Christian Broadcasting Network's take on Obama New Yorker cover

[pnwmom]

CBN appears to be far more sensitive to this stereotyping than the New Yorker. (Don't worry -- I'm not going to become a CBN fan. But this just shows how despicable the NYer was, slurring Obama in exchange for sales. Even CBN can see it.)

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/408817.aspx

SNIP

Visuals mean something. They are very powerful and when a high profile magazine like The New Yorker comes out with something like this, the mainstream media takes notice. If the media takes notice, it will seep into public discussion across America. The New Yorker may think that’s a good thing but those images in the controversial picture feed into a certain stereotype. And while The New Yorker may think that portrayal isn’t accurate, Obama’s critics on the right think the picture is spot on. I mean, this thing has ‘copy and paste” written all over it. Expect to see this jpeg picture popping up in conservative emails everywhere. Also, the picture can and will be used as future discussion points about some of the Obama ‘controversies”.

The biggest problem I have with it is that, satire or not, it plays into this stereotype game we have out there. Here’s what I mean. Very often we try and label people or groups of people a certain way. Obama and his wife are being labeled a certain way and quite frankly it doesn’t reflect the entire story at all. Sure both of them have made statements in the past that raise concerns of some Americans but that doesn’t mean they are these crazy left wing America hating Muslims who have a racial chip on their shoulder. That’s called an unfair caricature and Evangelicals should be especially sensitive to stuff like this.

SNIP

[nc4bo]

1. an interesting comment from an interesting source. n/t

[pnwmom]

2. I hope it confirms that the "Christian" vote will no longer be the monolith

that it has appeared in the past.

[nc4bo]

5. We can only hope. Actually I'm a little surprised that CBN mentioned this at all

and I'm curious to see where it goes from here.

[AspenRose]

3. !

*thud* (hits the floor)

[pnwmom]

6. Ouch! n/t

[Ian David]

4. They've got it right...

"That’s called an unfair caricature and Evangelicals should be especially sensitive to stuff like this."

[crispini]

7. kick and recommended

[npincus]

8. K&R... Manhattan doesn't pick our president

[bigwillq]

10. But they surely keep us in the running.

:)

[KittyWampus]

9. It doesn't "feed" the stereotype. It EXPOSES IT TO DAYLIGHT. Exactly what needs to happen

[jefferson_dem]

12. Sure does.

Exposed and pwned!

[pnwmom]

14. It's been exposed on a daily basis. This just feeds it. n/t

[EstimatedProphet]

39. It has NEVER ONCE BEEN EXPOSED before now.

[jefferson_dem]

11. "Obama’s critics on the right think the picture is spot on."

That's the point of the cartoon. These "critics" are exposed. Their irrational hate-filled carictatures of Obama deserve to be mocked, ridiculed, and laughed at.

[pnwmom]

15. If that's the point of the cartoon, then why aren't those right-wingers being

depicted in all their ugly hypocrisy, rather than wrapping the Obamas in those stereotypes?

[EstimatedProphet]

28. Because it doesn't work that way

Here's an example:

Me: Knock, knock.

Now when I say knock knock, that symbolizes someone knocking on a door. You need to answer it.

You: Uh...

Me: You're supposed to say "who's there?" You're answering the door.

The picture doesn't need explaining. When it's explained it loses it's impact.

[EstimatedProphet]

29. Exactly!

I swear, this is becoming like trying to explain what a jet plane sounds like to someone who has been deaf for life.

[Goblinmonger]

13. Wait, CBN said this?

I thought the RW media would only be saying it's true. Guess some people concerned about this should be happy.

[grantcart]

23. Actually David Brody said this and he is becoming more and more thoughtful and serious

[Celebration]

16. Well

The satire skewers their base. So, it is totally understandable that a source like this wouldn't like it.

[pnwmom]

17. It's not satire -- there's no connection with the people who hold the

stereotype -- just the victims.

It's no more of a satire than if they had pictured the Obamas as Amos and Andy.

