Fuckin Amazing

[Option D]

Mal....sorry but the Left excused all the bs attacks on Bush, for the last 8 years. I'm doing the same for Barry.

There has always been critisism of presidents. But this could easily be viewed as more than a critisism.

[headhuntersix]

Sure...and as an editor I would not have run the cartoon as drawn unless the monkey had a Congress name tag or something.

[Option D]

Sure...and as an editor I would not have run the cartoon as drawn unless the monkey had a Congress name tag or something.

Right. Thats why i think he was trying to be slick.

[Benny B]

http://www.rhapsody.com/player?type=track&id=tra.2011408&remote=false&page=&pageregion=&guid=&from=&hasrhapx=false&__pcode=

[Hugo Chavez]

No but they did this, imagine if this was Obama, there would be riots.

That film wasn't an American film first of all.  And remember, many of us including myself were against the film:

http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=91852.0


and Bush was never portrayed as a monkey shot down in the streets and if he had, I would have been against that bigtime.

[shootfighter1]

although i felt the cartoon was in poor taste, the paper published an oppology to those offended by their interpretation of the cartoon.  That was appropriate.  I suppose the author is to tell us what he meant but still surprised it got by the editor because of how people could (and did) have interpreted it.

[Benny B]

although i felt the cartoon was in poor taste, the paper published an oppology to those offended by their interpretation of the cartoon.  That was appropriate.  I suppose the author is to tell us what he meant but still surprised it got by the editor because of how people could (and did) have interpreted it.

a weak, backhanded apology

[Dos Equis]

Pretty dumb thing to do.  The editors were pretty foolish to run this.  It always amazes when really bad collective decisions like this are made.  You would think someone in the room would have the brains to say, "wait a minute . . . ."    

[Hugo Chavez]

There's new stuff on this.  Apparently the editor sent Rupert a letter saying he was as shocked as anybody and the first he saw it was when everyone else did.  lol.

[Option D]

By John Legend
Dear Editor:

I'm trying to understand what possible motivation you may have had for publishing that vile cartoon depicting the shooting of the chimpanzee that went crazy.  I guess you thought it would be funny to suggest that whomever was responsible for writing the Economic Recovery legislation must have the intelligence and judgment of a deranged, violent chimpanzee, and should be shot to protect the larger community.  Really? 

Did it occur to you that this suggestion would imply a connection between President Barack Obama and the deranged chimpanzee?  Did it occur to you that our President has been receiving death threats since early in his candidacy?  Did it occur to you that blacks have historically been compared to various apes as a way of racist insult and mockery?  Did you intend to invoke these painful themes when you printed the cartoon? 

If that's not what you intended, then it was stupid and willfully ignorant of you not to connect these easily connectable dots.  If it is what you intended, then you obviously wanted to be grossly provocative, racist and offensive to the sensibilities of most reasonable Americans.  Either way, you should not have printed this cartoon, and the fact that you did is truly reprehensible.  I can't imagine what possible justification you have for this.  I've read your lame statement in response to the outrage you provoked.  Shame on you for dodging the real issue and then using the letter as an opportunity to attack Rev. Sharpton.  This is not about Rev. Sharpton.  It's about the cartoon being blatantly racist and offensive.

I believe in freedom of speech, and you have every right to print what you want.  But freedom of speech still comes with responsibilities and consequences.  You are responsible for printing this cartoon, and I hope you experience some real consequences for it.  I'm personally boycotting your paper and won't do any interviews with any of your reporters, and I encourage all of my colleagues in the entertainment business to do so as well.  I implore your advertisers to seriously reconsider their business relationships with you as well.

You should print an apology in your paper acknowledging that this cartoon was ignorant, offensive and racist and should not have been printed.

I'm well aware of our country's history of racism and violence, but I truly believe we are better than this filth.  As we attempt to rise above our difficult past and look toward a better future, we don't need the New York Post to resurrect the images of Jim Crow to deride the new administration and put black folks in our place.  Please feel free to criticize and honestly evaluate our new President, but do so without the incendiary images and rhetoric.

Sincerely,

John Legend