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The July 21 cover of the New Yorker magazine perpetuates racial stereotypes. In the name of satire, the "Politics of Fear" cartoon plays into the smear that Barack Obama is not patriotic. The depiction of Michelle Obama as an AK-47-toting revolutionary in combat boots evokes the "Angry Black Woman."In a transparent attempt to cover its rear, the New Yorker has compiled a gallery of past political covers. But without context, the current satirical cover merely fuels "a lot of distortions, lies and misconceptions about the Obamas."
Barack Obama Magazine Covers
Which cover do you like the most?
RollingStone
The Atlantic Monthly
Time
Oct. 23, 2006
Black Enterprise
New York Magazine
Vibe
Newsweek
NY Daily News
Ebony
A British cartoonist wrote:
Any regular reader would immediately 'get' that cover as it was intended. A not too subtle lampoon of the exaggerated right wing smears Obama has been subjected to so far. I mean, the Stars and Stripes burning in the fireplace. Come on.For his part, Obama is downplaying the kerfuffle. He told CNN's Larry King:
So the message should be clear.
But I'm afraid it isn't, because taken out of context, it can mean whatever you want it to. And here we come to the internet. Seen on its own, scattered randomly over the internet, with no knowledge of what the New Yorker's mindset is, this cartoon can be interpreted however you wish. As a stand-alone image on the web, it really could be some Right-wing website or magazine's propaganda. But it doesn't really matter - it's a cartoon of Obama worshipping anti-American terrorism.
Well, I know it was the New Yorker's attempt at satire. I don't think they were entirely successful with it. But you know what? It's a cartoon, Larry, and that's why we've got the First Amendment.King asked, "Did it personally sting you?" Obama said:
And I think the American people are probably spending a little more time worrying about what's happening with the banking system and the housing market, and what's happening in Iraq and Afghanistan, than a cartoon.
So I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about it.
I've seen and heard worse. I do think that, you know, in attempting to satirize something, they probably fueled some misconceptions about me instead. But, you know, that was their editorial judgment.OK, end of story.
Ultimately it's a cartoon. It's not where the American people are spending a lot of their time thinking about.
Comments: (5)
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By: c sorrell on 7/16/2008 4:05PM
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WHITE PEOPLE ARE SO AFRAID OF. DO THEY THINK IF BLACKS CAME INTO POWER WE'LL TREAT THEM THE WAY THEY HAVE ALWAYS TREATED US?(RIGHT UP TO PRESENT DAY).....
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By: Ejnor F. Allen on 7/18/2008 7:44AM
I pray for the Honorable Senator Barack Obama in this world of America with its creation on racism and its need to have Americans play to their made up superiority. That to be successful say that they are the first black to do this and to do that, marginalizing us. (as Americans. Are we?). This truly says that the Europeon that call themselves "white" are afraid. With the African in America always having to subdue their passion to satisfy the Europeon in America because they don't understand something, even though they create all this bs here and supposedly have all the smarts. That because our emotion is accented with strength at they get afraid and say we are to emotional and verbal. We are always having to explain who we are and why we are and what color we are and so forth and so on till the bs is full. Like they created mankind and they did not. Like their GOD is different from the rest; even though on Sundays it shows.......Our problem in America is that the average hue-man that call themselves white are willing to accept any bs from the so called leaders just so that the other Americans, brought here from Afrika and other places will not move forward as a people and prosper in in spirit in America. The Europeon in America suffers more than we from Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome. For they are still expecting now what they didn't deserve then. They took from the Creator's process and muck up somethings. And now the Creator has for them a result of their oppression of others. A man who wasn't suppose to be (Black and White) as they have been taught to see. The key to America is the color. But what is he really? For the Creator say hue-man and the bad human say color(s). Please know when he wins, it will not solve the problem for the African and other nationalities in America. That problem will be solved in the Common-unity of us at home in the hood. The Senator is entering a game created by some very bad people. Created by some ugly objects; MONEY and other things taken from cultures true to the Creator's intent. I was angry for a long time having been subjected to some of the trivial junk by those Europeons in America but upon my reeducation and request to the Creator for health, I come to deal with truth and fact and learned to subdue my anger. The fact is no one is really ready for his Presidency. The truth is this will show who is ready and willing to make sacrifice(s). The right way. Not by forcing others to accept through fear but to let the spirit in good health reveal itself. I love you African brought to America. Now let's stand together and make a change. The fact is with the Senator being called black will bring about a change. We know this and they are not willing to accept it. Are we all ready???????????????????? and know that with the Senator being called any color will not make it correct.
ebony bo
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By: your name on 7/16/2008 11:50PM
WHITE people are really afraid that if a black man was prezident he would turn AMERICA into a third world country. Open your big white eyes and look at such places where black public officals are in charge, such as (alanta, ga. & birmingham, al. & chicago, il. & south africa **after the white man made it a better place) etc. These inner cities are slums despite the taxes that are paid for free housing
and food stamps. Black people do not have their
priorities in order, when you put $4000 into tires and
rims on a outdated crown vitoria. I do have compassion for people are starving no matter skin
color, but if your starving and standing next to a cow
then your DNA chain is missing some link. So now that
you've read this or tried and i've pissed you off,
i'm not voting for mcCain either. PEACE OUT
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By: who cares about obama on 7/17/2008 1:50AM
Jewish "so called" liberals in the media are simply showing their true colors. They have been profiting off of racial stereotypes for years, from Hollywood movies to network TV to print media. Why should we be surprised by The New Yorker cover?
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By: foius on 7/17/2008 1:36PM
Peace,
It is unfortunate that as informed, and obviously battle-tested black voters, that we would allow such "media attacks upon Sen. Obama to affect/influence our opinions on the nature/pathology of "institutional racism" and its' derivatives(media opinions, corporate/executive decisions, bureucratic stonewalling, etc.). Our primary battlefront should be our participation in the lives of our black youth who live in America's large urban cities and smaller urban areas. We adults spend far too much time trying to make ends meet and not enough time with our young people who are crying out for mentoring/attention froom us. During this hot summer we will become non-entities in most of their lives if we are not the primary parent/caregiver. So, how do we balance and manage our time in an efficient manner that will allow us to impact their lives in a positive way? Not to digress, I realize that we sometimes pay attention to the extreme attacks upon our(black) culture and leaders, however, we have to begin to focus upon those issues that truly make a difference in our day-to-day lives.
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