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Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill

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Spirit Fingers
02/19/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
I will say my two cents and then get off this exhaustive thread.

1) I've tried to look at the cartoon through "ignorant to racial stereotypes" eyes, and I still come up with racist. I don't know what's worse, out-and-out racism, or the blind-eye business that comes with not knowing your history with regard to demeaning, degrading, caricatures. So either way I call the writer and the editor a collective of racist, opportunist, dumbfucks who should be fired.

2) I never want Sharpton to speak on the side of the righteous. I'm sorry, but he never helps. In many instances he makes things worse. Once he gets involved...*sigh* whatever he's ranting about becomes a less than serious issue. In my view, he was pretty much over and done with after Tawanna Brawley. I'm not a native New Yorker, you see, so being from the South, I have no love for him. I'd even dare say, he's really just a hometown hack, but that doesn't negate the fact that he's right that the cartoon is racist.
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Maulleigh
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
Okay, I take back my last statement. I've thought about it some more. Daym! That is offensive! What an idiot.
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Maulleigh
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
While his other comics you listed are really offensive, I'm gonna give Sean the benefit of the doubt on this one. I think what he meant to say was something about the chimp mauling? I just don't "get" it. I don't think he's making Obama the chimp. That's just too 1865.

Or a King Kong joke?

Although I am naive.
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Mediahohoho
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
On the Sean Delonas post I wrote that he is a perfect reflection of his readers and colleagues. I'm going to have to add "defenders" to that.
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Novaload
02/18/09

@Mediahohoho: I'm just here for the freedom of speech. You might want to check to see if the Taliban is hiring; they like the kind of intolerance that's blossoming here.
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Mediahohoho
02/18/09

@Novaload Misses Murilee: You are an idiot and a fool; you're welcome to continue to display however and wherever you like. Here, you will be mocked without mercy. You, also, obviously have a thing for the Taliban. You might want to get that checked.
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debo matar la zombi goldberry83
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
If this is about monkeys with typewriters, where the fuck is the typewriter?
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Midge
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
New caption, Good riddance, Sean Delonas.
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Topheel
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
I'm not going to lie. I saw the cartoon three times before hearing about the hoopla, and not for once did I think the monkey was supposed to represent Obama. And that's not because I'm stupid, it's because I don't look at Obama as a black president, just as the president. What scares me is that so many people looked at this cartoon and thought the monkey WAS Obama. What the hell is in the back of your minds that you automatically assume that the dead monkey was Obama? Was it the words "stimulus bill" or was it the racist thoughts in the back of your heads? Just curious.

By the way, while I honestly think the joke was along the lines of "a monkey could do that job," it was just a lazy, hack attempt at a joke that's just not funny.
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allyzay
02/18/09

@Topheel: you might want to try familiarizing yourself with this cartoonist's prior works before jumping to "i'm terrified of you secret racists" conclusions, princess.
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Alexis
02/18/09

@Topheel:

I immediately thought of the racist angle here...which means, I must think President Obama is a monkey!

I am so racist. Here I am as a black woman, so happy to have our first black president, but because I see that he's black I'll soon be joining the KKK.

I suck, in that way.
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DorothyMantooth
02/18/09

@Topheel: No, it's because you're stupid. Trust.
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Topheel
02/18/09

@DorothyMantooth: An enlightning post, and as funny as Delonas' cartoon.
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Topheel
02/18/09

@Evlsushi: You're not even black. I happen to be sure of that.
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DorothyMantooth
02/18/09

@Topheel: Hey, you put it out there. I'm just responding "reasonably." Right? That's what we're doing here?

Just checking.
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Alexis
02/18/09

@Topheel:

Does it matter if I am? I see Obama as black (and perceived the monkey to be representative of him) and that makes me racist, so what does it matter?

I mean, if we're going to use your insane-o troll logic, let's go all out.
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Nefret
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
It's a truly awful cartoon, but someone should have edited Sharpton's statement. He means "imply," not "infer."
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Mediahohoho
02/18/09

@Nefret: I hear you. It's one of those mistakes I commonly associate with the Ron Burgundies of cable news.
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Gwenishka
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
This isn't racist. It's so obviously a reference to the thousand monkeys who typed Shakespeare, one of whom got shot in Stamford, and some of whom resemble the white members of Congress.

No one is ever racist except people who accuse people of being racist. No one has ever made racist comments equating black people with monkeys, except maybe back before Zombie Chick was born, so that doesn't count, and it's racist to bring it up. If you think about racism, it's obviously only because you're racist.

