By any standards the the New Yorker's front cover depiction of Democratic nominee Barack Obama as a Muslim in full-flowing robes fist-bumping with his wife Michelle who is shown as a Afro-wearing, gun-toting terrorist, has attracted attention. The cartoon shows the pair celebrating an apparent takeover of the White House with an American flag burning in the background and a picture of Osama Bin Laden hanging on the wall. Titled "The Politics of Fear", the picture by Barry Blitt is New Yorker satire at its biting, brilliant best.
Yet notwithstanding its ability to sell magazines, (I can't wait to get my copy) it is quite obvious that the cartoon's original point -- to lampoon the off-the-wall conspiracy theories about Obama -- seems to have missed its mark by a long way amongst many people, liberal and conservative alike.
The Obama camp released a statement labelling the cartoon "tasteless and offensive" and derided the magazine's defence that it was intended as a satirical message.
"The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree," said the statement. [source]
Previously the management at the magazine had said they intended to
hold up a "mirror to prejudice" saying everything from the Muslim garb
to the terrorist fist bump echoed the mostly internet-driven false
attacks against the candidate.
"The burning flag, the nationalist-radical and Islamic outfits, the fist-bump, theIn a rare note of agreement on the campaign trail, the cartoon also
portrait on the wall? All of them echo one attack or another. Satire is
part of what we do, and it is meant to bring things out into the open,
to hold up a mirror to prejudice, the hateful, and the absurd. And
that's the spirit of this cover," the magazine said in a statement
released yesterday. [source]
brought condemnation from the Republican nominee John McCain who
described it as "totally inappropriate."
Indeed an opinion piece by Mark Hemingway in the right wing National Review
Online also condemned the cartoon as "tasteless and offensive," but against conservatives.
The problem is not that the typically literate New Yorker reader won'tSo why the huge outcry over the messages contained in the New Yorker's front
understand that the magazine isn't earnestly portraying Obama as a
member of al-Qaeda. The problem is that liberal media types think this
caricature of Obama actually exists in the heads of "right-wing
critics." Engage most real-life "right wing critics" for a few minutes
and you'll realize the contention is laughable...[source]
page cartoon? Surely it should be taken as yet another in the
magazine's long list of playful, if sometimes controversial satire? One
previous post-Hurricane Katrina cover showed President Bush and his
aides floating up to their armpits in water in the White House following the mismanagement
of the devastating aftermath of the tragedy. Another illustration had Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney depicted as cowboys from the film Brokeback Mountain.
Perhaps a hint is contained in a recent survey conducted which shows rather shockingly that:
Twelve percent of voters surveyed said that Obama was sworn in as a UnitedBut surely even this realisation shouldn't mean that good old American
States senator on a Qur'an, while 26 percent believe the Democratic
candidate was raised as a Muslim and 39 percent believe he attended an
Islamic school as a child growing up in Indonesia. [source]
satire should take a holiday, especially when its needed most; in a
presidential election year? According to the New Yorker's
editor David Remnick, "Satire doesn't run with subtitles. A satirical
cartoon would not be any good if it came with a set of instructions."
For further discussion on the offending cartoon, see the Washington Post video here.
Image top: Senator Barack Obama campaigning at the University of Maryland Feb 2008. Credit Thirty30/Photography/flickr
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I believe there should never be such a thing as a " MUSLIM AMERICAN "
Muslims are against the American way of life!
Dont kid yourself!
If Obama gets elected? which I doubt and hope for , then there will be an even stronger division between whites and blacks.
Dear Karl,
I am yet to see (and of course will be amazed) by how will will go ahead and make the relationship between Muslim/Non-Muslim and Black/White.
This is going to be a new one!!!
And once you have done that, what happens to people who are yellow and brown/tan and their Muslim/Non-Muslim ness.
You are a piece!!
Karl Gonczy, you my friend are an idiot.
"Muslims are against the American way of life!"??
Do you know anything at all about Islam as a faith?
Have you read the Koran?
Or are you just another ill informed moron who just spouts useless and stupid rhetoric.
People so uneducated as you should not take part in the political process at all, because you are so ignorant and blind to the truth, that all you contribute is just ugly and useless..
Please learn more before you make stupid comments on an intelligent article.
Hey folks, thanks for the comments. Its an interesting point as to whether Obama can unite blacks and white, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. His message of "change" and healing is vital to his chances of election don't you think?
Rich, It is not Obama's duty to "unite" Blacks and Whites and Muslims/non-Muslims. I find it odd that the public does not pin that enormous task on McCain, but Obama is held to a different standard. The only responsibility Obama has (like McCain) is to show why he is the best person to lead the country, not to single-handedly heal racial/religious divisions.
