NY Post Cartoon Draws Ire

[rdowns]

http://www.nypost.com/delonas/2009/02/02182009.jpg

Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090218/ap_en_ot/ny_post_cartoon;_ylt=Aqw4E65uQ8HviAYFfYl86mqs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJhZzlwcjJiBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwMjE4L255X 3Bvc3RfY2FydG9vbgRwb3MDMTgEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDbnlwb3N0ZGVmZW5k)

I don't see this as racist at all. I simply think the cartoonist was trying to say monkeys could have written these crappy stimulus/bailout/whatever you call them bills. The cartoon came out of the chimpanzee that was shot yesterday after killing its handlers friend. Thoughts?

[leekohler]

While the intent perhaps wasn't there, whoever did that wasn't thinking. The first thing people will think is that it's a reference to Obama- and who could blame them?

[EricNau]

Racist? No. Extremely distasteful? Yes, I'd say so.

[sysiphus]

It's only racist if you choose to make it so. Not in poor taste--a sharp dose of reality--the people who wrote and signed off on the bill are doing little better than their primate cousins could have :(

[freeny]

At first I thought the monkey was supposed to be Bush..

[rdowns]

Racist? No. Extremely distasteful? Yes, I'd say so.

This is the NY Post we're talking about here.

And people should remember, the President does not write legislation, Congress does.

[NT1440]

Sharpton needs to shut the hell up already. Not everything that can possibly be twisted into being racist is indeed racist.

The cartoon is clearly saying politicians are like chimps. No racism involved.

[rdowns]

Sharpton needs to shut the hell up already. Not everything that can possibly be twisted into being racist is indeed racist.

The cartoon is clearly saying politicians are like chimps. No racism involved.


Sharpton only has a "job" if he keeps racism alive.

[NT1440]

Sharpton only has a "job" if he keeps racism alive.

Exactly, and because of his deeds in the past no one is allowed to touch him in the here and now. He is what I've come to really hate in todays world, an attention whore.

[Iscariot]

Al Sharpton discredits the very real issue of civil rights in 3…2…

[NT1440]

Al Sharpton discredits the very real issue of civil rights in 3…2…

Yup, hes become nothing more than an annoyance who shows up on the talk shows anytime anything can be remotely twisted to racism.

What happened to actually making a difference?

[glocke12]

First off, I dont see how anyone can listen to or take Al Sharpton seriously, he is an oppurtunist and likes to create controversy.

Secondly, its just not a very good cartoon, as most people wont get the reference.. The president didnt draft the stimulus bill, Senators and/or Congress people did it. The cartoon is simply saying they are a bunch of monkeys.

[iAthena]

The cartoon sure looks like it has more to do with the rampaging chimp story than the stimulus package. The connection is lost on me.

[.Andy]

Secondly, its just not a very good cartoon, as most people wont get the reference.. The president didnt draft the stimulus bill, Senators and/or Congress people did it. The cartoon is simply saying they are a bunch of monkeys.
You certainly missed the reference altogether.

[glocke12]

You certainly missed the reference altogether.

whatever dude. I think i was pretty much inferring the same thing.

[szark]

The president didnt draft the stimulus bill, Senators and/or Congress people did it. The cartoon is simply saying they are a bunch of monkeys.

Then there should be a bunch of monkeys lying dead. The cartoon implies that one single "monkey" was responsible for the stimulus bill, and now they'll have to find someone else.

I agree that it's a poor cartoon, and doesn't really make its point clearly.

[NT1440]

Then there should be a bunch of monkeys lying dead. The cartoon implies that one single "monkey" was responsible for the stimulus bill, and now they'll have to find someone else.

I agree that it's a poor cartoon, and doesn't really make its point clearly.

Wait wait wait, your expecting way too much from a cartoon. The point was "the bill could have been written by a chimp". Drawing any more into it is far over reaching.

[Schtumple]

Racist? No. Extremely distasteful? Yes, I'd say so.

Agreed, I can't see how this is racist, this is just general hate mongering by the politically correct crowd trying to ruin life for the rest of us...

At first I thought the monkey was supposed to be Bush..

Does have a odd resemblance :p

[bruinsrme]

When I eard about this on the radio I was thinking to myself here we go more about someone saying something about a black president.

When I got home and actually saw it I have to say it was completely dsgusting and distasteful to 1. even draw that and second to have the balls to publish it.

Ears are too small to be bush

[NT1440]

When I eard about this on the radio I was thinking to myself here we go more about someone saying something about a black president.

When I got home and actually saw it I have to say it was completely dsgusting and distasteful to 1. even draw that and second to have the balls to publish it.

Ears are too small to be bush

How?

It has NOTHING to do with obama.

[Macaddicttt]

How?

It has NOTHING to do with obama.

I was more shocked by the killing in the cartoon, not necessarily the connection to Obama (although the "traditional" monkey/black racist stereotype did flash into my head). I think it's the idea of putting two bullets in whoever wrote the stimulus is the offensive part (to me), no matter whom the monkey is supposed to represent.

[NT1440]

I was more shocked by the killing in the cartoon, not necessarily the connection to Obama (although the "traditional" monkey/black racist stereotype did flash into my head). I think it's the idea of putting two bullets in whoever wrote the stimulus is the offensive part (to me), no matter whom the monkey is supposed to represent.

Well yea the monkey is actually disturbing to see.:(

[bruinsrme]

How?

It has NOTHING to do with obama.

Well the caption tends to lend itself to a racial reference.

The killing of the chimp.
I can't imagine the situation. The question of whether a human life is more valued that an chimps life, well if I was put that in that position, sorry chimp.

