Columnist Roland Martin calls cartoon racist

[Evandril]

By the title of the thread, I was primed to see something racist..So my first thought was the 'monkey-black' connection. If I hadn't been looking, no clue if I'd have made the same connection *shrugs* People find what they are looking for.

[lordlundar]

It's racist because it IS racist. It is WELL known, in the US at least, that referring to a black person as a monkey, chimp, ape, etc. etc. is a racial slur.

Yea we expect him to get mocked. He's a politician. And not just a politician. He's the president. He'll be the most mocked politician in America. But that's just not the way mock someone.

Funny, I didn't see any reference to getting another black man to draft the bill, nor did I see any direct label of Obama on the monkey.

I did notice you cutting out the third point I made though. Do you honestly think that if the stories didn't occur during Bush Jr.'s reign the comic wouldn't have been done? I would have seen it as MORE likely, and those same people howling with laughter claiming it's true.

This was just tying in two unrelated stories together. There was no direct reference to obama and no connection of the monkey to a black person, real or implied. Any racist tones that are perceived are simply those of the reader.

[Flyndaran]

My great great grandfather thought black people had tails.
If you can find me an american that truly believes Dubya was less human than other ethnicities...

[AFPheonix]

but everyone ignores the fact that the former president was constantly refered to as "a chimp"

Well, because he kind of looked like one with his Cro Magnon brow.
It's not looked upon kindly to refer to black people as simians other than humans because they were unfavorably compared to them in the past, especially in political cartoons.

I'm not even sure why they even bothered to run the cartoon, it was such a non-sequitur to begin with.

[AdminAssistant]

But calling a white person a 'chimp' does not have the implications as calling a black person a 'chimp'. It was in extremely poor taste, and it wasn't even funny. Just tacky.

[BlaqueKatt]

black people are often compared to monkeys by racists

but everyone ignores the fact that the former president was constantly refered to as "a chimp"

[Greenday]

Why is it racist? because it mocks the holy messiah Obama and the racism card is easy to pull.

Personally, had I been in the US, I would vote for Obama, but he is not perfect and when the makes a gaffe, he's gonna get mocked.

It's racist because it IS racist. It is WELL known, in the US at least, that referring to a black person as a monkey, chimp, ape, etc. etc. is a racial slur.

Yea we expect him to get mocked. He's a politician. And not just a politician. He's the president. He'll be the most mocked politician in America. But that's just not the way mock someone.

[lordlundar]

Why is it racist? because it mocks the holy messiah Obama and the racism card is easy to pull.

Personally, had I been in the US, I would vote for Obama, but he is not perfect and when the makes a gaffe, he's gonna get mocked.

At the very least, any satire directed at him is going to have an outcry of racism for several months.

I would put easy money that if it occurred and either Bush or Clinton was the President there would be people killing themselves with laughter, mostly the same ones crying racism.

[linguist]

I know, I was just being sarcastic. That's why I started the next line with "Seriously though..."

sorry. i've been sick; it must be affecting my sarcasm radar

[Greenday]

president obama backed the stimulus bill; president obama is black; black people are often compared to monkeys by racists; the intimation that a monkey wrote the stimulus bill could be seen as a racist dig at president obama.

I know, I was just being sarcastic. That's why I started the next line with "Seriously though..."

[AdminAssistant]

A reference to the chimp that attacked that woman? I dunno...not very funny either way.

[Sylvia727]

It really seems to me like this is just a "politicians have the brains of apes" chortle. Not particularly funny, but political cartoons rarely are.

[Boozy]

president obama backed the stimulus bill; president obama is black; black people are often compared to monkeys by racists; the intimation that a monkey wrote the stimulus bill could be seen as a racist dig at president obama.

And the monkey (sorry, chimp) is getting shot by what appears are cops.

I don't think any comparison or racial offense was intended. I think it was just supposed to be your basic "Hardy har har how about those clowns in Congress" thing. But someone didn't use their brain.

And it's not even funny.

[Flyndaran]

The animal in the comic was a chimpanzee not a monkey.

[linguist]

I don't get it. What's so racist about that?

president obama backed the stimulus bill; president obama is black; black people are often compared to monkeys by racists; the intimation that a monkey wrote the stimulus bill could be seen as a racist dig at president obama.