[Scape]

The rebuttal about stating the cartoon was not about Obama but at best would be about Pelosi, which it is not, seems strange. Why make the cartoon at all then?

[ridenrain]

Does anyone seriously believe that political cartoonists are some brilliant visionaries?
The guy got an idea and drew a cartoon, the publisher liked it and published it, and now it's become controversial which is the best thing that could have happened.

To read some deep insight into it is simply navel gazing.

[Scape]

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out why that is racist. This toon right at the launch of Obamas 1st major bill is more of the same.

[GreenTiger]

True, The cartoon is over the line, but Al Sharpton will promotes as much racial anger as anybody else.

[Scape]

Who is promoting the Nazi Swastika at a rally? Who is printing the cartoon portraying the Obama administration as a bunch of wild apes that need to be shot?

Al is not the race baiter here.

[maldonsfecht]

reminds me of the "lipstick on a pig" reference in the campaign Obama made regarding Palin... he wasn't calling her a pig... it's a common phrase. The cartoon references the commonly referenced image of monkeys at typewriters creating "the perfect novel." People are projecting...
the t-shirt and swastika are horrible but unrelated to this cartoonist.

[commanderkai]

Scape Scape:

Who is promoting the Nazi Swastika at a rally? Who is printing the cartoon portraying the Obama administration as a bunch of wild apes that need to be shot?

Have you seen anti-war rallies for the past eight years? Plenty of swastikas there. Sheesh...

The cartoon was in bad taste, but you're really jumping to massive conclusions Scape. Seriously. There was no real racist intent, no matter what Sharpton says. The swastika is stupid, sure, but has nothing to do with this cartoon, and beyond that, is not something unique to rallies.

[Choban]

xerxes xerxes:

But by referencing the Stimulus bill they newspaper is implying that Obama is a monkey. See the implied racism yet?

Implictions are a matter of opinion, that's the problem,
I would say that this cartoon implicates that even a trained chimp can create a stimulus package for the US.
The only real problem and how it got taken out of context is the years of jokes comparing Blacks with Monkeys.
Is it rasist? In a round about way maybe but it's a stretch.
Having said that, they should have realized before they printed it that there would be an issue, especially with Sharpton, he's a media hog who jumps on anything even remotly seen to be derogatory.

[Scape]

Is it really so much of a stretch considering the historical context?

[Choban]

Scape Scape:

Is really so much of a stretch considering the historical context?

No, but that's my point, Sharpton took it out of context and put the racial context onto it, therefore the stretch. If it was Joe Blow Black Guy complaining I would agree with them, and I do understand the complaints. I'm personally surprised it made it past editing and into the paper.

[ManifestDestiny]

I see no Racism here.


Just a group of people who have whats called "White Guilt"


And another group who take advantage of this fact.

[PluggyRug]

Al Sharpton is one of the most racict buffoons on the planet.

Is the cartoon in poor taste, yes, racist, no.

[Pseudonym]

I'm still confused as to why the cartoon is even considered to be "in poor taste". Is it because it can be construed as racist? I think that is a rather poor standard for evaluating a cartoon, or any form of speech.

[roger-roger]

I dont see why they even thought of printing it, its not funny.

[Scape]

Pseudonym Pseudonym:

I'm still confused as to why the cartoon is even considered to be "in poor taste". Is it because it can be construed as racist? I think that is a rather poor standard for evaluating a cartoon, or any form of speech.

I suppose it could be such in the same was an abused spouse recoils in fear when her husband raises his hand. Conditioned response. And yes, this is terrible that an entire industry of comics are now put out of work because they can no longer make ape jokes, just like when we banned all exibits of burning crosses and pictures of nooses on Broadway...