "probably a customer, I don't know" — from Arkansas sent him the shirts, Norman says. He has no plans to mass market them.

Not that's he's bowing to pressure. The Tennessee native figures he's providing a public service of sorts, reminding people they have a right to offend.

"This is my marketing tool," he said.

[4dmin]

lol i think it is a funny shirt... i want one and i'm voting Obama :D

[TheGodfather]

1. To and too are two different words.

2. Is he pro-Obama or not? I can't really tell.

[Got Milk?]

lol so racist.

[Barefoot]

na i dont think its wrong kinda funny really but personally i could care less.

[dohc4.6sc]

funny as hell imo, i want that shirt. hey look at it this way, the shirt is promoting.lolol.

[Alan®]

well within his rights. so no he didnt go too far.

[dohc4.6sc]

well within his rights. so no he didnt go too far.

even though you tryed to call me out in my attn: mr kidd thread, i like you. you stand on the same political end as i do and you believe in the same things i do. +1 for you.

[ChnkyLao]

well it depends how you look at it really, i mean i can see it as racist or as just for fun,

honestly i see it has something as a joke, he didn't go far.

[redrumracer]

hell naw its to funny

[TIGERJC]

1. To and too are two different words.

2. Is he pro-Obama or not? I can't really tell.

grammar police to the rescue :slap:


The Bar owner is well within his rights, but I hope no feels bad when his bar gets vandalized and/or when he starts receiving death threats.

I guess anybody will do anything just to get business these days.

[TIGERJC]

even though you tryed to call me out in my attn: mr kidd thread, i like you. you stand on the same political end as i do and you believe in the same things i do. +1 for you.
Are you going to suck his dic.k next?

[dohc4.6sc]

grammar police to the rescue :slap:


The Bar owner is well within his rights, but I hope no feels bad when his bar gets vandalized and/or when he starts receiving death threats.

I guess anybody will do anything just to get business these days.

true, look at IA.

[dohc4.6sc]

Are you going to suck his dic.k next?

sorry im not a person who jumps on the bandwagon of hating ppl, i am on here to speak my mind openly, im sorry if that offends you.

[silversol]

man america is going down hill. any think can be viewed as "racist". and we need to be careful not to offend anyone. such bs!

[TIGERJC]

sorry im not a peron who jumps on the bandwgon of hating ppl, i i am on here to speak my mind openly, im sorry if that offends you.
You still haven't said no to my question

[rickgiblin]

i dont think that this bar owner went to far with this... what ever happened to freedom of speach for one thing and for another thing. i think the people that are bitching are just looking for a way to get on tv and blow there day away. why dont they stop bitching for just one week, but that would probibly be too much to ask

[Alan®]

Are you going to suck his dic.k next?
i was expecting more from you liger

[dohc4.6sc]

man america is going down hill. any think can be viewed as "racist". and we need to be careful not to offend anyone. such bs!

im on the opisite side, if something that i do daily ( making something funny, t shirt ) offends any african american, they just need to get the hell out of america. im not racist by any means but damn the black community complains alot.

[dohc4.6sc]

You still haven't said no to my question

no, i would never suck a cawk.

[TIGERJC]

If the owner wasn't about getting media attention, then I would really care less. The Bar owner is no different than Al sharpton, so if you have no problem with the bar owner then plz stop bitching about al sharpton and jesse jackson everytime they use racism for their benefit

[redrumracer]

If the owner wasn't about getting media attention, then I would really care less. The Bar owner is no different than Al sharpton, so if you have no problem with the bar owner then plz stop bitching about al sharpton and jesse jackson everytime they use racism for their benefit
i dont think it is about media attn at all. from what the report said he has been doing this for quite a while and hasnt gotten any attn, he just happens to make a joke about a prominent half black man and it blows the hell up

[TIGERJC]

i dont think it is about media attn at all. from what the report said he has been doing this for quite a while and hasnt gotten any attn, he just happens to make a joke about a prominent half black man and it blows the hell up
He might have been been trying to get media attention in the past, and nobody just so happened to pay him any mind. But who cares, I am just saying the same ppl that don't see anything wrong with what he is doing are the same ones that complain when Jesse jackson does the same thing. I guess because he is a simple redneck it was just harmless fun that never was suppose to blow up