[glitch]

25. Thank you! "there's no connection with the people who hold the stereotype"

Satire armchair experts should get this.

[druidity33]

26. quoting Oscar Wilde...

from The Importance of Being Earnest (i think):

"Satire should, like a polished razor keen, wound with a touch that's scarcely felt or seen"


Doesn't seem like the cover, does it? I think Wilde is pretty much an authority on Satire...


:shrug:

[glitch]

38. Oscar Wilde! Can you imagine? He'd have a field day with all of this. nt

[EstimatedProphet]

30. Yes it is

The connection is in the fact that the only people saying the lies about Obama are the ones being satirized.

And had the pictured the Obamas as Amos and Andy that would also satirize another group who has been saying Obama isn't fit for office because he's black.

Simply admit that you don't understand satire, and move on.

[tigereye]

36. it is satire, it pokes fun at the very people who hold those attitudes

and it also pokes fun at the image that Obama cultivates for himself. That's what satire is and that's what the NY covers often do...


here's a different perspective from our local paper

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08197/897077-153.stm

[Robeson]

18. "this thing has ‘copy and paste” written all over it."....

...yep, and 24/7 news coverage on MSM.

[jenmito]

19. But each time they do a segment on it, they explain that it's a depiction of every false, ridiculous

lie/rumor about the Obamas, therefore making it clear that it IS nonsense.

[pnwmom]

20. Not when it's one Limbaugh type copying and pasting to another.

This has just because the perfect depiction of their worst nightmares.

[jenmito]

21. Well, of course not in the hands of Limbaugh...

but his followers will never vote for Obama anyway.

[pnwmom]

24. But things like this spread like a virus over the internet.

It will definitely be used to influence people who are less well-read than the average New Yorker reader. I can understand why Obama is furious. It's a racial smear, wrapped up as a "satire." If the cartoonist wanted to satirize the bigots, then he should have depicted Limbaugh or one of his ilk -- not Obama.

[EstimatedProphet]

32. And when we point out every time that this is a joke

people will quit sending it on, because sending it on makes them the butt of the joke!

[pnwmom]

33. Dream on. Rethugs will be passing it on without any involvement from us.

They believe it's true -- just like they believe that global warming is false. The facts aren't important.

[EstimatedProphet]

37. Which is why we laugh at them and call them stupid

And they have no comeback. We didn't lose their votes anyway, so we should be able to ridicule them. this gets the whisper campaign out into the open, instead of leaving it in the dark where it can convert people that don't pay attention. It was all over the news last night, with everyone saying how this is a smear. Do you think the emails mention that it's a smear? Anyone who now hears someone trying to whisper that Obama is a muslim now will know that this is a smear campaign, and not take it seriously.

[pnwmom]

40. But they vote. And they influence others who are on the fence

and might decide to stay home rather than take a chance on voting for Obama.

Every single vote matters. We don't want to lose a single vote because a cartoon reinforced the ignorant belief that the Obamas are a threat to America.

[Skwmom]

22. At best it was intended to increase sales, at worst...... Well, I'm sure you can

figure it out.

[tekisui]

27. They're upset because it threw a wrench in their smear campaign.

It exposed the absurdity that CBN and other RWers have been pumping on a regular basis.

[EstimatedProphet]

31. Yes!

[Ron Green]

35. Yes again -

It dismays me to see how FEW DUers understand the purpose and usefulness of this cover in the big picture. Exposure of the RW smears and the EXTENT to which the smears are institutionalized in the "press" and other "respectable" quarters is absolutely necessary if we're going to move forward with a new and better politics.

[grantcart]

34. What most people don't realize is that David Brody has worked very hard

to develop an independent voice as a commentator and you actually have to listen to him very carefully he doesn't automatically take the conservative point of view.


There are times when he is on MTP or some other show that he actually has the most thoughtful comments.


His point here is a subtle one but one that Evangelicals will get. They are free to to make an unfair caricature of Obama in part because of his faith. The more Evangelicals identify with the double standard he is getting because of his religious faith the better it is.

[Forkboy]

41. *sigh*