Blatant and thoughtless Racism is alive and well

[SRP76]

Of course, nobody has yet said just why they think the shot chimp is supposed to be any black person, in the first place.

[J0hnnyReb]

No I don't. That particular racial slur has been around forever. It is obvious, and people should indeed be sensitive to it. Of course I don't see black people as apes. But I am aware that this is a common rascist comparison. Nice try tho. There really is no try, art is just 1 thing that makes other people think of whatever they want to think of. When I see a chimp I see an animal, when I saw Bush labeled a chimp and drawn as one in the news I always figured it had to do with him being like a trained chimp a la Cheneys chimp... Now someone makes the comparison for Obama and its suddenly racist because you think chimps look like African Americans or whatever. Thats what I am driving at.

[clanglee]

There really is no try, art is just 1 thing that makes other people think of whatever they want to think of. When I see a chimp I see an animal, when I saw Bush labeled a chimp and drawn as one in the news I always figured it had to do with him being like a trained chimp a la Cheneys chimp... Now someone makes the comparison for Obama and its suddenly racist because you think chimps look like African Americans or whatever. Thats what I am driving at. Being aware of a long standing racial slur does not mean that I think there is any validity to the slur. If you are unaware that black people have been compared unfavorably to simians throughout history, well that just makes you uninformed and innocent. That's great. But if you are aware of that historical rascist comparison, and you choose to ignore it. Then you become an insensitive prick.

[SRP76]

This reminds me of the time that an official was forced to resign because he said "niggardly".

[J0hnnyReb]

Being aware of a long standing racial slur does not mean that I think there is any validity to the slur. If you are unaware that black people have been compared unfavorably to simians throughout history, well that just makes you uninformed and innocent. That's great. But if you are aware of that historical rascist comparison, and you choose to ignore it. Then you become an insensitive prick. I have never heard someone call a black person a chimp. I have heard people call the ex president a chimp though. I have heard names for black people that are unflattering, chimp wasn't one. If you insist that it is, then I must rely on your extensive knowledge and experience in the calling black people chimps and concede that it can be an insulting term. Why, I don't really know.. unless you are saying blacks do look like chimps in which case I disagree with you, I think they look like west African humans. I think the artist of this comic is a lot more clever than most people let on, kind of like Dave Chappelle and Sacha Baron Cohen who will put on a racist spectacle then sit back and watch all the racists and anti Semites laugh their asses off because they "get it". "getting it" seems to be the major problem which sort of pokes a stick at the underlying problem of this situation. When I 1st looked at the image I thought, hmm they're shooting a chimp and calling it Obama, must mean that Obama is as stupid as a trained chimp, like Bush was compared to 10000000s of times less than a month ago. ChimpyMcFlightSuit comes to mind. Ah well don't mind me, I think the people calling racism on this are seeing their own ghosts or skeletons or whatever, I think the article was funny in an politically incorrect way, its never PC to mock a democrat after all. This reminds me of the time that an official was forced to resign because he said "niggardly". Or black hole, lol.

[clanglee]

I have never heard someone call a black person a chimp. I have heard people call the ex president a chimp though. I have heard names for black people that are unflattering, chimp wasn't one. If you insist that it is, then I must rely on your extensive knowledge and experience in the calling black people chimps and concede that it can be an insulting term. Why, I don't really know.. unless you are saying blacks do look like chimps in which case I disagree with you, I think they look like west African humans. I think the artist of this comic is a lot more clever than most people let on, kind of like Dave Chappelle and Sacha Baron Cohen who will put on a racist spectacle then sit back and watch all the racists and anti Semites laugh their asses off because they "get it". "getting it" seems to be the major problem which sort of pokes a stick at the underlying problem of this situation. When I 1st looked at the image I thought, hmm they're shooting a chimp and calling it Obama, must mean that Obama is as stupid as a trained chimp, like Bush was compared to 10000000s of times less than a month ago. ChimpyMcFlightSuit comes to mind. Ah well don't mind me, I think the people calling racism on this are seeing their own ghosts or skeletons or whatever, I think the article was funny in an politically incorrect way, its never PC to mock a democrat after all. Or black hole, lol. I see your point, but you are coming from the angle of either an innocent or an idiot. I hope it is the former because you don't seem stupid. Do I think black people look like monkeys? No. Have racists and bigots called black people monkeys for years and years? Yes. Never heard the term porchmonkey then I guess? (ahhh the joys of growing up in the south ) Anyone aware of this, and trust me. . most African Americans are, would react negatively toward the comic. (or positively in your aforementioned situation with the bigots "getting it")