[Alan®]

I guess because he is a simple redneck it was just harmless fun that never was suppose to blow up
this sounds more like a al sharpton statement than that tshirt

[wantboost]

If the owner wasn't about getting media attention, then I would really care less. The Bar owner is no different than Al sharpton, so if you have no problem with the bar owner then plz stop bitching about al sharpton and jesse jackson everytime they use racism for their benefit
you really are not helping matters much lolol

more attention FTL

[TIGERJC]

this sounds more like a al sharpton statement than that tshirt
so that statement offends you, just like that Monkey on the t-shirt offends some black ppl. I guess nobody these days are able to seethemselves in someone else's shoes

[TIGERJC]

you really are not helping matters much lolol

more attention FTL
:D

guess so

[Alan®]

so that statement offends you, just like that Monkey on the t-shirt offends some black ppl. I guess nobody these days are able to seethemselves in someone else's shoes
No that statement doesnt offend me I'm just saying your sitting here comparing the shirt to something al sharpton would say and then you go and make a statement like his.

[Frög]

I see white people that look like monkeys.. same thing if you call them monkeys.. he looks like a monkey, its a caricature..

this pisses me off..


reminds me of:
http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pictures/2007/05/01/shootthedog460.jpg

[TIGERJC]

No that statement doesnt offend me I'm just saying your sitting here comparing the shirt to something al sharpton would say and then you go and make a statement like his.
Sarcasm was on when I made that statement. I thought someone was going to argue that bar owner is no way like al sharpton

[TIGERJC]

I see white people that look like monkeys.. same thing if you call them monkeys.. he looks like a monkey, its a caricature..

this pisses me off..


reminds me of:
http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pictures/2007/05/01/shootthedog460.jpg
I understand that it might be some likeness, but comparing a black person to a monkey is just like calling a black person a ***.ger. For many years blacks have been compared to primates, and thats still one subject that continues to upset black people. Just recently basketball player lebron james piss off ppl in the back community when he posed for a magazine cover doing the same pose as king kong climbing the tower

[Jecht]

He is probably doing it to get attention and press time for his bar, and by rallying against him and gathering crowds those people are doing exactly what he wants.

[bigdare23]

im on the opisite side, if something that i do daily ( making something funny, t shirt ) offends any african american, they just need to get the hell out of america. im not racist by any means but damn the black community complains alot.


http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g273/bigdare23/funny%20pics/shutyoass2_2.gif

[TIGERJC]

He is probably doing it to get attention and press time for his bar, and by rallying against him and gathering crowds those people are doing exactly what he wants.
troof

[nreggie454]

If it offends you, don't buy the shirt.

[bigdare23]

If it offends you, don't buy the shirt.


That wouldn't solve anything

"What if" the owner was truly racist and made the shirt just not only to bash Obama but the whole black race? By "letting it go", it would make him and others believe that bashing another race is cool and then others would follow with similar tactics.

[SouthSide Tay]

well my absolute view on it is that he does look like a monkey so the shirt could have been very innocent

[nreggie454]

That wouldn't solve anything

"What if" the owner was truly racist and made the shirt just not only to bash Obama but the whole black race? By "letting it go", it would make him and others believe that bashing another race is cool and then others would follow with similar tactics.

Either way, giving him more attention solves nothing. Movements gain momentum only because of the publicity they get, negative or positive. Again, if it bothers you, ignore him. This kind of publicity draws support from racist and non-racist people alike. If no publicity were given, this would be a fad that would die out fairly quickly. Now, it just has more strength.

[Wurm]

http://www.blacklegacyimages.com/db2/00197/blacklegacyimages.com/_uimages/ArrestBlackBabies.gif


at least he wasnt selling this shirt

[Brett]

No and WHITE POWER!! :D

[DESTRO_91]

There is no law against insensitivity. He didn't go too far by legal standards, but you KNOW if you do anything that can be remotely related to racism, you are going to catch a little if not a lot of protest. He's bringing attention to himself and Obama.

