 The New Yorker wades into satirical cartoonland and comes up with one hell of a dud. The magazine's latest cover is meant to be satirical. Too bad satire is almost always wasted. Most people aren't going to get the joke. The Guardian writes:
In a satirical swipe at the crazy rumours about the presidential candidate and his wife, Michelle, the liberal magazine depicts them as terrorists in the oval office. Obama is in Muslim clothing; Michelle, in an Afro and military garb, has an AK-47 slung over he shoulder. Naturally, the fist bumping is there, along with a portrait of Osama Bin Laden and an American flag roasting in the fireplace. Asked about the image, Obama shrugged his shoulders. But his (and McCain's) spokespeople have made clear their disapproval, claiming most readers would judge the image "tasteless and offensive". They may be right. Readers have declared they will abandon their subscriptions amid declarations that the cartoon, by Barry Blitt, was "gross, sick and pathetic". The magazine's editor, David Remnick, believes the image "holds up a mirror" to the absurd and often malicious rumours that have stuck to his [Obama's] campaign. And he believes his readers are intelligent enough to get the joke. Rather depressingly, it has been suggested that people won't understand the point of cartoon, titled "The Politics of Fear", and that the cover should have included a caption. A caption? What would it have said? 'The New Yorker would like to inform readers that the above depiction is supposed to be funny. We don't really think Obama is a terrorist and we like Michelle's hairstyle as it is. Just in case any of you should think us unpatriotic, we remind readers that the Stars and the Stripes should be kept away from fire at all times.' For anyone who needs a caption to get the joke, Remnick's most extensive explanation of the cover can be found in this question and answer session.
Inside, the magazine reports that ... surprise! ... Barack Obama turns out to be a politician.
Meanwhile, despite the candidate's typically laid back reaction, the Obama campaign is not amused. Alternet's Don Hazen asks why left leaning media are working so hard to do the right's dirty work on Obama. Writes Hazen:
Unfortunately the impact of this image will extend far beyond the reading audience of the New Yorker; cable news and the right-wing media noise machine will amplify the derogatory image to millions more. And the New Yorker of course will reap enormous publicity, clearly translating to increased sales and notoriety for the brand, and for corporate owner Conde Nast -- one of the largest and most powerful media companies in America. But the publicity could very well backfire. Editor David Remnick and artist Barry Blitt's attempt at satire seems so arrogant and indulgent in its insensitive and out of touch with political and media dynamics of tabloid TV and blogs, that it just might make a lot of people angry, including some subscribers. The cover turns the magazine into a potential Molotov cocktail, to be gleefully tossed by Fox News and the conservative blogs, into the already combustible tinderbox of race and muslim stereotypes just below the surface of America's public discourse.
Unfortunately, he's probably right.
| Labels: 2008 election, Barack Obama, Baracknophobia, media narratives, presidential candidates |
