Cartoon Causes Protests

[Guest Cooper]

In Wednesday's NY Post the following cartoon appeared. It is causing a great deal of racial controversy and outrage. Protesters will demonstrate once again outside the NY Post's offices this afternoon. It is viewed by some "as a racist attack against Afro Americans comparing them to monkeys." The following article gives the background as to why the cartoonist chose that image citing a recent shooting of a Ct. monkey on the attack... Freedom of Press???

Protesters picket New York Post over chimp cartoon

This cartoon image provided by the New York Post appeared in the Post's Page Six

(New York Post/AP)

The cartoon by Sean Delonas was published in the New York Post

Nico Hines

Protesters gathered outside the New York Post’s Manhattan office last night chanting “shut the Post down†after they claimed a cartoon in the tabloid compared President Obama to a chimpanzee.

The Post's Editor-in-Chief insists his cartoonist was simply mocking the authors of the fiscal stimulus Bill as no better than a team of trained monkeys. But the newspaper’s critics say Sean Delonas’s sketch was tantamount to calling for Barack Obama to be assassinated.

The cartoon, published on page six of the newspaper on Wednesday, showed a policeman standing over the corpse of an ape with a smoking gun in his hand. A colleague says to him: “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus Bill.â€

The cartoon was referencing a celebrity chimpanzee named Travis who was shot dead by police in Stamford, Connecticut on Monday, after it mauled a friend of its owner.

Civil rights leaders and politicians responded furiously claiming it echoed racist stereotypes. The Reverend Al Sharpton, an prominent civil rights leader, called the cartoon “troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeysâ€.

Members of the public also reacted angrily against the Post. Its phones rang all day with upset readers and protesters, picketing the tabloid’s offices, demanded an apology and a boycott.

“How could the Post let this cartoon pass as satire?†said Barbara Ciara, president of the National Association of Black Journalists. “To compare the nation’s first African-American commander-in-chief to a dead chimpanzee is nothing short of racist drivel.â€

State Senator Eric Adams called it a throwback to the days when black men were lynched.

Col Allan, editor-in-chief of the Post, defended the work. “The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut,†Allan said in a statement. “It broadly mocks Washington’s efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist.â€

Robert Gibbs, White House press secretary, declined comment. “I have not seen the cartoon,†he told reporters aboard Air Force One as Mr Obama returned to Washington. “But I don’t think it’s altogether newsworthy reading the New York Post.â€

[TampaYankee]

At best this is some brain dead attempt at political humor that is totally insensitive to bigger social and political issues. At worst, it throws red meat to hate mongers with potential incitement to violence to our national psyche. There actually are crazies out there who could see themselves as martyrsaviors stepping up to save America from itself.

One thing is sure. The editorial dept is totally irresponsible as a leader of public conversation and has no business making editorial decisions. IMO, the Managing Editor and cartoonist ought to be offered slots in the mail room or fired. Maybe other heads should roll but I'm unsure without additional information.

[Lucky]

I guess that the Post should be happy that Obama supporters can handle an offensive cartoon better than certain Muslin groups can.

[Guest Cooper]

N.Y. Post Apologizes for Chimp Cartoon Some Linked to Obama

By Peter S. Green

Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) -- The New York Post, a tabloid newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., apologized for an editorial cartoon that some public officials and black leaders said compared President Barack Obama to an ape.

The Feb. 18 drawing, by Post cartoonist Sean Delonas, showed two policemen over the body of a chimpanzee they’ve just shot as one officer says, “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.â€

The cartoon followed the police shooting of a chimp that had viciously mauled a woman earlier this week in Stamford, Connecticut.

Reverend Al Sharpton, the black leader and political activist, called the cartoon “troubling at best, given the racist attacks throughout history that have made African- Americans synonymous with monkeys,†in a statement posted on the Web site of the National Action Network, of which he is president.

