Wow,can't Beleive The Ny Post

[8ball]

That's like saying since black people were slaves, everyone should get a turn. If it was really that big of a problem nobody seemed to make it known.

you can not be serious can you ? Slavery was fucking horrible, getting shot in the head heart for not being free or beaten are you kidding me ? I dont agree with none of that slavery shit "pcik you own cotton" Lincoln was the 16th pres of the usa, in 1860 he was the man you telling me there is still some one out there that can say "yeah that muther fucker right there inslaved me" Or some one that can say "yeah that muther fucker right there I inslaved" NO. That was a long fucking time ago. Long ago. 1776 was the dec. of ind. in the 1860's slavery was no more. that a hundred years dog. Its been a hundred plus some. NO the fucking picture doenst have any thing to do with him being african american.

[fatboy1185]

when people call me racist i tell them to fist themselves. People look different, and its funny. All there is to it.

[gloryaccordy]

you can not be serious can you ? Slavery was fucking horrible, getting shot in the head heart for not being free or beaten are you kidding me ? I dont agree with none of that slavery shit "pcik you own cotton" Lincoln was the 16th pres of the usa, in 1860 he was the man you telling me there is still some one out there that can say "yeah that muther fucker right there inslaved me" Or some one that can say "yeah that muther fucker right there I inslaved" NO. That was a long fucking time ago. Long ago. 1776 was the dec. of ind. in the 1860's slavery was no more. that a hundred years dog. Its been a hundred plus some. NO the fucking picture doenst have any thing to do with him being african american.

I'm just sayin NOBODY had a problem with Bush being portrayed as a monkey. While Obama arguably isn't even being portrayed in this comic, people WOULD DEFINITELY have a problem with him being portrayed as a monkey. If something offends you, you rightfully expect me to respect that... so why do I have to "get over it"? Because you don't understand?

[deevergote]

People look different, and its funny. All there is to it.

I wish life could be so simple!
Poking fun at racial and cultural differences has plenty of potential to be funny and absolutely harmless. Unfortunately, people have different levels of tolerance for such things. I have a friend that is black and homosexual. He makes fun of black people and homosexual people all the time... and the person to get offended? My straight white friend. What's funny to some isn't funny to others, and unfortunately, we have to be sensitive to those that get offended.
Worse, there are people that take such comedy to be fact. People that believe that the comments made in jest are actual truths about an entire group of people, and act accordingly (ever see Archie Bunker interacting with a black man on All In The Family? Funny... but it's like that... or worse... as it can breed actual hatred)




Anyway, as I said before (and it's been used in this thread since) "reverse racism" is the most idiotic concept ever. Racism is not something created by or practiced by white people alone. Racism is any attack or unfair treatment of another race... by ANYONE.
This oversensitive society has conditioned themselves to believe that "racism" is white against black. While it is, it is not limited to that!


Bottom line, that comic is NOT calling Obama a monkey. It is NOT a racial statement. It is simply criticizing the intelligence of the government representatives that drafted the stimulus bill. It is a political statement, not a racial statement.

As stated above, people that called Bush a monkey were never called racist. But someone points a monkey at Washington in general, and suddenly they're calling our new black president a monkey. I don't get it.
People that are calling racism at this comic are LOOKING for a reason. THEY are the ones focusing on the color of our president!

President Obama is my president. He is my Commander in Chief. He got my vote. I don't even see a black man (and he's only half black anyway...) I just see the man that I chose to lead my country... and I'm damn glad he's the one that took office.

[deevergote]

I'm just sayin NOBODY had a problem with Bush being portrayed as a monkey. While Obama arguably isn't even being portrayed in this comic, people WOULD DEFINITELY have a problem with him being portrayed as a monkey. If something offends you, you rightfully expect me to respect that... so why do I have to "get over it"? Because you don't understand?

If they were actually calling Obama a monkey, then yes... it is 100% understandable for people to get offended. I would be offended myself. However, it is a REAL stretch to even try to make this about Obama.
But yes, he totally misunderstood your slavery statement...

It's as bad as the guy that shows up late every day, leaves early, and barely works while he's at his job crying racism when he gets fired.


The race card gets people worked up. The media (especially the gossip rags) LOVE to use race to make money.

[gloryaccordy]

If they were actually calling Obama a monkey, then yes... it is 100% understandable for people to get offended. I would be offended myself. However, it is a REAL stretch to even try to make this about Obama.
But yes, he totally misunderstood your slavery statement...