The only reason that this Mr. & Mrs. Obama satire DOES have impact — and may very likely spread — is because like all good satire, or good humor for that matter, there’s more than a germ of truth in it. Otherwise, the satire would utterly roll off the Obamoids’ backs, having no impact.
will realize too late the change Obama has in mind if he is elected. Never did I think there could be worse than Bush; I was so wrong.
The best part about this is his has the FOXbots defending Obama, which was arguably the goal all along...
Does anyone think the next edition of the New Yorker will portray McCain as the "Manchurian candidate" in the interests of balance and fairness?
Why has this whole race for the White House become Racial? This has become the problem. I do believe racial equality is more then a issue in the USA. I am a born American. I feel the damage has already begun. The division of Race is now a huge issue and more then likely will cause civil injustice. From many conversations with young and old of mixed races it seems that there is now more hatred towards other races. The promotion of the background of Obama has caused to many questions in finding the truth. Mrs. Obama has made it clear her feelings towards upper class white male America. I've read her thesis from Princeton. Hatred is now surrounding this whole election in my opinion. I truly beleive this is the worse choice of two men to run this country ever. Were have all the good educated men run off to? No one wants to have their private lifes invaded anymore.
I hope we can only surrive the next four years.
Peace,
Chase
Why has this whole race for the White House become Racial? This has become the problem. I do believe racial equality is more then a issue in the USA. I am a born American. I feel the damage has already begun. The division of Race is now a huge issue and more then likely will cause civil injustice. From many conversations with young and old of mixed races it seems that there is now more hatred towards other races. The promotion of the background of Obama has caused to many questions in finding the truth. Mrs. Obama has made it clear her feelings towards upper class white male America. I've read her thesis from Princeton. Hatred is now surrounding this whole election in my opinion. I truly believe this is the worse choice of two men to run this country ever. Were have all the good educated men run off to? No one wants to have their private life's invaded anymore.
I hope we can only survive the next four years.
Peace,
Chase
Barack the "crock"...I hope to God that he's not elected or there will be definitely be change and it's going to be in your pocket, not your wallet!
The guy is a left-winged loon who's now waffling so bad his Aunt Jemima syrup won't come out of his bottle! He's got ZERO experience in anything except for his charming, albeit totally unknowledgeable political short-lived life. You better wake up people and do it quick!!
Pledge Allegiance...to the flag & wear the pin!
The Wolf has "howled"
*********************
Well don't be surprised to see Hillary get the Democratic nod on the convention floor. There is allot coming out soon about Barrack Obama. Even the infamous Rush Limbaugh has said the same lately. God help us. This Gay marriage ordeal seems to be the focus of the Democratic platform. I being from California will vote to end this in November. The polls seem to agree with my beliefs. I guess there's nothing more important going on in this country to worry about other then liberal immoral issues. It amazes me that this seems to be the heart of the Presidential order with Obama as well.
I can think of other pressing items. Obama has a time limit to end the war in so many months after taking on the office of President. I never stood for the attack of Iraq and I'm not the most educated either, however, we opened Pandora's box and now we need to finish what we started. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. I wish just one person running for office would get real and forget about the minority groups and lobbyist and fix the mess and be someone that we can look up to and respect. I guess that's not the American way of doing things.
Peace,
Chase Michaels
chase.michaels@live.com
Okay;
It is not a matter of white/black Islam.Jew /Catholic or whatnot... If someone was raised Islam so be it some of us were raised Catholic Jewish or Bible thumping Baptist.. We are all in the same world and would like for everything to go as needed..We did not need to go to Iraq Bubba Bush wanted to show daddie how well he couldnm't play with soldiers.. Mamma Bush just sat back and said how nice..In the south do you really know what How nice means??
Whilst Chenhey needs a new battery is getting moneys from the deals with oil and why do ya think Georgieis opwn went to the ME awhile back to seal a deal .. with his cronnie Chenney (since they are into oil)... He is linning the pocekt of himself and Chenney all over agin.. Buy the oil eich states know this and are playing them as pawns... who is more intelligent the Arabs as alot of people saw or the US,Brits etc... we are all pawns in they're game... Heck they have been using and abusing or toying with everyone in the wolrd for 90 something years plus...
So Obama is Muslim foes that give us a 10% discount??
Hi All,
What will be the main issues of the campaign do you think? Will the gay marriage thing divide the Democrats? The Iraq war now is being claimed a success by McCain, will this be important in voters' minds as they go to the polls?
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Simply put, it is obscene filth. Imagine the uproar of they had a "satirical lampoon of the caricature" of Jews as portrayed by anti-semites!
Garbage like this should be proscribed.
Viva La Evolucion ;)