To build off Caleb’s post below, as well as something I’ve written about before, today, Here and Now on NPR featured cartoonists talking about Obama and race.
Wednesday’s New York Post cartoon has sparked a national conversation about the role of race in cartooning. On Monday – two days before the Post cartoon came out – three editorial cartoonists shared their views on race in cartoons in a forum at the JKF Museum. We hear a piece of their conversation and then check in with one of the cartoonists, Joel Pett, to see if his opinion has changed in the light of the Post cartoon.
The audio is available on the site, and the segment on the cartoons comes in at 29:25. Pett notes that part of the reason to interpret the cartoon in a negative light is, frankly, the reputation of Delonas, the cartoonist.
“The guy was either so insensitive as to not be able to anticipate this reaction or he anticipated it and just didn’t care. Either way it’s a terrible cartoon.”
“There’s a difference between free speech–you can draw a stupid racist cartoon and walk around the streets showing it to people. But that doesn’t mean that you necessarily get a place in the profession and get paid for it. If you do that, you gotta expect to be held to some kind of standard of decency.”
Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post said on MSNBC (at about 3:55 of the video) that the problem might’ve been caught if there was better diversity in the workplace. For example, I’d be willing to bet that many of the people who defended the cartoon on Caleb’s post were white. I’m not trying to beat up on anyone for being white–I’m white. But the thing is, being white, we simply don’t deal with racism the same way. This is what diversity does: it provides multiple viewpoints, multiple frames of reference for the same subject. This doesn’t mean controversial subjects should be avoided at all costs, but that fraught images like this one can be examined from different perspectives, and that perhaps a better critique of the stimulus package could’ve been produced.
Not to be too much of an academic wanker, but Judith Butler, one of my favorite theorists, wrote that “The speaker who utters the racial slur is thus citing the slur, making linguistic community with a history of speakers,” (The Judith Butler Reader, p 221). Her point is that insults draw on a vast history in order to have their power. Perhaps Sean Delonas really wasn’t aware that there is a long history in this country of comparing African-Americans to apes. But the people protesting in the street with Al Sharpton (whatever you may think of Sharpton) certainly were.
The New York Post is hardly a newspaper of record, and I’m not suggesting censorship. One of the best things about free speech is it tells us a lot about the speaker, and in this case, those giving him a platform. I’ve defended the free speech rights of offensive political cartoonists in the past in this very blog. But you cannot cry “free speech!” and then complain that people speak out against you. As Colleen Doran noted in a panel at NYCC, it’s not censorship to choose what you will and will not support.
February 20th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Seriously folks. This is absurd.
Two stories, mixed as one.
A) An out of control monkey shot dead in Conneticutt.
B) The stimulis bill which many critics of it have deemed it as out of control.
This reminds me when the Lord of the Rings movies came out and some charge racism, due to the fact that the vilains soldiers/creatures(forget the names) were created from mud and were dark.
This says alot about the person lobbying these charges then anyone else.
February 20th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
“Her point is that insults draw on a vast history in order to have their power. Perhaps Sean Delonas really wasn’t aware that there is a long history…”
This is interesting. I was wondering the other day if we might run into more of this as younger generations, unaware of the details of the history of racism in this country, produce more and more media.
It reminds me of a grocery ad that was pulled: various items of produce cross-fade into the faces of smiling consumers. At one point, an eggplant fades into an African-American girl. Apparently “eggplant” was a racial slur at one time. Of course the ad was rightly removed because it was offensive to some. But no one I asked had ever heard of this particular slur, perhaps meaning that one more tiny piece of of our racist history is vanishing into the past.
February 20th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Wait, wait, wait….
You read The Judith Butler Reader?
You are an academic wanker. There is no hope.
February 20th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
“Perhaps Sean Delonas really wasn’t aware that there is a long history in this country of comparing African-Americans to apes.”
I have, thankfully, not heard this as a defense. Because if I had, I would have a sore finger and throat from all the laughing and pointing. Even if someone could get through life not knowing of such epithets, one would have been educated about it from all the times it was brought up during the election. Every time somebody made a sock monkey Obama doll, or a “Obama in ’08″ t-shirt featuring Curious George, we were all reminded about the traditional slur. I’ll go so far as to say that the people bringing it up did more to re-popularize the classic racial insult than anyone since the death of Richard Pryor, who used the phrases like Picasso used a paintbrush. In a monologue about visiting Africa, he said he brought himself to tears when he realized that in the time he had been there, had not said, heard, or even thought the word…well, you know… He declared the word “dead”, that it had no more meaning to modern people. Damn I wish that were true.
To play devil’s advocate, I myself had never heard the slur “porch monkey” until I saw Clerks II. It’s not even in the lyrics to “Colored Spade” from “Hair”. I did know about the oft-used parallels between our black and brown bretheren and our arboreal ancestors.
So I guess it is possible for such slurs to pass from public knowledge. Luckily, there will always be the easily offended who will remind us of them. Does anyone recall the woman who sued an airline because a stewardess proposed to choose who would have to give up teir seat by doing “eeenie meenie miney moe”? Because aparently at some point in world history it wasn’t a “tiger” you were trying to catch by the tow. And similarly, the person who protested a high school doing a production of Agatha Christie’s “And The There Were None” because back when it was written, the poem featured in the play was about about ten little “indians”?