If everyone would just never talk about racism, it wouldn't exist. But you liberals/conspiracy theorists/black people/Southerners keep bringing it up. Why? Just let the cartoonist talk about the monkey who wrote the stimulus bill. Just be happy talking about Julia Allison, why can't you?

There, apologists. I said it all for you, so y'all don't have to post anymore.
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ambitious
02/18/09

@Gwenishka: Aaaaand, if you're a minority, a minority of any kind, then you are primed to decide what is and isn't racist everywhere no matter what forever and ever amen.

Also: this is part of a series. They're going to kill the other 999monkeys in the next 999 panels. And crush the typewriters. So the message is clear.
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Truculent
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
I'd say it's right in tune with the sophisticated humor of their readers. You know, the people who think Howard Stern is too high-brow
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Zombies make the heart grow fonder
02/18/09

@Truculent: Ugggghhh murder me. I have an irrational amount of hatred for him. You mentioned his name. I feel stabby now.
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tammyfey
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
Is it just me or is it really Newtojezebel in here?
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eri401
02/18/09

@tammyfey: All of the idiots at Gawker are on here, posting their nonsense.
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allyzay
02/18/09

@eri401: the post originated on gawker, and was written by a gawker writer (you might notice because he has a male name). why these crosspost decisions of late are being made i dunno but it's hilarious to see the overearnest bambi eyes clash with the misogynist right-wing snark horde.
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Pope John Peeps II
02/18/09

@allyzay: @eri401: Gawker's by and far a) left-wing women, b) left-wing gay c) very, very smart. There are only a couple of right-wingers and they're overall very clever and very astute.

So you can just take all the tiresome seaweed of fake feminism and stale righteousness back to the stagnant ocean of Jezebel from whence it came. That's right, I said whence.
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Pope John Peeps II
02/18/09

@Pope John Peeps II: but yah, now that I saw the OTHER TWO PAGES of comments, there are a lot of new people here. Saying stupid, stupid things.

Where did they all come from? They just made a liar out of me!
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leonleonleon
02/18/09

@Pope John Peeps II: I don't really know what Jezebel's all about, but I do know over the past month a lot of the influx of idiots have come from Gizmodo/Kotaku/Io9/etc.
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tammyfey
02/18/09

@tammyfey: I'm not referring to Jezebel, the site. I'm referring to a certain commenter from awhile back, in those halcyon days before horribly clueless/moronic/hatemongering/wack-ass commenters were so common here.

As to Jezebel, I don't read it, primarily because it's blocked here at work. From what I can gather, I'm not missing a damn thing.
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ambitious
02/18/09

@tammyfey: If you sometimes ignore the writing and usually avoid the comments, it's useful. They link to a lot of interesting articles. If you're interested in issues/matters that affect women, that is. Wouldn't want to assume.
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leonleonleon
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
Anyone making the point that Congress wrote this bill is also being stupid. This stimulus is viewed as Obama's creation, Obama's bill, his stimulus. The media and the public do not think of the stimulus as Congress's - they think of it as Obama's.

So arguing that the cartoon is referring to Congress is wrong - while the cartoonist may be referring to Congress, it will not be interpreted or even understood that way by the majority of people.
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nellicat
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
Even folks defending this cartoon as "not racist" can't agree on what the hell it's supposed to mean. We have at least 3 competing views: The dead monkey is supposed to be a reference to the Campton monkey. The dead monkey is supposed to be Congress, because they're a bunch of stupid monkeys. The dead monkey is a reference to 1000 monkeys typing for 1000 years and coming up with Shakespeare.

If it's so fucking obviously not a racist illusion to Obama (whom most people would associate with "writing the stimulus package," as it's almsot already referred to in the media as "Obama's stimulus package), then which one is it?
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nellicat
02/18/09

@nellicat: I meant the Stamford monkey. I have no idea what "Campton" is.
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Grim Reaper of the Forest
02/18/09

@nellicat: Well, I think we all agree that the Stamford chimp shooting is being represented. The reason the cartoonist thinks this is "clever" is because monkeys on typewriters often represent something badly written and he thinks the stimulus package is a piece of crap. The question is whether the cartoonist is comparing the Stamford chimp to Obama or Congress. The cartoonist also might think this is "clever" because Obama is associated with the stimulus package, making it a completely racist illusion.
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Zombies make the heart grow fonder
02/18/09

