You’ve gotta be kidding me with this.
The New Yorker shows the Obamas as the right-wing sees them: Barack as a terrorist, Michelle as a Black Panther. Don’t forget the American flag burning in the fireplace!
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Fatemeh
Islam News @ NYT- Swedish Artist Says Sketch of Prophet Aimed to Mock All Religions: A man who prosecutors say was the target of a murder plot says his caricature of the Prophet Muhammad was intended to poke fun at all sacred symbols.
- Nigerians Recount Night of Their Bloody Revenge: This week dozens of herdsmen slaughtered hundreds of people in a brutal act of sectarian retribution in Jos.
- Views of ‘JihadJane’ Were Unknown to Neighbors: The ex-husband of the woman who called herself “JihadJane” said she “was just like anyone else.”
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muse 10:18 pm on July 13, 2008 Permalink |
can someone explain how merely repeating racist stereotypes is supposed to be satire?
Willow 8:34 am on July 14, 2008 Permalink |
Welcome to ‘post-racial America’.
aziz 8:47 am on July 14, 2008 Permalink |
I have to disagree – i think it’s brilliant satire. The rightwing pundits will try to argue that their critiques of obama are “on the merits” but if you take their attacks literally (hes a crypto muslim, hes an extremist, his wife is a leftist, etc) then the picture on the cover is in fact the logical portrait that results. Its a mirror reflecting all the ugliness about Obama in the right wing media at once.
I think that the right cant be given a pass on the implications of their rhetoric. This is what they are describing on talk radio and The Washington Times and Fox News. Lets hang this around their neck.
I think if we are too unforgiving of the risk that the New Yorker took in runnin this cover, we are part of the problem of diluting political discourse into “safe” channels and thereby leaching all serious analysis out of it. This cover is tame by 19th century and early 20th century political cartoon standards. We need to be – yes, I am aware that teh word is a bit ironic – post-racial, exactly as Obama argued in his famed post-Wright speech on race. Taking offense at the caricature shuts down critique of the very speech that leads to it in the minds of those for whom this is not satire.
Satire, and Irony, are the two most dangerous tools in the free speech toolbox. When wielded properly, they are devastating. But it takes practice to do so, so we should be more tolerant of good-faith attempts to do so.
aziz 9:13 am on July 14, 2008 Permalink |
I’ve expanded on my thoughts about the cover here at Nation-Building blog.
Willow 10:19 am on July 14, 2008 Permalink |
Satire is supposed to be insightful. This is merely repetitious. It could just as easily be an anti-Obama cartoon as a satire of right wing tactics. (I can almost guarantee that’s how it’d play if someone from rural West Virginia picked it up.) When I first saw it I thought it was meant to be anti-Obama, and I don’t think of myself as being particularly stupid or unfunny…
Fatemeh 11:08 am on July 14, 2008 Permalink |
Here’s Racialicious‘ take on it. The contributor defines it as “hipster racism.”
Willow 2:45 pm on July 14, 2008 Permalink |
Hipster racism. Brilliant. I’m going to start using that.