[Mike70]

Not sure I agree, I think the slippery slope is when we start setting standards for taste and enforce them. If Bush was a chimp, then Obama is a chimp. No one is seeing the primate thing in comparison to black people except you and a few others, I saw it as well as the Bush Mcchimp thing more as a trained monkey a la the hurdy gurdy or curious george than anything. but I guess you see blacks more like apes or monkeys, I dunno, I don't. as clang said, you are either an innocent or an idiot. based on the elementary school logic of "if bush was chimp, then obama is a chimp," i think you are narrowing down the choices. if you are unaware of this stereotype then i can't help you. if you are unaware of or blind to the symbolism being used here, then nothing can be done for you. nice how you try to twist this around on the people who find this racially insensitive as if the folks who have a problem with this cartoon invented the racist symbol of blacks as chimps and monkeys. that is an old, old stereotype and is something that i certainly didn't invent.

[AcesandEights]

This reminds me of the time that an official was forced to resign because he said "niggardly". Man, I try not to think about that, because it pisses me off so...so, excruciatingly, pissfire much.

[clanglee]

Yeah that is a completely ignorant and silly overreaction of some folk that need to work on their grammar. Very infuriating. This situation is just. . not quite the same. The real issue here is not in the actual comic but in the fact that some complete moron or uncaring lout. . indeed, quite a few of them, allowed this to be printed in all seriousness. There was either no filter in place, or it was ignored by those who should filter these things and they just didn't give a shit and just let 'er rip, or they are just plain uninformed and unaware. None of these things are good for a freaking NEWSPAPER!! I am not saying that these things should be censored, but when a piece could DEFINITELY be perceived a certain way. And there was nothing done about it, the paper becomes completely at fault and completely deserves and backlash against it.

[J0hnnyReb]

Like the muslim riots in Europe over the cartoons of Muhammad?

[clanglee]

Were those in a newspaper?

[Mike70]

Were those in a newspaper? yes, in denmark. this is an apples and oranges comparison though. the uproar over these was about the muslim prohibition against showing mohammed's face and not about a racial stereotype. the large type that reads "muhammeds ansigt" means "mohammed's face."

[strayrider]

What the heck are those "Toms" over at the National Black Republicans trying to prove? http://www.nationalblackrepublicans....p_preview=true "This reminds me of the time that an official was forced to resign because he said "niggardly"." -stray-

[SRP76]

Yeah that is a completely ignorant and silly overreaction of some folk that need to work on their grammar. Very infuriating. This situation is just. . not quite the same. It's exactly the same. You have dumbass Sharpton claiming "that chimp represents Barack Obama. Are you implying a chimp wrote the stimulus bill? If so, you're saying Obama's a chimp". Well, including proposed amendments during the process, the stimulus bill was indeed written by some black people - 2 blacks, to be exact. And one Latino woman. And EIGHT WHITE GUYS. None of which are named "Barack Obama". So, is Sharpton trying to claim that all 11 of those people have changed their names to Barack Obama in the past month or so? Because if they haven't, then this cartoon has fuck-all to do with him. Which means Sharpton is talking out his ass again, and people are just so eager to jump in on a good, juicy racial witch-hunt that they just ride along with him.

[clanglee]

It's exactly the same. You have dumbass Sharpton claiming "that chimp represents Barack Obama. Are you implying a chimp wrote the stimulus bill? If so, you're saying Obama's a chimp". Well, including proposed amendments during the process, the stimulus bill was indeed written by some black people - 2 blacks, to be exact. And one Latino woman. And EIGHT WHITE GUYS. None of which are named "Barack Obama". So, is Sharpton trying to claim that all 11 of those people have changed their names to Barack Obama in the past month or so? Because if they haven't, then this cartoon has fuck-all to do with him. Which means Sharpton is talking out his ass again, and people are just so eager to jump in on a good, juicy racial witch-hunt that they just ride along with him. That would make sense if there were 11 or 12 chimps lying on the ground. The general belief. . whether true or not, is that this bill Is Obama's. Once again I understand what you are saying tho. And perhaps this was not meant racially. BUT, it should have been well obvious to everyone involved that this comic could EASILY be percieved as racist. And Of COURSE people sensitive to such issues would react badly. It's not that hard.