Althouse: Today's chimpanzee news.

February 20, 2009

Today's chimpanzee news.

"Wednesday's Page Six cartoon - caricaturing Monday's police shooting of a chimpanzee in Connecticut - has created considerable controversy. It shows two police officers standing over the chimp's body: "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill," one officer says. It was meant to mock an ineptly written federal stimulus bill. Period. But it has been taken as something else - as a depiction of President Obama, as a thinly veiled expression of racism...."

243 comments:

«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 243 of 243

traditionalguy said...: PAThmv... Sincerly I want to tell you that from a southener whose family literally founded atlanta and knows my fellow southerners well, the easy to make argument that the NY Post cartoon is open to many interpretations is way to dangerous. Like you cannot be a German pointing out today that the Swastyka is just any other form of a cross, you don't want to go there.That's why I am telling you what only a true friend would tell you.; 2/20/09, 3:01 PM
Revenant said...: Ri-i-i-i-i-i-ight, because criticism is the exact same thing as "hate."

Of course it is possible to criticize without hating. I would recommend that you give it a try, in fact. :); 2/20/09, 3:10 PM
Unknown said...: But traditionalguy, your analogy is exactly backwards. Of course you can no longer argue that a swastika is "just" a cross. But not all crosses are swastikas. And not all monkeys or depictions thereof are symbols of racism.; 2/20/09, 3:23 PM
Shanna said...: I pretty much agree with traditional guy that you have to be sensitive to the monkey = black person comparison being racist. My coworkers were pretty convinced of it. The only reason I’m not 100% convinced is because it makes zero sense to say Obama wrote the stimulus bill, but clearly lots of people are making this link. That’s why I say it was tone-deaf, or as mentioned in the other thread, at the very least it was naïve.; 2/20/09, 3:30 PM
Unknown said...: Agreed, but here's the thing: how exactly did your co-workers hear about the cartoon? Did someone tell them, "Did you see that racist cartoon in the NY Post today?" Or did they happen upon it themselves, with no outside influence, and independently conclude that it was racist?

I'm entirely willing to believe that people saw it and draw a racial reference; however, I think that says more about the reader than the author.; 2/20/09, 3:39 PM
Anonymous said...: "Wait, wait, don't tell me. "there's nothing racist about 'Barack the Magic Negro!'"

Ask the racists at the LA Times. They're the source of the whole thing.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,5335087.story; 2/20/09, 3:44 PM
Zachary Sire said...: What a wonderful post for Althouse commenters. 1. They get to smear Obama and his stimulus, and 2. They get to deny the existence of racism.

Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Way to go, Althouse!; 2/20/09, 3:51 PM
MadisonMan said...: zps, you forgot to add that they get to stand up for free speech as well.; 2/20/09, 3:55 PM
Shanna said...: Agreed, but here's the thing: how exactly did your co-workers hear about the cartoon?

No idea. I also heard about some article about Racoons called "coons in the white house". No idea what paper it was supposed to be in.; 2/20/09, 4:08 PM
KCFleming said...: Zachary Paul Sire forgot to add that the post allows him to post something smug and pointless. Win-win!

Seriously though, Zachary, you totally missed my many Hymns to Obama. Were they not superlative? Did I not entertain?; 2/20/09, 4:13 PM
Original Mike said...: Well, Trent Lott did leave after making pro-segregationist remarks and that was good and fine.

But, there were plenty of denials and attacks around that one.

Actually, there weren't. Conservatives used it as an opportunity to take Lott. We can't stand him either.

But don't let the facts get in the way of an opportunity to yell racist!; 2/20/09, 4:21 PM
Zachary Sire said...: Were they not superlative? Did I not entertain?

Sorry, I only read your snooze inducing comments if I see you've pathetically attempted to criticize one of my comments. If you want to get my attention, just type "zps" anywhere in the body of your comment and I'll probably be narcissistic enough to read it.; 2/20/09, 4:22 PM
Roberto said...: certainly see racial elements in the cartoon, but I just think the overall message made little if any sense. It didn't make me laugh or think, which is the goals of most political cartoons.

Trying to connect an ape being shot by a police officer (especially considering the poor woman who was attacked) with the stimulus plan being written is really a stretch...whether you think the ape was supposed to be Obama, Pelosi, Reid or anybody for that matter.; 2/20/09, 4:23 PM
Roberto said...: hillbilly: referring to 'Barack the Magic Negro!'

"Ask the racists at the LA Times. They're the source of the whole thing."

An editorial using the title isn't quite the same as mailing out CD's as a musical fun piece for racists to enjoy at Christmas.

Here's a portion that should make the author's message clear:

"But it's clear that Obama also is running for an equally important unelected office, in the province of the popular imagination — the "Magic Negro."

