Oh dear
Seems any ability for irony or proportion Americans may have had before has now gone out of the window.
It was badly judged, but obviously unintentional. Can everyone please stop being so jumpy?!
*le sigh*
Guess our bretheren from across the pond just ain't too bright. At least it's all good fodder for Family Guy/South Park/Simpsons.
It was badly judged, but obviously unintentional. Can everyone please stop being so jumpy?!
*le sigh*
Guess our bretheren from across the pond just ain't too bright. At least it's all good fodder for Family Guy/South Park/Simpsons.
I understand exactly what you are trying to say on this point, Guy but I won't back down on this one.
If he'd been portrayed as a golliwog, fine, you'd have a point, and I'd be as dismayed as the next man. But there is a long tradition of calling politicians monkeys. I have done it my whole life. Lots of people in the US think Obama is a DANGED COMMUNIST and think the economic stimulus package is a terrible idea and disagree with his policies and therefore want to mock him as stupid - but only the retards hate him because he is black, and you can ignore them.
Also, as to your George Bush idiot argument, there is a far lower level of respect for intelligence in America as opposed to "Christian moral values" (whatever they may happen to be at the time.) I saw a nice video on the point where Reagan's whole campaigning technique after his opponent made a really articulate, well-rounded, well-thought out speech on introducing socialised medicine using logic and statistics was to spread his arms, smile wryly, and say "See, you're doing it again!" - with "it" being appealing to intelligence and reason as opposed to GOOD OL' FASHIONED AMERICAN VALUES. I bet there's lots of Americans think Obama is stupid. Try reading http://community.livejournal.com/therightfangirl/ (I read that place for lulz) for plenty of backup on this fact. They all think he's retarded.
Also, as Ayth pointed out, it wasn't directed directly at Obama anyway.
I have called bad examples of politicians monkeys and chimps my entire life and I am not about to stop just because one of them happens to be black.
A list -
I don't give a sweet damn what colour his or anyone elses skin is. I am an equal opportunities ranter. Flip the argument on it's head - I could easily say you were being racist for wanting to protect Obama from an epithet which would be applied to any white other politician just because he is black. I wouldn't, because that would be a dumb argument (MATT) and I know what you're trying to do/say, but it could just as easily be interpreted that way.
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To me, the stronger metaphor that comes out is that the politicians are unable to control themselves and are making a disfiguring attack on people that trusted them.
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It would be reasonable and understandable for a black person to take offence at being called a monkey because of the racist association that is very well established. Even now there are cases of black footballers having bananas thrown at them. To call a black person a monkey, but claim it is for an unrelated reason isn't going to make it acceptable in the world we live in. If you're aware of that offence and still make the remarks, then you can't deny knowing the consequence of what you are saying is offence.
If considered acceptable, it also creates the breathing room for a genuine racist to use exactly the same language and get away with it. Nick Griffon will start calling Obama a monkey and reel out your arguments to defend himself. I don't think you would ever want your position hijacked by the BNP, but they could.
As to this particular case, I've already stated below that I think it is unclear what the Post were up to. The cartoon is sufficiently ambiguous that they can claim it was an unintentional association.
I took issue with your position that even if they were calling him a monkey, it would still be OK (note that the Post have never suggested this themselves). I think that position is deliberately simplistic so as to avoid taking account of the obvious offence caused. I expect you think my position is political correctness taken too far. As such, I doubt we're going to agree on this.
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