Obama and Monkey Business
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James Joyner | Monday, February 23, 2009 |
Via memeorandum, I see that the Washington Post issued a preemptive apology for this cartoon accompanying Gene Weingarten’s humor piece, “Monkey Business – The good news for men: Women love apes” in the Sunday supplement:
The apology:
The headline, illustration and text of “Below the Beltway,” a column in The Washington Post Magazine today, may cause offense to readers. The magazine was printed before a widely publicized incident last week in which a chimpanzee attacked and badly mauled a woman in Stamford, Conn. In addition, the image and text inadvertently may conjure racial stereotypes that The Post does not countenance. We regret the lapse.
Given the controversy over a recent NY Post cartoon involving a monkey, one understands the Post’s caution. And, yes, I understand that there are unfortunate racial connotations going back generations. But, seriously, are all references and images of monkeys off limits for the duration of the Obama administration?
We elected the man President of the United States. The glass ceiling has been, shall we say, shattered.
For that matter, despite their both having larger than average ears, there are far, far more allusions to George W. Bush and variations on “chimp” than there are on Obama and “monkey.” Precisely, as it turns out, because one is merely personally insulting (Bush equals not smart) while the other invokes racial prejudice and is thus taboo.
Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. And sometimes a monkey is just a monkey
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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We need to place a disclaimer before Planet of the Apes movies too.
Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. And sometimes a monkey is just a monkey
And of the two, a monkey is much harder to keep lit, and they don't draw as well.
We need to place a disclaimer before Planet of the Apes movies too.
Speaking of that.......I was watching a bit of the "Fiscal Responsibility Summit" earlier. I think Senator Conrad was trying to stir the racial pot. Here's a quote:
"Many of us believe it's going to take some special process to bring all of the players together to write a plan so that we see the tradeoffs between what's available for health care reform, which without question is the 800-pound gorilla"
I-am-offended....i think.
You mean I can't watch "Every Which Way But Loose" for four years?
We need to place a disclaimer before Planet of the Apes movies too.
Preferably one that read: "This movie sucks, go read the book".
But, seriously, are all references and images of monkeys off limits for the duration of the Obama administration?
Or, maybe we could just take a reasonably long look at depictions of police shooting monkeys while saying, "Who will write the next stimulus plan now?"
Nah, the straw man is easier.
Nah, the straw man is easier.
Apparently. I didn't comment on the NY Post cartoon because it was borderline and I frankly didn't care. The cartoon that's the subject of discussion here, however, rather clearly hasn't a blasted thing to do with Obama or black people.
Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. And sometimes a monkey is just a monkey.
are all references and images of monkeys off limits for the duration of the Obama administration?
After all, were not the references to GWB being a "Chimp," "Nazi," "Cowboy," "Redneck," "Bush-Hitler," etc..etc.. spewed forth quite often during Bush's term? And no one in the MSN seemed no more than apathetic to their excesses.
A cigar is a cigar. And a monkey is a monkey. And it seems hypocrisy is a one-way street.
James,
I beg your pardon. Crappy day, and I didn't read remotely carefully.
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