EDHS Contemporary World Affairs

moniCA92870 · Senior Member

Cartoon Controversy

B_Marshburn · Senior Member

I am not a big supporter of Obama but I will say that is way out of line and inappropriate!!

ich_binJason · Senior Member

No its not racist. probably because IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OBAMA! It's referring to the TV Chimpanzee that went crazy in Connecticut and was shot dead. and it's sort of mocking about how badly written the stimulus bill was written. Its hilarious that Reverend Al Sharpton is wasting his time protesting this cartoon. so hahaha at Al Sharpton for trying to throw his name into anything that could potentially refer to African-American people.

edepuy · Veteran Member

i think it's kind of a stretch to say this is about Obama. i don't see how it would be, but maybe i'm missing something. i totally could be. if it is intended to be Obama, then that's wrong. there is always going to be someone dissagreeing with something in the media or public and making a big deal out of something that maybe shouldn't be such a big deal.

Captain John Manassero · Senior Member

why did they shoot the chimp in the first place? oh well... i agree with jason akasaki. right on, brother, solid.

Co Captian Bwall. · Veteran Member

i can definently see what people are raving about. i guess its the assumption you make when you see the monkey. you may think its obama which means this is racist. or like jason said its referring to the TV chimpanzee. Not gonna lie thought when i first saw it immediently thought of obama. Its innapropriate.

ericaedgley · Senior Member

I did think it was refferring to obama...but once i read what jason said, it made me think. and yeah, i agree with him. it probably has nothing to do with obama. but its still not right..

Ayesha · Veteran Member

After reading Jason's reply, i think it doesn't DIRECTLY refer to Obama as the chimp, but it does indirectly. Because it is an attack on the way the stiumulus was written and carried out, which does relate to Obama. but this cartoon is definitely inappropriate.

KW00D · Senior Member

Jason is right. Completely. People just need to stop jumping to conclusions.

Vanessabug · Senior Member

I definately agree with Jason. I think that its saying that the stimulus bill was written so poorly that a monkey could have written it. i do however think that we are going to see many controversies like this with Obama as our president. Its a first to have a half African American as our president so people are going to make the biggest most rediculous deals out of nothing...

watashiwa1293 · Veteran Member

I've heard this on the news before. The publisher of the cartoon claims that the cartoon has nothing to do with Obama. Instead, it was just referring to the chimpanzee that got shot after going crazy with a gun. On the other hand, there are some people who say that the chimpanzee represents Obama, since Obama has some African heritage in his blood, and the chimpanzee is a derogatory symbol that symbolizes that Africans equate to chimpanzees. This view is allegedly reinforced by the fact that the stimulus bill was mentioned. Personally, I can see how this cartoon can be an untasteful political satire of the President.

Sandy · Senior Member

I dont think they really meant to be racists. People take things diffrently and some people see this as racists and some dont. It could be seen as racists if u really think that it is about President Obama, but it is really aimed toward the chimp incident.

Snackycakes · Senior Member

I don't think it's racist, Sean Delonas just picked the wrong person to connect with the wrong event and people just ran with it *cough* Al Sharpton *cough*.

Lindsey.Breeding. · Veteran Member

I think that it is a really rude cartoon about our president. I dont like everything about Obama but people need to stick by our President as he tries to help the economy.

Luis777 · Senior Member

i think it is trying to be some what racist just because alot of people out there arent very happy that we have a black president. i think its a rude thing to post up and they shouldnt have done that

xn1coleex · Senior Member

i guess it just how we view things.
my first thought when viewing the photo..was
"are they making fun of obama"?

but looking at it again...
i don't think it was meant to be a racist thing.

the picture could have different meanings for everyone
we could view it bad or just as a joke.

MrsCavalluzzi · Guru

The NY Post, where the cartoon originally appeared, has issued an apology...though some dissatisfied souls consider it not good enough...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29290857/

saraheckberg · Veteran Member

I could see why people are asumming that the cartoon is racist, but it propbably wasn't intended to be. I think people should be sure of the facts before they start accusing.

moniCA92870 · Senior Member

"On the other hand, there are some people who say that the chimpanzee represents Obama, since Obama has some African heritage in his blood, and the chimpanzee is a derogatory symbol that symbolizes that Africans equate to chimpanzees."

-- this is exactly what i wanted to include in the story, but i had trouble wording it. Thank you!
everyone... go to npr.org and click on "talk of the nation" and find "'New York Post' Political Cartoon Raises Concerns" to hear a real cartoonist talk about his view on this cartoon.

Bonemail-(Christophe K) · Senior Member

I think they are ignoring the fact that Obama didn't even write the stimulus bill. He gave Nacy Pelosi some basics that needed to be in it and said "Do yo thing!" I think it's just a statement that the person who wrote the bill (Pelosi and friends) are as stupid as chimps. You think it's racist I think your connecting dots that don't excist.
Also Rev. Sharpton needs to just sit down and shut up. His days are over cause with a black president it goes to show there is no wide spread pandemic of racism and having him as a watch dog for any slightest thing racist irritates me. If he is so worried about minority prejudice he should be working to get blacks off welfare and unemployment so they can work like us. (That was a very general statement and while I agree with it's main point I do understand that many black people have jobs and work very hard. The stereotype still stands though of minorities of all races being stuck on welfare so I must draw the connection.)

() <---- insert 2 cents.

KevinDangerMann · Veteran Member

In response to the apology issued, I think that Spike Lee is absolutely ridiculous.
Grow up, Spike, it wasn't racist.
Just because there's a monkey involved doesn't mean the author is baggin' on black people.

They could have easily been implying that the stimulus plan was so basic and easy that a monkey could have come up with it.
Ever think of that, Spike?

alecralph · Veteran Member

I agree with kevin the cartoon could have implied that the stimulus bill was so stupid a monkey could have wrote it but the washington post was pretty stupid not to see that it would likely be thought of as a racial slur

coco captian bpurn · Veteran Member

like everyones said, people need to stop jumping to conclusions, its ridiculous. you may think its obama when you first look at it but that deosnt mean it is. i dont think its really rasict or implying anything toward obama. but who knows.

jacobcorbin · Senior Member

Most of everyone i think has it right. And jason too, they're taking it wayyy to far. Its something that doesnt need to be advertised. Its not worth the hype its getting

coramarie:p · Veteran Member

Yes, i do beleive this comic to be inapropriate, and unjust being racial against president Obama but in a way i also beleive people have the right to express themselves. Everyone has their own thoughts on issues like this and can jump to their own conclusions of the meaning behind the comic.