The Magic Negro is a figure of postmodern folk culture, coined by snarky 20th century sociologists, to explain a cultural figure who emerged in the wake of Brown vs. Board of Education. "He has no past, he simply appears one day to help the white protagonist," reads the description on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_Negro; 2/20/09, 4:29 PM
Sofa King said...: ZPS, who is denying the existence of racism please. Name names.; 2/20/09, 4:29 PM
KCFleming said...: "I only read your snooze inducing comments if I see you've pathetically attempted to criticize one of my comments"

Amazing! He did not read the comments, but was yet able to conclude that Althouse commenters "smear[ed] Obama and his stimulus, and den[ied] the existence of racism."

Oh, I see.

You have a Snarky Lefty Response macro you use when you're too lazy to insert a real comment that entails more than a brainstem response.

Excellent!

And I don't think narcissism is the word you seek. Masturbation seems more likely.; 2/20/09, 4:34 PM
KCFleming said...: And if you actually did snooze while reading my comments, zps, you owe me $25.
I charge for soporifics.
I don't give the shit away.

Visa is acceptable.; 2/20/09, 4:37 PM
Zachary Sire said...: Amazing! He did not read the comments, but was yet able to conclude that Althouse commenters...blah blah blah

Aww, Pogo. You're either as big of a total idiot as I thought you were, or you're having difficulty coming to terms with how irrelevant you are. My response to you was clear as day: I don't read your comments.; 2/20/09, 4:44 PM
Unknown said...: An editorial using the title isn't quite the same as mailing out CD's as a musical fun piece for racists to enjoy at Christmas

Perhaps, but the song makes it absolutely clear that it draws from the editorial; e.g. (sung in a voice imitating Al Sharpton)

Barack the Magic Negro lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times, they called him that
‘Cause he’s not authentic like me.
Yeah, the guy from the L.A. paper
Said he makes guilty whites feel good
They’ll vote for him, and not for me
‘Cause he’s not from the hood.

See, real black men, like Snoop Dog,
Or me, or Farrakhan
Have talked the talk, and walked the walk.
Not come in late and won!

Oh, Barack the Magic Negro, lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times, they called him that
‘Cause he’s black, but not authentically.
Oh, Barack the Magic Negro, lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times, they called him that
‘Cause he’s black, but not authentically.

So the editorial accuses whites of being racially motivated, but it's only racist when people ridicule it with parody? Hmm.; 2/20/09, 4:54 PM
KCFleming said...: I don't read your comments.

Oh, snap!
That's that gay terminology, am I right?
And you're all about the gay, right?

So anyways, I was correct. You lied and -as usual- are full of shit. You accused Althouse of posting something that did X and Y, but you just posted the fucking thing without reading any of the comments, not just avoiding mine.

God, you're a tiresome old spambot sometimes. It's weird because some days you're actually quite sane. On days like this it makes me think you're stoned, half asleep, or typing from underneath a boring lay.; 2/20/09, 4:58 PM
Roberto said...: MCG - "Perhaps, but the song makes it absolutely clear that it draws from the editorial; e.g. (sung in a voice imitating Al Sharpton)"

No it doesn't....just as when some here use Obamas middle name or initial to infer something about the man...or when they refer to him as some kind of savior...each and every term or reference is used to denigrate Obama.

And to your insinuation that the article was the basis for the CD's being sent out:

"The Magic Negro is a figure of postmodern folk culture, coined by snarky 20th century sociologists, to explain a cultural figure who emerged in the wake of Brown vs. Board of Education. "He has no past, he simply appears one day to help the white protagonist," reads the description on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_Negro; 2/20/09, 4:59 PM
Anonymous said...: Chimpanzees are the new Sarah Palin!

200+ posts and counting.; 2/20/09, 5:05 PM
Roberto said...: "Chimpanzees are the new Sarah Palin!"

Smarter, too.; 2/20/09, 5:09 PM
Zachary Sire said...: Oh, snap!
That's that gay terminology, am I right?
And you're all about the gay, right?
So anyways, I was correct. You lied and -as usual- are full of shit. You accused Althouse of posting something that did X and Y, but you just posted the fucking thing without reading any of the comments, not just avoiding mine.

Pogo, you're completely nuts. Congratulations. And the more you try to pick "fights" on a blog by just making up whatever you want, the more bonkers you look. Have fun!; 2/20/09, 5:38 PM
Jason (the commenter) said...: The cartoon was excellent. It got a lot of publicity for the paper and probably helped expand its reader base. People who were "outraged" or "terrified" by the cartoon probably aren't reading the paper in the first place. Their paper is the New York Times. The Post is a bronx cheer version of that.; 2/20/09, 5:39 PM
Anonymous said...: Michael said..."Chimpanzees are the new Sarah Palin!"

Smarter, too.

