I see you still don't quite get racism: New York Post edition

Yes, I'm going to talk about that stupid cartoon from the goddamned New York Post.

I wasn't. In many ways I frankly don't care, I much prefer to watch the ignorant eat themselves alive. It eventually happens and I've learned that it happens fairly quickly. True, it's good to call folks out on their ignorance but I believe that, a little like a very unstable atom (which I guess they are), idiocy just doesn't live long.

I'll say for this much like what I said for that infamous New Yorker (do I sense a pattern?) cover: sure it's satire. But that doesn't mean it isn't stupid & racist.

So let me say that I still see that folks don't quite get this racism thing, and referring to things as "satire" or veiling it under "oh you just didn't get the joke" is supposed to absolve you of any wrongdoing. Some folks do this an awful lot and these are usually the same people that wonder why shit happens, never thinking that "Uh, maybe I did that?"

Let me address two things while we're looking at this cover, and I'm going to make this real quick because there have been plenty other of good blog & news outlets that have covered this:

1) YES it can be taken as racist, I don't give a fuck about context
2) Even if you take away the racist elements, it's still a really bad and ignorant cartoon



Now, we've got that out of the way, point 1.

1) Yes, it can be taken as racist. And if you really, really claim that you don't see the racist elements here, frankly I don't believe you. It's not a secret that my people, BLACKS, have often been compared to monkeys, chimps, and apes and still are. Have you heard the phrase "porchmonkey"? Yes, it is a racist term referring to blacks and our typically wide nosed, large eyed, thick lipped appearance. Supposedly we look like apes and people still think that blacks are "unevolved" and are still stuck at the "ape" phase. The irony of this being that we ALL evolved/split off from apes but no one seems to care about evolution and shit.

Secondly, no, I don't care about the context. Really, I don't. I'm not ignoring it, I just don't care. The little speech balloon says something to the effect of (I'm not looking at it as I post) they'll have to get someone else to write the stimulus bill. And sure perhaps a *ahem* certain black president didn't write the stimulus bill. Just what do you think when you see that. I look at the White House and I don't see any black folks so--oh, wait, yeah I do. Sorry I forgot, like the cartoonist.

Oh, the context for the cartoon was something along the lines of a pet chimp slaying it's owner's family--and no you didn't make that connection because you hadn't heard the story before reading the cartoon, and that's where our problem lies.

And now point 2.

2) Okay, about that chimp that killed its whole human family. Why are we even making a joke about this and why does it relate to the stimulus package. That's it, seriously, explain to me.

Do you see where I'm going with this? The only thing stopping people from making the racist connections is the fact that they just don't want to, and we call this being woefully unaware. Also, why are we making a joke about a pet animal killing/injuring its family? Tell me, New York Post, I want to know.

Oh, they did issue a statement on it. And it was totally worthless. Even your employees hate you, NY Post. Good on ya!

Folks, you don't have to explain satire to make it effective. Satire doesn't even have to be funny. But when you have to go to such lengths to dig yourself out of a ditch, well, maybe you did something wrong? I dunno, I'm just gonna watch them eat em selves. I hope controversy is tasty.