It's as bad as the guy that shows up late every day, leaves early, and barely works while he's at his job crying racism when he gets fired.


The race card gets people worked up. The media (especially the gossip rags) LOVE to use race to make money.

People really like getting worked up... black or white.

It sucks cause on a hip hop messageboard, when I pointed out that the comic wasn't about Obama, the responses I got were

"Well TECHNICALLY its not about Obama but if you don't know anything about anything it's close enough!!! They know what the fuck they were doing!!!! You're a coon for thinkin otherwise (true words!)"

And it's like, there is plenty of stuff that's legitimately worth getting worked up about... why this, which is a stretch at best? As long as we LOOK for stuff to be angry about there will always be a divide.

At the same time though, the sad and ugly part is, racism is still real, racial insensitivity is still real, and there are things that happened (and are still happening) in American history that I don't know could ever be worked out. So to sweep everything under the rug as overreating is weak too. But at the same time I agree that people overreact a lot and play the race card like crazy. It's rough. I wanna move to Ghana.

[Gemini]

Exactly.

The comic is simply calling the Democrats a bunch of primates. It is not using the concept of "monkey" as any sort of racial stereotype.

People that get worked up about this comic are the same overzealous blinder-bound idiots that believe "reverse racism" is a valid concept.
Granted, the Post should have realized that there are far too many people like that in this world to actually understand the real meaning of the comic, and they should realize that anything that could be construed as racist towards our black president WOULD be interpreted that way.

Believe me Mike, they were aware that these peoples exist and thats the reason why they did it. Its just a marketing ploy.
They knew that the comic wasnt referring to any racial stereotypes but they knew that alot of people would take it as that hence the reason they still published it to stir up controversy which is what the media does

They took the chance on publishing the comic knowing that they were alot of uneducated people were going to view it so I think they deserve the back lash.

And for the record i didnt view it as anything racial because I'm pretty educated about politics but I'm sure if I wasnt might have reacted the same way some of my peers did.

[Tnwagn]

My only question is why couldn't they have picked another stupid woodland creature?

There is no way they made this and didn't think once about the comments that people would make about it (as far as it being racist).

Intentions are one thing, but the what really matters is the way that people take what they see in print. Each person looking at the cartoon doesn't have someone from the Post standing behind them saying, "We're just alluding to the fact that the people who drafted the stimuls bill are stupid, that's all."

Dean pretty much says it all right here.

Believe me Mike, they were aware that these peoples exist and thats the reason why they did it. Its just a marketing ploy.
They knew that the comic wasnt referring to any racial stereotypes but they knew that alot of people would take it as that hence the reason they still published it to stir up controversy which is what the media does

[gloryaccordy]

Believe me Mike, they were aware that these peoples exist and thats the reason why they did it. Its just a marketing ploy.
They knew that the comic wasnt referring to any racial stereotypes but they knew that alot of people would take it as that hence the reason they still published it to stir up controversy which is what the media does

They took the chance on publishing the comic knowing that they were alot of uneducated people were going to view it so I think they deserve the back lash.

And for the record i didnt view it as anything racial because I'm pretty educated about politics but I'm sure if I wasnt might have reacted the same way some of my peers did.

On one hand, I don't think the Post, or ANY media outlet, should take precautions not to offend people who look to get riled up over stuff without knowing all the facts. If someone is uninformed, they shouldn't have the right to an opinion on anything IMO; to enable that kind of behavior is dangerous.

But at the same time I still think it was in poor taste for a number of reasons. I can think of a whole range of people who this could legitimately offend before black people.

[Gemini]

On one hand, I don't think the Post, or ANY media outlet, should take precautions not to offend people who look to get riled up over stuff without knowing all the facts. If someone is uninformed, they shouldn't have the right to an opinion on anything IMO; to enable that kind of behavior is dangerous.

But at the same time I still think it was in poor taste for a number of reasons. I can think of a whole range of people who this could legitimately offend before black people.

touche' but I still think they deserve the back lash.
I'm very anti-PC and my friends now that. I hate walking on egg shells and I'm happy they had the balls to publish something like that even tho some people think its poor taste as you stated.

Its shouldnt be a suprise that people thought it was racial and took offense because since this past presidental race started the media focused most of there energy on the ethnicity of one the candidates and still keep reminding everyone after he won so its still fresh in most people's minds so it was VERY easy to take that comic as a jab at our new president , then again this is my just my perspective.