[Bruce Leroy]

The image of a monkey does not only imply that obama might look like a monkey. It also implies that he has monkey like traits, like he is dumb, irrational, less than a human, ect ect. Even if the bar owner wasn't thinking that when he made it, thats what it says. So its racist.

But I'm guessing the majority of you weren't called a "****** monkey baby" when you were 7 years old by someone on your t-ball team.. So my thought process might be a little different than yours




im on the opisite side, if something that i do daily ( making something funny, t shirt ) offends any african american, they just need to get the hell out of america. im not racist by any means but damn the black community complains alot.


You complain about black people in half of the posts you make. And i bet you complain alot more when you aren't on here. So stfu and get out of america if it bothers you so much.

[AnthonyF]

Why the fuk does everything have to be racial? Do you think he would really make a racist shirt? I bet he has TONS of black customers, why would he jeopardize losing money?

-Ant.

[ShooterMcGavin]

poll should ask, DID TIGERJC REPOST THIS? and i would've answered yes. as it sits now, i'll have to answer no ;) i'd buy a shirt if i was actually voting obama :D

[ShooterMcGavin]

The image of a monkey does not only imply that obama might look like a monkey. It also implies that he has monkey like traits, like he is dumb, irrational, less than a human, ect ect. Even if the bar owner wasn't thinking that when he made it, thats what it says. So its racist.

But I'm guessing the majority of you weren't called a "****** monkey baby" when you were 7 years old by someone on your t-ball team.. So my thought process might be a little different than yours

retarded, if you believe in any part of evolution then we ALL came from monkeys, not just black ppl :tongue1:

i mean seriously, how many pictures are out there comparing bush's many faces w/that of chimpanzees? how can it only be racist if a black person is said to look like a monkey? IT CAN'T, that's just from oversensitive ppl who are really deep down racist and still hold on to racist stereotypes and such and refuse to let go.

[Bruce Leroy]

retarded, if you believe in any part of evolution then we ALL came from monkeys, not just black ppl :tongue1:

Regardless if you believe in evolution or not, calling someone a monkey is derogative.

[tony]

I'm a true believer in freedom of expression, on the flip side he should not be suprised if he gets dragged off in the middle of the night and beat like never before.

Just an interesting observation, correct me if I'm wrong but that business is right down the street from where lynchings were once held in Marietta.

Is it racist? ehh.. who cares. He probably just gained Obama a few more sympathy votes.

[LS2ner]

I guess because he is a simple redneck it was just harmless fun that never was suppose to blow up

The reason people are protesting is because sensitive people like yourself get butt-hurt when people make a joke. You sure are getting awfully defensive over this. Should i protest chris rock everytime he says "white mutha****a?" I know of alot of popular comedians that said "****er" before the frasier guy and everyone thought it was funny. Then he uses it in a negative context and everyone gets pissed. Its all in how the message is being transmitted and the context of it.

If he didnt like Obama he wouldve said it or atleast came off as he was against him. He didnt, so therefore how can this be viewed as racist?

[bigdare23]

how can it only be racist if a black person is said to look like a monkey?IT CAN'T, that's just from oversensitive ppl who are really deep down racist and still hold on to racist stereotypes and such and refuse to let go.


Please STFU

For years the term monkey was used to disrespect blacks. **** like that doesn't go away with time. Portraying blacks as a monkeys is just as bad as calling them *******. Why? Because both terms were used to attack then! So I won't let it go, and if someone were to call me a monkey in my face, the same results would happen if they were to call me a ******. So if you can see why that is offensive you might as well poke your eyes out!

[LS2ner]

The image of a monkey does not only imply that obama might look like a monkey. It also implies that he has monkey like traits, like he is dumb, irrational, less than a human, ect ect. Even if the bar owner wasn't thinking that when he made it, thats what it says. So its racist.

But I'm guessing the majority of you weren't called a "****** monkey baby" when you were 7 years old by someone on your t-ball team.. So my thought process might be a little different than yours






You complain about black people in half of the posts you make. And i bet you complain alot more when you aren't on here. So stfu and get out of america if it bothers you so much.

Jesus Christ Rev. Right, GTFO.

[bigdare23]

Jesus Christ Rev. Right, GTFO.
\

how about you stfu :goodjob:

[IndianStig]

I want a shirt.