[Counterfit]

Wait wait wait, your expecting way too much from a cartoon. The point was "the bill could have been written by a chimp". Drawing any more into it is far over reaching.

Has anyone stopped to think that this might also be a reference to the chimp who flipped out on that zoo worker?

[MacNut]

The cartoon is in relation to this.STAMFORD, Conn. - As authorities considered criminal charges against the woman whose 200-pound domesticated chimpanzee went berserk and mauled a friend, she backtracked Wednesday on whether she gave the animal the anti-anxiety drug Xanax.

Sandra Herold told The Associated Press on Wednesday that she never gave the drug to her 14-year-old chimp, Travis, who was shot dead by Stamford police Monday after he grievously wounded Herold's friend Charla Nash.

However, Herold said in an interview aired Wednesday morning on NBC's "Today" show that she gave Travis the drug in some tea less than five minutes before he attacked Nash _ she even showed a reporter the mug. Police have said Herold told them that she gave Travis Xanax that had not been prescribed for him earlier on Monday to calm him because he was agitated. Stamford (WTNH) - The owner of the chimp, that was killed after brutally mauling her friend, revealed to News Channel 8 that her animal was never known to be aggressive.

"I touched him and I told him I was sorry and I still loved him as much as ever," said Sandra Herold, owner of the chimp Travis.

Herold cannot hold back the tears when describing how she saw her beloved pet chimp's body for the last time. She is clearly a woman who loved her pet, raising him as her child.

He was a 200-pound chimpanzee. But Herold is insisting he had never shown any signs he could be dangerous.

"He never was though, he's never gotten aggressive before," Herold said.

Herold said they were asked to go to the stock exchange for the year of the monkey but she declined.

"I mean, I knew enough to know, you know, he was getting to be a big guy and I didn't need that publicity," she said. "He was just my kid."

Herold has denied that the chimp was agitated on Monday. She admitted that she tried to give him tea with Xanax; she even saved the cup to prove, though, he wasn't drugged.

"He never drank it and I saved it," she said.

But when asked why she tried to drug the chimp she said it wasn't because he was getting out of hand; it was just so she could do her errands.

"I thought they would make him go to sleep," Herold said.

But the chimp savagely attacked her long-time friend and employee Charla Nash, who came to the home Monday to help her. Herold said she does have a tranquilizer gun and has taken a course on how to use it. But, she didn't have time to get it during the attack and stabbed Travis the chimp with a butcher knife instead.

The police had to shoot and kill the animal to stop him. Now, Herold is mourning a huge loss. And she said she has no idea why any of this happened.

"But I got to touch him and at least try to have some closure," she said.

[freeny]

im confused, Al Sharpton sees a monkey when he looks at Obama?
Thats not even reverse racism, thats.... ???

What is that?...

[és:]

The cartoon is clearly saying politicians are like chimps. No racism involved.

What more needs to be said?

[fivepoint]

What more needs to be said?

+1


BTW, I wonder is everyone contributing to this thread would be considered a "coward (http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/18/holder.race.relations/index.html)" by United States, Attorney General Eric Holder? ;)

[QCassidy352]

The first thing people will think is that it's a reference to Obama- and who could blame them?

My first reaction was to think this was talking about politicians in general. When I thought a little more about it, I thought it was talking about Congress, and when I thought even more about it, I thought maybe it referred to Pelosi and Reid. But Obama? Are you kidding? He didn't write this legislation!

Look, first, this pretty clearly doesn't refer to Obama.

Second, even if it does, that doesn't make it racist. People called W a monkey for years and we all laughed. Moreover, it's hardly racially charged to say something like "a monkey could do your job," which is the obvious implication here.

Third, even if it does refer to Obama AND it's racist... it means what? That one cartoonist and maybe one editor at the New York Post are racists? Yeah, and? There are lots of racists in this country. It's depressing that people still think that way, but it's not exactly news.

[mactastic]

The cartoon came out of the chimpanzee that was shot yesterday after killing its handlers friend. Thoughts?
The "handler's" friend wasn't killed. She was brutally mauled, but remains alive.

While the intent perhaps wasn't there, whoever did that wasn't thinking. The first thing people will think is that it's a reference to Obama- and who could blame them?
This cartoonist has a history of insensitivity going way back. He published a cartoon after one of the gay marriage bans was overturned that insinuated allowing gay marriage would lead to people marrying animals. He knew exactly what he was doing by using a single chimp and referencing the stimulus bill associated with Obama.

This cartoon was definitely intended to provoke racial connotations. But I would agree that it doesn't constitute outright racial hatred. It's just a poor attempt to play off of a racial stereotype.

It's also a terrible cartoon. It's not amusing or insightful in the least, and it really doesn't make much sense. It seems like the guy was really stretching for a connection between the monkey and Obama, and flubbed the cartoon.

It's also too bad The Post doesn't have the balls to stand up and admit what they were doing, and instead chose to give these rather convoluted denials and clarifications.

[Rt&Dzine]

This cartoon was definitely intended to provoke racial connotations. But I would agree that it doesn't constitute outright racial hatred. It's just a poor attempt to play off of a racial stereotype.

It's also a terrible cartoon. It's not amusing or insightful in the least, and it really doesn't make much sense. It seems like the guy was really stretching for a connection between the monkey and Obama, and flubbed the cartoon.


Thanks for the insight. Now I don't feel so stupid for not getting it.

[mactastic]

Thanks for the insight. Now I don't feel so stupid for not getting it.
Not a problem.