@nellicat: I don't think it is obviously not a racist cartoon. I think leonleonleon makes the most important point- the media is painting the stimulus bill as Obama's sole work and this cartoon preys on that. The average person seeing this is going to make an Obama=monkey jump and that was Delonas' intention. The 3 views you reference are not in opposition with one another in my opinion. My whole point in posting was that I also didn't see it as an immediate obviously racist cartoon. It was just hard for me to make the jump to the racial reference BECAUSE I don't fall into the group of people who see Obama as the author of the bill. I don't fault anyone who immediately went there with the cartoon either though. Once I realized what Delonas was really going after it was very clear and I am certainly not advocating for this cartoon with my posts.
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eri401
02/18/09

@Grim Reaper of the Forest: But what you fail to recognize is precisely how the Stamford Monkey blurs into Shakespeare's idiots producing crap. These BOTH still link to the one man directly associated with the stimulus package, whose racial background has been cruelly associated with monkeys for CENTURIES.

Just because a cartoon can having one meaning, does not negate the connotations of the others. This is a political cartoon where multiple nuances and layers of satire run together. This is not English 101. Signifiers can point to multiple things, and all at the same time.

AND just because some of the posters here lack that historical knowledge (of blacks being mocked as monkeys) does NOT mean that the rest of us are "racist."
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Grim Reaper of the Forest
02/18/09

@eri401: Why are you yelling at me in CAPS? I'm not disagreeing with you. My entire point, here and elsewhere, is that just because a cartoon can have one meaning, it does no negate the connotations of the others. I was trying to point out that just because the cartoonist is in fact referring to the Stamford chimp and to idiot monkeys doesn't mean that he can't also be making a racist illusion to Obama.

I still have a question over whether it was meant to refer to Obama or Congress, because I initially took it to refer to Congress. Just because I interpreted it that way doesn't make me naive or racist either. I am not trying to find a non-racist interpretation. I just happened to understand it that way, but all evidence points to the cartoonist being an asshole, so even though I can't get in his head, I wouldn't be surprised if he meant it to be racist. None of this changes the fact that I 100% think this cartoon should never have been published because it doesn't matter what the cartoonist's intent was, the cartoon references racist and harmful images. There are many racists out there who will read it that way, and probably many people, black or not, who will read it that way and be sickened.
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ArtfulSlinger
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
Um the racism and spelling errors aside, couldnt we have made fun of the dumb ass white people who thought it was a good idea to have a chimp as a pet and then get their face ripped off?
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leonleonleon
02/18/09

In reply to Post Cartoon Shoots a Monkey for Writing the Stimulus Bill
Reading these comments is making my eyes bleed.

The initial reference is obviously to the Stamford chimp. The cartoon uses that recent event to tie into the recent stimulus bill, thus bringing up the connection that Obama is a crazed, violent monkey.

So anyone not seeing the "racist" aspect is either blind or naive.
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Zombies make the heart grow fonder
02/18/09

@leonleonleon: Um, excuse me? I am actually neither and resent the implication that NOT thinking that the cartoon is referring to Obama as a "crazed, violent monkey" is blind and naive. As a minority, I am VERY aware of racism around me. The fact that I did not see it here does not make me blind or naive. When you impart your own meaning to something that does not make those who see it differently blind or naive.
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The Real JR
02/18/09

@Zombies make the heart grow fonder: I feel really sorry for you.
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leonleonleon
02/18/09

@Zombies make the heart grow fonder: I think I'm making my point wrong - the cartoonist may certainly have intended to refer to Congress as monkeys, or the whole 1000 monkeys on typewriters thing, but while that may have been his intent, there is still a clear interpretation that can be made of comparing this monkey to Obama. And he and the Post blatantly ignored that and decided to publish this anyways.
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Zombies make the heart grow fonder
02/18/09

@leonleonleon: I am 100% in agreement with you there. I can totally see the interpretation and I find that interpretation offensive, in case that wasn't clear. My only point was that It didn't scream to me immediately. I do find it hard to believe that it went through editing and NO ONE made the jump. I mean just look at our comment board. There are enough that jumped there immediately that someone else had to see it and think...hey...maybe this isn't a good idea.
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ambitious
02/18/09

@leonleonleon: I think the intent was racists (it's Sean Delonas) and I think the editors got its understood (maybe even relished) the possiblity of varied interpretations and that's why they ran it. Faintly plausible deniablity and racist jollies all in one.
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