[gloryaccordy]

touche' but I still think they deserve the back lash.
I'm very anti-PC and my friends now that. I hate walking on egg shells and I'm happy they had the balls to publish something like that even tho some people think its poor taste as you stated.

Its shouldnt be a suprise that people thought it was racial and took offense because since this past presidental race started the media focused most of there energy on the ethnicity of one the candidates and still keep reminding everyone after he won so its still fresh in most people's minds so it was VERY easy to take that comic as a jab at our new president , then again this is my just my perspective.

I think there are times when being PC isn't necessary. But I also think people hate having to be PC because it forces them to learn about other people's cultures and be sensitive to what might offend others. Both sides at the extreme ends are wrong, but I think there is a lot of merit in the whole PC movement.

[Ralphie]

I'm kind of in the middle.

I mean there Is no way in hell that the editors at the Post didn't forsee controversy especially with how crucial race has been in the last few years or so. And with Barack in office now I think that they could have put a different twist on it out of respect. Just because we have the great freedom of speech here doesn't mean you should say what you feel even if it offends someone or could be viewed offensively(Well the media doesn't give a shit I know)



On the other hand I feel that people are too sensitive and that they sometimes play the victim card or pull the race card and waste time bickering over bs when the real focus should be on that poor lady who was maulled and CT's exotic pet laws. I do agree that if something offends you you have every right to speak up and set the record straight but you also have to take into account the source of the problem and its intended audience.

Either way I believe society is on the right path now and things are close to where they should be but never forget there will always be the one person( or group ) that ruins it for everyone.

[starchland]

Free speech isnt really free speech when you cant say everything you'd like. unfortunately we dont live in a society where the individual can police his/her own mouth. However, is this because the government has always done it for us?

[deevergote]

My only question is why couldn't they have picked another stupid woodland creature?

That, right there, is the whole reason why they did what they did.

You apparently haven't heard the story of the crazed chimp...


I believe it was on Monday, a pet chimp attacked a woman. It did major damage to her face, and she is in critical condition. The cops showed up and subdued the animal. It woke up, chased the cops into their car, and actually managed to open the cop car. When the chimp opened the car, the cop inside shot and killed him.

The story was all over the news. It was HUGE... bigger than it should have been, honestly.



I don't believe the Post had the foresight to see the upcoming controversy. I think the whole issue was a total LACK of foresight.
It's a political cartoon... hence, poking fun at politics. That's what political cartoons do. They took something that was hot in current events, and tied it into the OTHER topic that is hot... the government's handling of the stimulus package. Newspapers stick with the current times. You have to jump on news before it's not news anymore. They just jumped without thinking on this one!

Can it be taken wrong? Sure. If you don't know the chimp story AND the status of the stimulus package (and, I would assume, the stance of the NY Post on the government's handling of it) then perhaps it wouldn't make any sense... you'd see a comment about the government, which (in other hot news) currently has a black man at the helm, and a picture of a monkey. You don't know about the attack, you're too ignorant to know anything about the stim package (other than Obama is givin' the world money!) and you think "they're calling our president a monkey!"
I totally agree with Yaw on this one... you can't blame the newspaper for your own ignorance. You should be aware of what is going on in your world.


It is a lack of foresight on the NY Post's part, for certain. It IS possible that someone may have been shady enough to catch it, and allow it, just to stir up controversy... but honestly, that's a stretch. Assuming ignorance is often the safest, and most accurate, assumption you can make.




As for racism itself, yes... it certainly DOES still exist. I used to get in fistfights with all the neo-Nazi kids in high school. If they had red or white laces in their combat boots, I was in their face. It's a matter of ignorance.
However, it's stupid shit like this that only fuels the fire. If people want equality, they need to stop flipping their lid about every little thing. Get upset about REAL racism... but don't look for someone's head because you misinterpreted a cartoon!
I assure you, there's nothing that the good Rev. Jesse Jackson has ever done that would sway even the most wishy-washy white supremacist. He'll rally like-minded individuals, but he'll strengthen the feelings of all that feel otherwise.

Racism is real. Racism can not, and will not, be defeated by CONSTANTLY harping on the differences between the races. Education and integration are the only ways.

[GHOST 2.2]

some updates

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/21/chi...oon/index.html