What is this world coming to?

[Sammich]

my brother sent me this and all i could do was shake my head.

http://www.nypost.com/delonas/2009/02/02182009.jpg

[Sammich]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090218/ap_en_ot/ny_post_cartoon

NEW YORK – The New York Post is standing behind a cartoon that some have interpreted as comparing President Barack Obama to a violent chimpanzee gunned down by police.

The cartoon in Wednesday's Post by Sean Delonas shows two police officers standing over the body of a bullet-riddled chimp. One of the officers says the other, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."

Civil rights activist Al Sharpton called the cartoon "troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys."

But Sharpton said the Post should clarify the point it was trying to make with the cartoon, which was playing off Monday's rampage by a pet chimpanzee in Stamford, Conn., that left a woman severely mauled. Police ended up killing the chimp.

In a statement, Post Editor-in-Chief Col Allan said: "The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist."

A story about the cartoon on the liberal-leaning Huffington Post Web site drew hundreds of reader responses, many calling the cartoon racist and insensitive.

Sam Stein, a columnist for the site, wrote that "at its most benign, the cartoon suggests that the stimulus bill was so bad, monkeys may as well have written it. Most provocatively, it compares the president to a rabid chimp. Either way, the incorporation of violence and (on a darker level) race into politics is bound to be controversial."

[RedEj8]

Yea i see what it was meant to say but of course it gets turned into the race game.. They should've picked a better character instead of the monkey.

[LizBiz]

Ignorance at it's best. And they are standing behind it...how gay is that. We still have a LONG ass way to go.

[Sammich]

we are never getting there..never gona happen. this world is too...

[BanginJimmy]

Sam Stein, a columnist for the site, wrote that "at its most benign, the cartoon suggests that the stimulus bill was so bad, monkeys may as well have written it.

This is exactly how I took it to be, at least it was my first reaction to it. What about it made you shake your head?




Most provocatively, it compares the president to a rabid chimp. Either way, the incorporation of violence and (on a darker level) race into politics is bound to be controversial."

This is typical Sharpton type "logic". Anything that can possibly be twisted into racism will be. I dont see anything that makes me think of race in that cartoon. I see a cartoonist taking advantage of the stories about the chimp and infusing it with his distaste with the welfare package.

[Sammich]

black people are talked about as monkeys, now and in the past...you hear people here on ia saying 'monkey' when referring to blacks, claiming its just a joke.

so seeing this and the stimulus bill that was just signed by Obama, is like why the hell would u actually create something and people that edit the paper allow this kind of thing to go thru. you may have meant something different, but with what just went on w/ the stimulus bill and knowing the history of black people being referred to as monkeys..i mean come on.

[bigdare23]

I gotta cosign sammich on this one.

[Sammich]

it's just ridiculous. thats teh kind of stuff you just keep to yourself if you are thinking it.

[Alan®]

Ok my .02 for what its worth. While I can see the point that the artist was trying to make, his execution was poor and if he didnt see how this could otherwise possibly be construed he is an idiot. What's even worse if you ask me is that the editor actually allowed it to be published. There are so many other ways to get your point across why take the risk of the bad publicity by walking a tight rope?

[Sammich]

Ok my .02 for what its worth. While I can see the point that the artist was trying to make, his execution was poor and if he didnt see how this could otherwise possibly be construed he is an idiot. What's even worse if you ask me is that the editor actually allowed it to be published. There are so many other ways to get your point across why take the risk of the bad publicity by walking a tight rope?

repped. theres no reason to put ur credibility on the line for something of that nature. the artist and editor lacked tactfulness

[BanginJimmy]

Ok my .02 for what its worth. While I can see the point that the artist was trying to make, his execution was poor and if he didnt see how this could otherwise possibly be construed he is an idiot. What's even worse if you ask me is that the editor actually allowed it to be published. There are so many other ways to get your point across why take the risk of the bad publicity by walking a tight rope?


That market is EXTREMELY competitive and the way to get known is by being right there on the line and by stiring up publicity.



black people are talked about as monkeys, now and in the past...you hear people here on ia saying 'monkey' when referring to blacks, claiming its just a joke.

so seeing this and the stimulus bill that was just signed by Obama, is like why the hell would u actually create something and people that edit the paper allow this kind of thing to go thru. you may have meant something different, but with what just went on w/ the stimulus bill and knowing the history of black people being referred to as monkeys..i mean come on.

I hear alot of people refer to stupid people as monkeys also. If you really want to find racism you can find racism anywhere. Does that mean you should? No, it means that unless it is obvious, then it isnt racism. If something has a double meaning you should take the less controversal meaning.


This actually gets me back to something I was thinking a while earlier. A lot of peope in the country are whiners when it comes to race. White republicans whining about the black vote. Blacks whining about very vague references that could possibly be racism.