The cartoon was “meant to mock an ineptly written federal stimulus bill. Period,†the Post said in an editorial in today’s editions. “But it has been taken as something else -- as a depiction of President Obama, as a thinly veiled expression of racism. This most certainly was not its intent.â€

The Post, which initially said it didn’t regret printing the cartoon, apologized “to those who were offended by the image.†U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, was among those elected officials who called the image offensive.

“There are some in the media and in public life who have had differences with The Post in the past -- and they see the incident as an opportunity for payback,†the unsigned editorial continued. “To them, no apology is due.â€

Sharpton said on his Web site that he would lead a protest outside the Post’s midtown Manhattan office for a second day today.

“They seem to want to want to blame the offense on those who raised the issue, rather than take responsibility for what the Post did,†he said.

[caeron]

I don't get the hysteria at all. The bill was written by congress, not Obama.

It _was_ written by monkeys.

Color me insensitive I guess.

[seaboy4hire]

I don't get the hysteria at all. The bill was written by congress, not Obama.

It _was_ written by monkeys.

Color me insensitive I guess.

That was my thoughts exactly when I saw this cartoon. For the last eight years I've thought that most of the reps in DC were either a bunch of monkeys or puppets for something large.

Hugs,

Greg

[Guest StuCotts]

I don't get the hysteria at all. The bill was written by congress, not Obama.

It _was_ written by monkeys.

Color me insensitive I guess.

Maybe so. But who, knowing what the bottom-feeding Post is all about and who makes up its target audience, would take your reationalization seriously?

[nytb]

Greg, I couldn't agree more with your description. but you can't honestly believe that the "bunch of monkeys or puppets" in either house of Congress (much less together) has enough initiative to put together such a comprehensive piece of legislation. It may be awful but it IS comprehensive. No that cartoon is clearly aimed at President Obama and his administration. There are plenty of ways to caricature this legislation, Obama, his administration, Congress or any combination of them - and they are surely worth of such treatment - without resorting to a racist image.

Sharpton makes an interesting point. The Post is a Murdock paper and he was granted a special waiver to own both a newspaper and a TV station (FOX channel 5) in the same media market. If Murdock is going to exercise his added strength in this market so irresponsibly, perhaps it's time to re-examine that waiver.

[caeron]

Maybe so. But who, knowing what the bottom-feeding Post is all about and who makes up its target audience, would take your reationalization seriously?

There you have me. I read the times online, but know nothing about the other NY papers, so there may be a track record there that makes the allegation carry weight.

[Guest Rian]

Having heard about the monkey attack which really prompted the article, its even more offensive to compare Obama (and to think they were portraying 1 monkey as being congress is bollocks, and anyone who believes that has their heads stuck in the sand) to something that ripped someone's face off in a few seconds. And like it mentioned it also makes light of a president being killed...yet if ANY average joe on the street did half of that, they'd been already in jail and scrutinized of terrorist threats...yet its just humor for a public paper to do so?

It really just depends on how you read it. Some could see it as the monkey having already thought of it first. Other could say it was aimed on congress. Point is most Americans see the president as the one who makes every rule and law without realizing congress is the one that says go or no. Not everyone is going to buy the light stuff and had the paper considered that, it wouldnt of caused such a fuss.

[Guest Conway]

I think that it is a legitimate complaint, that even in its best light, illustrates that the cartoonist and the Post are incredibly insensitive to issues of race.

When I first read of it, I was reminded of a similar situation raised by an ad in an AT&T employee magazine 16 years ago. It seems that the lessons of long ago bore no change on this issue:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m136...v24/ai_14680354

[RA1]

If America is going to progress, we all need to get over being so sensitive about "race" and every thing else. I look forward to the day when being identified as being "gay" is no more than being male or female other seemingly harmless classifications. Both blacks and whites should strive to get over being regarded as anything but citizens.

I talked with a black guy the other day who said he was a retired Air Force fireman. He said he was being asked back for employment after he retired but thought he would not do it. He said these young folks don't think like you and I do and I am not sure I can put up with it. He was talking about people not being people any more but folks with an agenda and not willing to work as hard as he had. Firemen do work hard, regardless of their gender, race, creed or color.