[LS2ner]

\

how about you stfu :goodjob:


How about you EAD? I can see both sides of the Arguement. But, honestly i think people should be more concerned with the Shaun Bell situation or the **** going on in Philly than some ****ing shirt that was made. This is one thing that really makes me angry with this country. You have to watch every damn thing you say or do because people with turn it into something racist or sexist.

[Bruce Leroy]

Jesus Christ Rev. Right, GTFO.

RElax dude.

Despite my last posts, I really don't give a **** what the guy does as long as is does not cause any harm to me. I was just stating my views on the topic.

[wantboost]

I really don't give a **** what ANYONE does as long as it does not cause any harm to me.
^^^ :goodjob:

[redrumracer]

Please STFU

For years the term monkey was used to disrespect blacks. **** like that doesn't go away with time. Portraying blacks as a monkeys is just as bad as calling them *******. Why? Because both terms were used to attack then! So I won't let it go, and if someone were to call me a monkey in my face, the same results would happen if they were to call me a ******. So if you can see why that is offensive you might as well poke your eyes out!
you sir are one of the reason that racism will never go away. i highly doubt you where alive back then, and by reacting in a certain way to a word you give it the power that you think it has.

[LS2ner]

RElax dude.

Despite my last posts, I really don't give a **** what the guy does as long as is does not cause any harm to me. I was just stating my views on the topic.


My bad, i misunderstood your post. + Reps to u for being cool.

[ksniperfox]

but damn the black community complains alot.



theyve been doing that ever since they got civil rights.

[ShooterMcGavin]

you sir are one of the reason that racism will never go away. i highly doubt you where alive back then, and by reacting in a certain way to a word you give it the power that you think it has.
exactly :goodjob:

[ShooterMcGavin]

Please STFU

For years the term monkey was used to disrespect blacks. **** like that doesn't go away with time. Portraying blacks as a monkeys is just as bad as calling them *******. Why? Because both terms were used to attack then! So I won't let it go, and if someone were to call me a monkey in my face, the same results would happen if they were to call me a ******. So if you can see why that is offensive you might as well poke your eyes out!
how about you please learn to read or GTFO? i clearly said how can it only be racist if a black person is said to look like a monkey? which translated to retard terms for someone like yourself means if it's racist, then it's racist whether calling a black or white or whatever colored person that. you obviously have such a heightened sense of pride in your own race that you'll forever be racist.

[AnthonyF]

The guy probably did it as a mistake. Have you ever said something and meant ONLY that one thing but the person you said it to took it a WHOLE different way? Thats probably what happened to this fellow. (MAYBE). If he did it to be racist then...well...he'll get what he deserved.

-Ant.

[TIGERJC]

theyve been doing that ever since they got civil rights.
:lmfao:

[Vteckidd]

hmmmm

well was it a smart move in the SOUTH to portray a black male as a monkey, prob not.

Was it a great marketing tool, absolutely because we are talking about it.

Is it really offensive, if i saw someone wearing the shirt i would definetly recognize the racial connotations.

tough call

[civic95]

Ha ha. I used to work with that woman

[twinj]

**** yea it is racist. If you have to think about it, then it is probably wrong.

[JConner]

The bar owner was on WSB radio saying... "these people [the picketer's] need to get the f off of my property, they do not know me.....they should see the people i have lunch with, or the elderly black lady i give a ride home everyday when her shift is over"

This just proves that if any white person makes fun of/criticizes Obama, it will automatically be beacause that person is racist.

[ShooterMcGavin]

The bar owner was on WSB radio saying... "these people [the picketer's] need to get the f off of my property, they do not know me.....they should see the people i have lunch with, or the elderly black lady i give a ride home everyday when her shift is over"

This just proves that if any white person makes fun of/criticizes Obama, it will automatically be beacause that person is racist.
not surprising.

also not surprising that he's got a backorder for over 1000 shirts now :lmao:

[tony]

not surprising.

also not surprising that he's got a backorder for over 1000 shirts now :lmao:

it's too bad the shirts are a copyright infringement

[ShooterMcGavin]

well that just means ppl should hurry up and buy before the guy gets sued for making them :lmfao: