Monday, July 14, 2008

Offensive Caricature...


WASHINGTON - Barack Obama's campaign says a satirical New Yorker magazine cover showing the Democratic presidential candidate dressed as a Muslim and his wife as a terrorist is "tasteless and offensive."

The illustration on the issue that hits newsstands Monday, titled "The Politics of Fear" and drawn by Barry Blitt, depicts Barack Obama wearing traditional Muslim garb - sandals, robe and turban - and his wife, Michelle - dressed in camouflage, combat boots and an assault rifle strapped over her shoulder - standing in the Oval Office.

The couple is bumping fists in front of a fireplace in which an American flag is burning. Over the mantel hangs a portrait of Osama bin Laden.
"The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

"But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."
In a statement Monday, the magazine said the cover "combines a number of fantastical images about the Obamas and shows them for the obvious distortions they are."

"The burning flag, the nationalist-radical and Islamic outfits, the fist-bump, the portrait on the wall? All of them echo one attack or another. Satire is part of what we do, and it is meant to bring things out into the open, to hold up a mirror to prejudice, the hateful, and the absurd. And that's the spirit of this cover," the New Yorker statement said.

The statement also pointed to the two articles on Obama contained inside the magazine, calling them "very serious."
Republican John McCain's campaign spokesman, Tucker Bonds, agreed that the cover was "tasteless and offensive."

Already the cover was generating controversy on the Internet.

The Huffington Post, a left-leaning blog, said: "Anyone who's tried to paint Obama as a Muslim, anyone who's tried to portray Michelle as angry or a secret revolutionary out to get Whitey, anyone who has questioned their patriotism - well, here's your image."
Ok, that is just sad - Why are people so stupid? Yes, definitely offensive...
Source: yahoo

7 comments:

moremudatus said...

I am so sorry for Michelle Obama...she does not deserve the mud being thrown at her. Are all women that have a "voice" considered militant. This is the home of the brave! We are not afraid of Muslims, people of color or to stand for what we beleive in. God Bless America!

Unknown said...

The only thing offencive about this cartoon is the fact that Hussein denies it
, if this half breed is a christian then I am a shuttle pilot anyone that sat under the teaching of Wright for twenty yearsand not protest what he taught can't possibly be a Christian,and that loud mouthed elitist wife of his fits the profile they have of her to a tee. Any one that has to hire people to make them over to what the public wants to see is not what we need in the white house

Mary Ann said...

This is not satire; it's insulting and the implications are untrue. I know that, but many will believe that Obama is a Muslim and that will sink his candidacy. Is that that intention? Then, I request that the New Yorker give John McCain equal space. How about McCain sitting on a bomb aimed at Iran. That's good satire, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

I am sorry for Hubert. What an idiot. And talk about lack of Christianity....Take a quick look in the mirror my friend. If you see horns rearing from either side of your head, that's good glass. I'm sure a puny minded, limited intelectual male specimen such as yourself would be intimidated by a female who speaks her mind, especially a black female. LOL, and I have NO doubt the idea of an educated, upstanding, intelligent black man scares the hell out of you. It is the uninformed, closed minded hypocrites such as yourself who feed the ignorace in this world....The ones who help blatant idiocy fester in our communities & in our young. I'm sure you find justification for the actions and the outcome of the Bush administration. I have little doubt you feel he has done an outstanding job, even tho the rest of the country, over 80% by the way, totally disagree & hunger for change. Look in the mirror...If you see a closet klansman looking back at you...you finally see yourself for who you are. Satire, be damned...The cover on this magazine is insulting, it's insinuating & and it is WRONG!

EC Lewis said...

It's amazing how liberals forget the demeaning and denigrating satire that's thrown at a sitting president like Bush. Cartoons have poked some hurtful fun at McCain too. It's not until Obama Almighty gets something thrown at him that the guilty white liberal party cries foul. The bottom line is that it is satire and if anyone is THAT stupid to believe it, they won't be buying The New Yorker to begin with. Their reader base is above the typical rudimentary boob who will be "swayed" by a cartoon.
People don't usually get hostile about a cartoon unless there is some truth in it. So, which of the myriad of satires presented are really true?

Lara Michelle Dias said...

I was going to post this too but I didn't want to give it more time then it should. It's offensive. I don't care what you think about Obama or his wife but this is absolutely outrageous. Shame on the New Yorker.

Unknown said...

Please stop the whinning. We poke fun at everything under the sun but all of a sudden this is holy ground not to be walked on. Is this the type of whinning we must endure for four years if they get elected. Cry me a river.