Michael, just because Sarah Palin didn't graduate from Columbia and Harvard Law school doesn't make her dumber than a chimp.

She has street smarts. Or tundra smarts. Something like that.; 2/20/09, 6:09 PM
Kevin said...: Here are a collection of cartoons about George W. Bush published by its leftist cartoonist Ben Sargent:

http://www.statesman.com/news/mediahub/media/slideshow/index.jsp?tId=140638

See how many cartoons depict GWB as a chimp or with monkey-like features. Apparently, that isn't racist.; 2/20/09, 6:23 PM
doofus said...: traditionalguy.... Cite me a single person in this thread who has denied the existence of racism in general.

I deny that any racism exists and that lynchings were racially motivated.

Now, I shall denounce myself to the Obama White House so that I may be cured of my racist impulses.; 2/20/09, 6:30 PM
Unknown said...: No it doesn't....

Night is day! Up is down! Cats and dogs living together, sharing toothbrushes!

Hmm. Let me know when you accept simple facts, undisputed by nobody besides you, Michael.; 2/20/09, 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...: theobromophile said...PS - PatHMV is a hottie..

Obama looks more like Travis the chimp than this guy looks like a "hottie".; 2/20/09, 6:34 PM
KCFleming said...: Congratulations.

Thanks, dude!
***hugs***; 2/20/09, 6:39 PM
Unknown said...: For his next trick, Michael is going to deny with a straight face that Paul Shanklin set the words to the tune of "Puff the Magic Dragon".; 2/20/09, 6:39 PM
Kevin said...: For eight years, liberals compared former President George W. Bush to a chimp. Here is just a small sample:

New Scientific Study Reveals Bush is a Chimp

Bush or Chimp?

Bush Chimp

Eagles singer gets away with calling Bush chimp

Here's a hint for Obama supporters: President Barack Obama is entitled to the same respect that you displayed for President Bush for 8 years. No more and no less. And you can't complain about it.; 2/20/09, 6:40 PM
KCFleming said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/20/09, 6:45 PM
Chris Arabia said...: Sorry if anyone else beat me to it, but by AL's "logic" Obama indisputably is a sexist for calling Palin a pig and a racist for referring to his g-mom as a "typical white person."; 2/20/09, 7:50 PM
El Presidente said...: The Reichstag is burning and we are debating cartoons?; 2/20/09, 7:52 PM
hdhouse said...: perhaps if the next cartoon had watermelons and whites only drinking fountains in the background some of the hitleryouth on this board would get it....noting of course that the newpaper apologized for the afront.

deny deny deny deny deny.; 2/20/09, 9:23 PM
Unknown said...: Here's one of the funnier things I've read about the whole Republican CD fiasco. It wasn't just that one *song* that was distributed, it was an entire *album*. Specifically the most recent Paul Shanklin album, which has something like 40 tracks on it.

One of the articles I read today (but can't find right now) mentions that some of the track titles were in boldface and caps, including "David Ehrenstein's 'BARACK THE MAGIC NEGRO'". (Yes, the author of the LA Times source is included in the title.) It is implied that the selective use of caps and boldface is an indication that some of the titles were meant to be "amplified" somehow.

Oh, bullshit. Do you want to know the real reason? The bolded titles refer to songs, the unbolded titles refer to skits. It's really that simple. No more to it than that. Just click on Paul Shanklin's MP3 store and click on the title of the latest CD. The track list will pop up, and you'll see the perfect correspondence.

Sometimes boldface is just boldface, but some lefty wants you to believe that it was a sinister plot to implant subliminal messages.; 2/20/09, 9:24 PM
Unknown said...: noting of course that the newpaper apologized for the afront.

Already noted, hdhouse. It was the same weaselly "we apologize you were offended" non-apology that Jane Hamsher gave in response to the outcry over Lieberman in Blackface.; 2/20/09, 9:24 PM
amba said...: How come it wasn't racist when people compared Bush to a chimp?; 2/21/09, 1:48 AM
Anonymous said...: The cartoon said the stimulus bill was a crazy ape that deserved to be shot. That's just common sense.; 2/21/09, 2:10 AM
Walt said...: For a long time, America has been a banana republic run by monkeys. Deal with it.; 2/21/09, 7:11 AM
Leland said...: perhaps if the next cartoon had watermelons and whites only drinking fountains in the background some of the hitleryouth on this board would get it....noting of course that the newpaper apologized for the afront.

The newspaper apologized for offending anyone who was unintentionally offended. It didn't say it was racist. In fact, it explicitly said the cartoon was to "mock an ineptly written stimulus package".

But since you think anyone who disagrees with you is "hitler youth", reasoning this with you is a waste of time. Keep clinging to your hate, it seems to comfort you.; 2/21/09, 8:42 AM