NY cartoon appears to link Obama to dead chimp

What pisses me off about this whole thing is not that it's a picture of something that can be interpreted in so many ways, but that someone somewhere gets to decide that it's wrong and actually force these people to apologize for something that someone somewhere decided was offensive.

It's not anything more then what you make it to be.

Ironically this whole thing would have been missed by the masses if people hadn't made such a big deal about it.

Before you accuse me of thinking it is either racist or not, I say to you why does it matter?? When did our free speech and rights to express ourselves artistically whether its PC or not become controlled by other people.

I may not agree with sooo many articles, pictures and thoughts of others, but I have the option to turn the freaking page and look at something else.

This whole thing is crazy.

Originally posted by Ellipsis

Ironically this whole thing would have been missed by the masses if people hadn't made such a big deal about it.

Is that not how most "controversial" news is reported, yellow journalism and the such.

1. Find something obscure and offensive
2. Make sure it is relevant to any national controversial subject
a) Racism in America
b) A Black President
c)The stimulus package
3. Next make a big deal out of it while not taking a specific side on the story yourself
4. Let Americans argue and fight amongst each other
5. ?????
6. PROFIT

Originally posted by OKCBtard
6. PROFIT

I KNEW the Underpant Gnomes had something to do with this incident.

reply to post by Djarums


Although I think it's in bad taste by comparing the US presidents intellect to that of a rabid chimp, it's not racist in my opinion.

I don't think the cartoonist thought
"black guy looks like monkey"

I think they thought that the almost random approach to the stimulous bill is similar in the way the wild chimp acted.

When I saw the cartoon I knew right away that the chimp did not represent Obama, but the ones who actually wrote the new package. The use of a chimp automatically made me think of this www.nutters.org... . I think some people are determined to see racism.

Sad world we live in.

Obama did not write the bill. So don't associate him with the chimp in the cartoon. It's like the saying that put chimps in a room with a typewrite and eventually they'll come out with shakespeare or something like that. Enough monkeys in congress will come up with a stimulus bill.

Anytime some people have a reason to shout racism, they do it (even though if they watched the news they would see that their was a recent incident where a once-famous chimpanzee was shot by police).

These people need to leave...go someone else. Go to some deserted island where they can hang out with their buddies and talk about how all the people of the rest of the world are racist towards them.

I mean, this is stupid! Yeah, I think it is possible that a monkey wrote the current stimulus bill. I'd say at least 80% of the people on ATS completely disagree with the stimulus bill.

As some others pointed out, George Bush was depicted as a chimpanzee. Wait...that makes them racist towards Caucasians! Racist, racist, racist!

This whole ordeal is stupid.

Took me a while to form an opinion on this one. But I think that the cartoon seems awfully pointless without the monkey=Obama link. I mean, the idea that the reader is supposed to "get" that the stimulus plan is "so stupid that a monkey could have written it" seems like quite a stretch. I just can't blame people for taking it the wrong way.

And then you have the half-hearted, or even back-handed apology from the paper. It's like they don't want to take responsibility for the way their publication is interpereted. This isn't "just a cartoon". It's a cartoon by a professional cartoonist in a professionally jounalistic context. They have to take some responsibility for expressing themselves effectively if they want to be taken seriously.

Even if those protesting the cartoon understand that it is not about Obama, I can understand that they might think it would set a dangerous precedent to let this kind of "accidental racism" go ignored.

First off, That IS incredably offensive!
-------------------------------
Second

It's funny how he was being compared to kennedy, and Lincoln. (assasinated)
in the press.

Why all the constant Assasination referances to him? I do think People are trying to put that image into the publics mind, and some will take it as 'go-on do it!'

Some black folk really have a chip on their shoulder don´t they, why are they so sensitive.

Oh its the "we were slaves" thing again or what.

That was ages ago and Black people were slaves to each other before THEY sold each other to the Europeans. So they can stop blaming it all on the whites, the original idea was actually from the African tribes not the white man.

Time to Grow up and look forward.

Originally posted by Mynaeris
I am surprised ANYBODY is seeing this as racist. When I think of all the pictures implying that Bush was a chimp (I'll add a couple of links below).

Why are you surprised?
People always see what they want to see. No matter what subject.

If 3% of all people who claim to be open-minded is really open-minded, then we have got a miracle.

Greetings

I saw the cartoon and I never even thought about Obama. I thought of all the morons in congress and the line about putting a bunch of chimps in a room with typewriters and they would come up with a best selling novel or something to that effect. If the guy was white or asian or anything else it would be a non-issue. Some people look for racism under every rock they see. Dang, it's gonna be a long four years............

I can't believe this is still an issue with some people.

So they think the chimp wrote the stimulus plan?
Big deal,doesn't really matter who wrote it if nobody took the time to even read it anyway.

That to me is more offensive than anything else.

Question: Would the cartoon be more offensive if it included a dead zebra instead?
I think so.

Originally posted by Distractions4Nothing
Took me a while to form an opinion on this one. But I think that the cartoon seems awfully pointless without the monkey=Obama link. I mean, the idea that the reader is supposed to "get" that the stimulus plan is "so stupid that a monkey could have written it" seems like quite a stretch. I just can't blame people for taking it the wrong way.

And then you have the half-hearted, or even back-handed apology from the paper. It's like they don't want to take responsibility for the way their publication is interpereted. This isn't "just a cartoon". It's a cartoon by a professional cartoonist in a professionally jounalistic context. They have to take some responsibility for expressing themselves effectively if they want to be taken seriously.

