Obama is the Target of The New Yorker’s Satire


<br />Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are the subjects of a satirical cartoon on the cover of this week’s The New Yorker and it’s stirring up controversy. Michelle is depicted with an afro and AK 47 (playing on the “un-American” and revolutionary controversy she has been subjected to) and Barack is depicted as a Muslim with the American flag burning in the fireplace (playing on the Muslim rumors he has admonished since Day 1).
The New Yorker says about its cover:

“On the cover of the July 21, 2008, issue of the The New Yorker, in ‘The Politics of Fear,’ artist Barry Blitt satirizes the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the Presidential election to derail Barack Obama’s campaign.”

And the rep from Obama’s campaign says:

“The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama’s right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree.”

And what the cartoonist himself has to say:

I think the idea that the Obamas are branded as unpatriotic [let alone as terrorists] in certain sectors is preposterous. It seemed to me that depicting the concept would show it as the fear-mongering ridiculousness that it is.

How do you feel?

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0 responses to “Obama is the Target of The New Yorker’s Satire”

  1. If this MAD magazine then it would be alright. I would even been OK with it if it was on page 57 or something. Being on the cover in itself shows America’s undying contempt for anything outside of who and what a leader SHOULD be. Look at history… White, male, Christian, tall, slim, and dark haired. Few presidents do not fit that stereotype. Moreover, when did being Muslim become a crime. The world SHOULD be outraged. Are you?

  2. The only reason that this Mr. & Mrs. Obama satire DOES have impact — and may very likely spread — is because like all good satire, or good humor for that matter, there’s more than a germ of truth in it. Otherwise, the satire would utterly roll off the Obamoids’ backs, having no impact.

  3. The New Yorker has a history of satirical covers that poke fun at political types. They have been doing this for years. More interesting is this: how many people will actually read the article????? It is easy for folks to be lazy and just look at the cover and complain. It takes work to pick up the magazine and read it. Let’s be a generation who wants to stay informed.

  4. I think this is a true show of the racism that still exists in America. If there was a picture of a John McCain with horns ( White Devil) how would that be perceived?
    I personally don’t read the New Yorker, and now I never will.

  5. New Yorker magazine just lost all of it’s sophistication props with this one….they proport to be a magazine that caters to intelligencia and high mindedness (albiet very conservative high mindedness) but this cover looks like it belongs on the front of Mad Magazine, National Lampoon or The Onion. This so – called satire is something you could expect to see from The Daily Show or Saturday Night Live….or Southpark….I know readership in print media has fallen off lately, but this is a new high in poor taste. The New Yorker magazine at least used to “dress’ up their racist attitudes with a bit more panache. This choice in magazine cover art begs the question…”who let the dogs out?” When history holds a mirror up to the face of America what will the world see…….RACIST DOGS…the truth shall set US free….stay black, stay strong!

    Brian Phoenix

  6. Indeed, this is satire. The current socio-political climate is intense and people are mostly either confused, callous, apathetic or brainwashed. Like CT said, we must be a generation informed. I will add…and thinking critically about issues as well as reflecting on our lives and ourselves. It appears to me that the African-American reaction to the photo is of fear…Is it fear that this is what white people will actually believe or fear that this would actually be the reality. Who are we and what do we want? Who knows?

  7. I hate the Cover of the New Yorker magazine became the story intead of the story inside the New Yorker. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover people, read the article about Barack Obama. They don’t want you to read the content of the article that is why they are making a fuss about the cover. By “they” I mean right wing republiKlans.

  8. Don’t be fooled people! Racism is alive and well in Ameirca! How many of you think that the New Yorker magazine will come up with a cover of John and Sandy McCain in KKK outfits?

  9. Aiight people. Why would the New Yorker come out with a cover of McCain with horns or in a klan outfit?? Remember who the editors look like!!!!! The cover represents the fears of white people. klan outfits and devil horns are the fears of black people. Don’t get me wrong, racism is alive and well. Remember when Chris Rock said “if you want to hide something valuable, put it in a book (or a magazine in this case)”. We as a human race are driven on images. The quote “Seeing is believing” is very true for some people. Everyone loved the movie “Ray”. If the movie and a book came out at the same time, how many people would see the movie first, never read the book? We have got to start reading more. Never be fooled by what you see. Look closer for the truth. Have we not learned anything LeVar Burton said on Reading Rainbow??????

  10. Hypothetically speaking, if this was the case, I wouldn’t have a problem w/ a Muslim and a Revolutionist running this country. That would support the “CHANGE” theme and it might be better; it surely can’t get no worse.

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