Friday, February 20, 2009
Cartoon
I was watching the news last night and they showed the protesters that were protesting the cartoon that ran in the New York Post. It showed a police officer that had shot a chimp and another one said that they would have to find someone else to write the stimulus bill. The protesters were calling it racist and chanted shut down the Post. They said that the dead chimp was suppose to be the President. First of all, I did not tie the dead chimp to the President. It was obvious that the cartoon was portraying the chimp that attacked a person in Conn. earlier this week. I didn't see any of these protesters protesting when President Bush was made to be a monkey or bashed him. Where were they for that? It seems to me that they are saying that it is okay to bash white Presidents, but not other race Presidents. Who's the real racist here? It appears to me that people like the protesters are just looking for things to get pissed about and chant stupid stuff. The President is going to be bashed by cartoons no matter who they are. It comes with the job title. I say to the protesters get a life and go to work. If you don't have a job, then try looking for one. You apparently have the time.
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I agree with you about this. I have not seen or heard of anything about this but by the description of the cartoon I would not have made the connection of the dead chimp and the president. I have seen many other times when white people get bashed it's no big deal but as soon as people of other races are made fun of it's a huge deal all of a sudden. The protesters are just trying to find any excuse to get attention. It's just a cartoon and like you said no one complained when bush or any of the other presidents were made fun of.
ReplyDeleteI think they're angry because they made it a monkey. I don't think that that should piss people off though, because as you said, they have made Bush out to be a monkey before as well. Also, the cartoon could have been taken the wrong way, I don't think I would have connected the monkey and the president. People will start protesting monkey cartoons, but won't do anything about our real problems. I'm not saying racism isn't a real problem, I'm just saying I don't think this cartoon had any race implications and they should just shut up about it. I found the cartoon and I would not have even thought of the president if I had no knowledge of the protesting.
ReplyDeleteWhat the issue is here is that "monkey" was/is sometimes used as a racist term for black people. Since Obama identifies himself as a black man who really pushed this stimulus bill showing a dead monkey and mentioning the bill does in fact make a direct connection. This is an excellent example of the power of symbols and how people can interpret them.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to the cartoon in particular. I'll grant it may be a bit of a stretch but I can see where people would get the idea it's referencing Obama.
After looking at the cartoon, I can see how people would think it was directed at our new President, Barack Obama. However it is America, and issues like this can make people go to the extremes, these people who are protesting might be making a big deal out of something that was really meant to be about the chimp who attacked someone in Connecticut, unfortunately we might never know the truth behind the meaningful intentions of the cartoon. Of course no one would protest for President Bush, look how badly he was put down by left wing liberals, and the liberal news. Obama has come in, he is brand new, he may make some bad decisions eventually which may make people angry, it's inevitable for some people to take things more seriously than another group or individual people. So the moral of the story is, think for yourself, don't believe everything you read is meant to attack, and stick up for what you believe in, as a human being.
ReplyDeleteI think it was wrong for the cartoonist to display Obama as a monkey, also I heard about another cartoon where the front yard of the white house was a watermelon patch. It was wrong to dipict those images, but was it any worse than drawing Bush as the devil?
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I really don't think the cartoon monkey looked anything like a human. It was and is just a monkey. Yeah maybe the artist could have chosen a better symbol than a monkey, but I just think the artist is trying to say a monkey could have wrote the bill. I've seen the cartoon and my first thought was, "Really? Come on." I don't think that the use of a monkey was supposed to be in reference to the fact that Obama is black, and yes I think the artist made a mistake about the particular symbol he chose, but if he WAS trying to make a reference to Obama it was a crappy one anyway.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Andrew here I don't believe it was a direct attack on Obama. I think more or less its just saying, "What, did a monkey come up with this." Seth brings up a good point with the symbol of a monkey and how it was used towards blacks. I think the protester may had taken it a little far but, I can see the link. I think they forget that Bush was also made out to be a monkey too in some cartoons. Everybody in a position of power will be made fun of do to envy and etc. Even more so as a political leader. People tend to forget that being in such a high power is diffcult and they shouldn't be so quick to judge.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that the cartoon was meant to be racist, i don't think that is even the issue. Even if it were a racist cartoon, the Post had every right in the world to print it. If they offend people, then those offended don't need to buy the paper. I have a real problem with people chanting "shut down the Post" just because their feelings were hurt.
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