Even if those protesting the cartoon understand that it is not about Obama, I can understand that they might think it would set a dangerous precedent to let this kind of "accidental racism" go ignored.

You're right....the chimpanzee being shot and killed by police in the news recently had nothing to do with this cartoon. Yes, it's all about the Obama = monkey link.

Once again, you're right about them needing to take responsibility. Because when I went to the super market and saw bananas, I was like "that's racist! monkeys eat bananas and all depictions of monkeys in any way, shape or form is racist!" and they didn't apologize to me. Those bastards....

Okay, about the above example, that's the logic of it all. President = Black; Police talk about a monkey drafting the bill; monkey + Black President = racist.

"Accidental racism?!" LOL! What's that?! Either one is making remarks with a racist intent or they aren't.

On a side note, I seen this one commercial with a famous African American sports player advertising a product and then the commercial right after it was a special about Chimpanzees on the Discovery Channel! Needless to say, I called those SOBs at the TV station, and I was like "wtf?! I just seen a commercial of an African American advertising a product, and then the next commercial was of a Chimpanzee special on the Discovery Channel! You're racists!"

Okay, about the above example, that's how stupid people are acting about this cartoon. It would be the same as me counting how many Caucasians and African Americans are in a commercial. If there are more Caucasians, it's racist; otherwise, what's there to complain about?

Once again, if people watched the news they would see that their was an incident with a chimpanzee having been killed by police. Then again, I guess everyone was too busy, you know, with the "you're racist!" remarks.

Man o' man...if only I could complain about racism! But, being Caucasian, I gave up those rights at birth. Mmmmmm..affirmative action anyone?

reply to post by MemoryShock


You are so wrong about the cartoon, the artist drew the cartoon to show that the stimulus must have written by a monkey, therefore the one they shot, relating to the chimp that mauled the woman, who will be left to write the new stimulus. It has nothing to do with blacks or obama.

Obama didnt write the stimulus bill, congress did, they are the chimps, duh!

As with all forms of ART, it is open to interpretation. The artists did achieve his goal, I dare say.

It seems to me there a great deal of 'pre-ception' engaged here, as well as 'per-ception.' Those inclined to expect offense WILL take it where ever the opportunity presents itself. Those inclined to offend can be very clever. The cycle is unending when the media engages it a fuel for publicity.

reply to post by Distractions4Nothing


"It's a cartoon by a professional cartoonist in a professionally jounalistic context. They have to take some responsibility for expressing themselves effectively if they want to be taken seriously."

You shouldn't ever expect the MSM to take responsibility for the credibility of what they publish. Afterall, they are the official propaganda arm of Corporate America.

But anyhow, like I said before, my immediate thoughts on the cartoon were that they were comparing the bill to something that was thrown together by a lower primate. I don't think it was a jab at Obama. It isn't the cartoonist's fault if Americans are too stupid to realize that the bill wasn't concocted by Obama, but by Nancy Pelosi.

Unfortunately though, Americans ARE that stupid. And they get dumber by the hour.

One of the many ploys used to keep us distracted is the perpetual fabrication of fake controversies.

Originally posted by Djarums

The Post always takes potshots at Democrats in office. It's been that way since I was able to read. But I don't believe I have ever seen the usually hyper-political Post reach a level like this. To me, comparing the President of the United States (or any elected official) to a crazy chimp that needed to be put down is offensive no matter how you look at it.

Well, lots of Democrats thought it was pretty funny when Bush was being compared to a chimp. Although I am not really a democrat, I have to admit I laughed at the whole Bush/Chimp photo montages right along with everyone else.

I doubt the cartoon was an invitation to assassination. I also do not feel the chimp was meant to represent Obama, since Obama is highly unlikely to have authored the stimulus bill. Thats not really his job description, bill writing, now is it? What the cartoon seems to me to be playing on is the idea that it is such a dumb package surely it must have been written by a chimp, and likely, the recent news story of cops shooting an actual chimp.

I am glad I live in a country where our political leaders are not sacred. I am glad we can mock them and poke fun at the political process. And, I think that the people who are protesting over it are making much ado about nothing. And playing the race card when that card is very old and tired, and needs to be put away for a while.

The only people I see making comparisons to black people and chimps are the protesters.

[edit on 22-2-2009 by Illusionsaregrander]

Bush earned the monkey comparison, he had 8years. Tell me was Bush shown to be some animal shot dead on a major liberal newspaper? How about was it in his year as president?. Obama just started his term. Not to mention that it shows the monkey being shot dead, now with all the threats of "civil wars" and "trigger happy" owners here, the partisan newspaper obviously blatanly disregarded the current situation among the looney of this nation who want the president elect dead over some BC,NWO antichrist garbage thats been spread round.

We all know the history of racially comparing blacks to monkeys and apes. Obviously the newspaper wanted to invoke its own racial issues with the new president otherwise when comparing Obama maybe it would have by the least made another comparison.

Its like the folks here justifying a history of slavery because "oh my irish pop got name called" or the folks here who go on about the poor jews and justify the killing of arabs. Its just this partisan garbage.

You dont have to agree with Obama or his policies to see this picture as unacceptable. We are beyond this crap now. Seriously its got to the point when its acceptable to show the president being shot, and being racially negatively potrayed because "I heard the mans a muslim arab socialist gay".

Why lower your standards?

[edit on 23-2-2009 by southern_Guardian]