I thought there was a lesson in what he had to say and I thanked him for it.

Best regards,

RA1

[nytb]

I think we all look forward to the day when a cartoon like that can be appreciated for its humor (or lack thereof), but WE'RE NOT THERE YET. Until we all are, it behooves us all to be somewhat sensitive to feelings of others, especially those who are the product of a history of oppression.

[Guest StuCotts]

I think that it is a legitimate complaint, that even in its best light, illustrates that the cartoonist and the Post are incredibly insensitive to issues of race.

When I first read of it, I was reminded of a similar situation raised by an ad in an AT&T employee magazine 16 years ago. It seems that the lessons of long ago bore no change on this issue:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m136...v24/ai_14680354

Neither the Post nor the cartoonist is insensitive. They are by design retrograde, bigoted and inflammatory on any issue that will excite the crowd that is similarly inclined and worships at Murdoch's shrine.

[Guest Conway]

Neither the Post nor the cartoonist is insensitive. They are by design retrograde, bigoted and inflammatory on any issue that will excite the crowd that is similarly inclined and worships at Murdoch's shrine.

I say tomayto, you say tomahto.

[AdamSmith]

I say tomayto, you say tomahto.

... "potatoe" ...

[Guest StuCotts]

I say tomayto, you say tomahto.

Afraid not. Insensitive is much too euphemistic and implies a lapsus. Here we're dealing with constant, deliberate and enthusiastic lowlifes.

[Guest Conway]

I think its a matter of style. I tend to save my outrage for issues like injustices done to my family property, or friends whereas you tend to express your outrage over whatever crosses in front of you on a daily basis(if your postings here are any indication of how you conduct yourself in that regard).

Not withstanding that variation in our reaction to this or any other matter, it is obvious that we both believe that the cartoonist and the newspaper were wrong in their depiction of the architect of the recovery plan as being a monkey. You call it blasphemy. I call it gross insensitivity.

[lookin]

Here we're dealing with constant, deliberate and enthusiastic lowlifes.

I knew I felt at home here!!

[nytb]

Well it must have been outrageous because the biggest pubah at News Corp, the very Rupert Murdock, himself issued the latest apology for this mess. Or perhaps he's just worried about that waiver.

[Guest StuCotts]

I think its a matter of style. I tend to save my outrage for issues like injustices done to my family property, or friends whereas you tend to express your outrage over whatever crosses in front of you on a daily basis(if your postings here are any indication of how you conduct yourself in that regard).

Not withstanding that variation in our reaction to this or any other matter, it is obvious that we both believe that the cartoonist and the newspaper were wrong in their depiction of the architect of the recovery plan as being a monkey. You call it blasphemy. I call it gross insensitivity.

Your deeply simple perceptions and your stonewalling of basic English usage are givens. They make you the easy target you are. But this post represents a step into unmapped territory for you.

Are you off your meds?

[AdamSmith]

I tend to save my outrage for issues like injustices done to my family property, or friends

With respect, philosophers of morals have time and again come to view such self/family/tribe-focused concern as not terribly evolved. Having equal if not greater passion for universal rather than local application of the same principles seems to be a desirable good.

You likely know many such formulations. The one famously articulated by Kohlberg is one example.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlberg'...ral_development

[Guest Conway]

With respect, philosophers of morals have time and again come to view such self/family/tribe-focused concern as not terribly evolved. Having equal if not greater passion for universal rather than local application of the same principles seems to be a desirable good.

You likely know many such formulations. The one famously articulated by Kohlberg is one example.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlberg'...ral_development

I don't disagree with you at all. I'm as offended by the cartoon as anyone. I simply choose not to express my offense by waving my virtual arms and screaming insults involving poorly constructed generalizations of groups of people as my sole response to that offense.

In other words, I choose my issues versus behaving like a screaming lunatic over any and everything.

[Guest Conway]

Are you off your meds?

Perhaps you should try meds sometime. They may assist you in untying the tight knot that you carry around in your panties every day.