[Sammich]

well you can say whatever about me, but alot of people are going to look at that as racial, not just me. knowing how monkey is usually referred to towards the black race, this is racial or if you want to say, a stupid way to convey another message you were trying to get across...like redej said, the artist should have used another character, period.

[Total_Blender]

Yeah I was pretty shocked when I saw that cartoon. Once I read the article and saw it in context it seems worse. Why shoot the monkey? Also, if the monkey had done damage in a pet store or something, why is it shown on the curb? Theres no attempt to show any kind of context.

Racism may not have been the cartoonists intention, but I just know within the next couple of weeks someone will start sending this in an e-mail forward followed by some nonsense about how "that uppity ni**er is trying to take all our guns away".

[dorin48]

Eh. Its not even that clever of a cartoon unless you knew about the monkey attack. Race was the first thing that popped into my head after I read your title for the thread. After seeing the cartoon I decided that it really wasnt racialy driven. I guess that there is enough name calling out there to justify your unease about the cartoon but I think the time is coming soon where black people need to just "get over it already" unless its blatant. There are plenty of racisit terms for whites that have even been used against me in angst but do I react? Nope. Maybe I'm not sensitive enough toward the situation but yes there are still idiots out there and man do I hope they go away soon.

[BanginJimmy]

Yeah I was pretty shocked when I saw that cartoon. Once I read the article and saw it in context it seems worse. Why shoot the monkey? Also, if the monkey had done damage in a pet store or something, why is it shown on the curb? Theres no attempt to show any kind of context.

It was a reference to the chimp that attacked some kid in CT I believe it was.

[stephen]

....There are plenty of racisit terms for whites that have even been used against me in angst but do I react? Nope. Maybe I'm not sensitive enough toward the situation but yes there are still idiots out there and man do I hope they go away soon.

theres a huge difference between some "average joe" tossing a racial slur in your direction as opposed to a national newspaper. it doesn't have ANYTHING to do with being sensitive or not.

the bottom line, the cartoon lacks taste in more aspects than just race. the woman attacked (who was a VISITOR and not the owner of the chimp) lost both of her hands, her face is severely disfigured, spent hours in surgery, and is still listed in critical condition...how someone can find the "funny" in that is just beyond me.

[Total_Blender]

It was a reference to the chimp that attacked some kid in CT I believe it was.

Was the chimp shot with an actual bullet? From a cops service pistol? Because I'm pretty sure thats not how they handle crazy animals anymore.

Portraying Obama being shot is just not funny in any context, considering there has already been at least one assassination attempt...

Had they shown animal control trying to catch the monkey with a net it would have at least made a little more sense.

[stephen]

Was the chimp shot with an actual bullet? From a cops service pistol? Because I'm pretty sure thats not how they handle crazy animals anymore.

Portraying Obama being shot is just not funny in any context, considering there has already been at least one assassination attempt...

Had they shown animal control trying to catch the monkey with a net it would have at least made a little more sense.


yeah man...like i said...the situation in itself isn't really all that funny.

basically, some woman lost her daughter years ago, so she decides to go get a monkey. she had the monkey for like 15yrs, and recently he started "acting up." the lady had a friend come over and the monkey attacked her and the friend. the owner stabbed the monkey, and the police finally shot him dead. the friend who received the worst injuries from the attack, lost both of her hands and her face is disfigured.

how that relates to congress/obama/or anything remotely funny...your guess is as good as mine. i find the cartoon pretty offensive on a racial stand-point, but i'm also an animal lover (seems like you are too). it's pretty fucked up that this lady decided to replace her child with a wild fuckin animal, and now her ELDERLY friend is physically handicapped (that's IF she survives) and this monkey (who was probably stripped from its own "wild" mother) lost his life for reverting back to his natural instincts.

[dorin48]

theres a huge difference between some "average joe" tossing a racial slur in your direction as opposed to a national newspaper. it doesn't have ANYTHING to do with being sensitive or not.

the bottom line, the cartoon lacks taste in more aspects than just race. the woman attacked (who was a VISITOR and not the owner of the chimp) lost both of her hands, her face is severely disfigured, spent hours in surgery, and is still listed in critical condition...how someone can find the "funny" in that is just beyond me.

Your absolutely right. My post was more directed towards Mr. Sammich's feelings regarding this cartoon not its latent content. What happened to that woman is nothing less than a tragedy and I cant think of any situation where it could produce humor. More so that story drives it away from a racial attack I think. Maybe the cartoon was too straight forward and it threw people off. I find that usually political cartoons have more depth than this one. Given what it is I dont think the person who produced is capable of depth anyway. Oh and on another note about the racism, chimps are apes not monkeys.

[Total_Blender]

chimps are apes not monkeys.

http://lonestartimes.com/images/2007/02/planet-of-the-apes.JPG

Cornelius[/b] (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001522/)]: [reading from the sacred scrolls of the apes] Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him; drive him back into his jungle lair, for he is the harbinger of death

[Sammich]

:thinking: