July 14, 2008The jokes on ... New Yorker?Give it to New Yorker magazine. It pulled out every rumor and stereotype the far right has dredged up about Barack and Michelle Obama for its current magazine cover. They're standing in the Oval Office, and he's dressed as a Muslim. She's a terrorist. It's supposed to be satire, a comical way of shooting down all of that nonsense circulating on the Internet about the presidential candidate. Problem is, not everybody is as intellectual as those New Yorker readers. Some anti-Obama zealots will take the satire as gospel truth---and run with it! (Trust me, I get their e-mails. Some of these folks are a few croutons short of a salad.) Notice, I said "zealots," not "critics." I know lots of Obama critics who will easily see the cover as satire. Some people don't "get" satire. I learned that earlier this year when I wrote a satirical piece about Advance Auto moving to Minnesota. Even when I came back the next week and wrote a column explaining that the original was satire, somebody named Pat accused me of being like an ex-spouse, willing to say anything to cover for a mistake. Huh? Anyway, hit me back with your take on the New Yorker cover. s |
About this blog In her signature plainspoken style, Michigan native Shanna Flowers peels away the layers and gets to the heart of the issues. No pretense. Just straightforward perspective. Shanna writes about local people whose circumstances reflect decisions made as near as City Hall or as far away as the halls of Congress. Other times, she weighs in on a topic because it is incredibly ridiculous. Or heartening. Or fascinating. Read Shanna's column three days a week, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at roanoke.com
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Comments
[July 15, 2008 2:16 AM]
Dona Wheeler Roankoke, Va : →http://www.donawheeler.comAH, But the skin..is shall we say thin? One cannot buy this kind of controvery..woops unless one is Mr Obama, who I see reguarly photographed in a limo, but his ads show him hailing a cab.. Whatever, most of us are not impressed with the press, and more than a few formaly excited ready to vote cconcerned citizens, are now apatheic and not voting, agian thinks to the press, not the world wide web.
[July 15, 2008 7:35 AM]
Percy KutionIt may or may not have been satire. Either way it gets a lot of attention and FREE advertising for the campaign.
[July 15, 2008 8:00 AM]
reedOK ......so the New Yorker was trying to be funny....but like one news outlet said this morning...what they were trying to present as funny.....was not funny. Although I clearly understand the meaning of satire and I also "hear" what the New Yorker saying, Obama has had this kind of thing thrown at him from day one. Of course,in the pubic eye...many mistruths are thrown around. I think the cover was done in poor taste and was done to sell magazines. I am sure like many other printed pieces out there, the New Yorker has seen a drastic drop in printed sales......so how do you amp that up??? Well you could put Britney or Paris on the cover....or make fun of a presidential candidate!!!!!!
[July 15, 2008 8:55 AM]
GoldenwillowThe New Yorker cover is sick, racist, incendiary and dangerous.
The choice to use the cover was irresponsible on the part of the editor.
[July 15, 2008 9:10 AM]
Ed S.This was a cartoon? I thought it was a photo! (just kidding!)
I can see the satire, and found it a bit funny. However, I can see how people, especially Obama and supporters, would find it in bad taste. Just as I find tasteless the disparaging remarks about my home area ("hillbilly", "yokel", etc.) or those that liken all gun owners to criminals. In the end, it's only funny for those who actually "get it", and understand that it is humor and has little bearing to real life.
[July 15, 2008 4:15 PM]
LRSThe New Yorker is a left-wing magazine that supports Obama. It is appropriate to assume this publication decided to use this front page cover for three reasons. It will attract publicity for the rag. It attacks some of Obama’s opponents with satire. And it’s a setup that gives Obama an opportunity to play the role of sympathetic victim.