February 20th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
“For example, I’d be willing to bet that many of the people who defended the cartoon on Caleb’s post were white. I’m not trying to beat up on anyone for being white–I’m white. But the thing is, being white, we simply don’t deal with racism the same way. This is what diversity does: it provides multiple viewpoints, multiple frames of reference for the same subject.”
…or some people just don’t care about race being interjected everywhere?
I’m 24, and I truly believe my generation (as a whole, not counting those idiots on XBox Live or the comments of Youtube videos) does not give a toss about race. It is all the generations prior that have this guilt about it, the victim mentality, the need to raise a fit about everything they perceive to be racist, and try to dump it on future generations. I’m just refusing to have a part in it.
The cartoon should stand because it requires people to have a little bit more knowledge about government and what really occurs in creating legislation, instead of just thinking Obama every time someone says government. Having to think about something or have knowledge about current events should not automatically be a strike against it. Society is already dumb down enough as it is, I’m not going to let it try and go any further.
And Sharpton is nothing but a race-baiter, using the ignorance of people who have bought into the victim mentality to bully people into making them go away via $$$ (which then isn’t paid via taxes). The man has made a fool of himself repeatedly such as Tawana Brawley, Duke Lacrosse, his rants against jews and mormoms, he does not deserve the attention.
February 20th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
“Apparently “eggplant” was a racial slur at one time.”
The italian word for eggplant, “melanzana” is often used, localized as “Moolie”.
Down around here, our local AAA team, the Iron Pigs was going to name their mascot “Porkchop”. Someone piped up that “porkchop” was apparently a slur against Puerto Ricans back when Hoover was in the whitehouse. They changed the name to “Ferrous”
Don’t worry if you don’t know all the ways to insult people – there’s an entire cottage of industry dedicated to letting you know when you have offended someone.
February 20th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Sure, there are a million relatively obscure terms that are racial slurs (just see what happens when we put the word ‘gyp’ into an article accidentally) but I would still argue that – given that “porch monkey” is still in the vernacular, the whole monkey thing is a little closer to the surface than eggplant.
February 20th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
In the 80s, Zoo Crew member Pig Iron was the altered ego of Peter Porkchops, and he was the color of eggplants.
I’m just saying. Maybe this is why DC shelved the Showcase collection last year.
February 20th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
You know, I genuinely don’t think Delonas was thinking of Obama, but Congress when he drew that. But he’s so blitheringly incompetent that’s how people saw it.
Oh, and seriously my fellow white people: Get over Al Sharpton.
February 20th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
“I would still argue that – given that “porch monkey” is still in the vernacular, the whole monkey thing is a little closer to the surface than eggplant.”
I agree completely – my point was simply that there have been SO many slurs throughout history that it’s exceedingly easy to feign insult when one is used. I’ve said already I consider the mis-reading of the cartoon in question as justifiable, if not correct. Getting offended at eggplants is just silly. Examples of these accidental offenses are just growing like Topsy. (*)
I recall a group coming out against the phrase “To welsh on a bet” as it was historically offensive to people from Wales. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that the phrase had long since mutated to “welch” on a bet, and unless you worked for a grape juice company, would not be offended by it.
I learned most of my favorite offensive phrases from members of the group they were intended to offend. An ex-boss, a member of the Twelve Tribes, would regularly remark that he’d get a better price “after I jew the guy down a little”. And it was a black fellow who told me of the far more rankling version of the phrase “jury-rig”. Steal them back – laughing at something is the single best way to make something powerless.
(*) You see what I did there?
February 20th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
I’m 24, and I truly believe my generation (as a whole, not counting those idiots on XBox Live or the comments of Youtube videos) does not give a toss about race. It is all the generations prior that have this guilt about it, the victim mentality, the need to raise a fit about everything they perceive to be racist, and try to dump it on future generations. I’m just refusing to have a part in it.
Setting aside the idea of caring about race being part of a victim mentality, which is actually a factually wrong opinion to have, where do you live?
February 20th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Ken B.
What color are the unicorns in your neighborhood?
February 20th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Houston.
Could you explain what you mean by the victim mentality being wrong? There are people who use the color of their skin to set up excuses as to why they can’t accomplish ______, that it is set against them, and I just don’t accept that defeatist mindset because that negativity spreads like wildfire (like to the internet *rimshot*). That’s giving up on yourself. I don’t deny some racism still exists, but it is not as prevalent as some would want you to believe (like…(sorry Dan) Al Sharpton).
February 20th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
“What color are the unicorns in your neighborhood?”
If they’re white, is that racist?
What’s wrong with believing in good in people? Stop being all dark and Watchmen-like, people, be more like Superman.
February 20th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Is “porch monkey” still in the vernacular?
Seriously?
Man, I need to get out more.
February 20th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Ken B:
“I’m 24, and I truly believe my generation (as a whole, not counting those idiots on XBox Live or the comments of Youtube videos)…”
No offense, Ken, because I agree with most of your arguments, about how we SHOULD be, but this… I hate to say it man, but I think those you mentioned are more of a majority than either of us would like to admit.
February 20th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
I’d say right now the Xbox generation knows that these words and phrases are insults, and uses them as such, but they’ve almost been reduced to “generic” insults that can be used against anyone. They don’t know how hurtful those phrases can be to the right people in the right context.
Which is, I suppose, progress.
February 20th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
I never heard of porch monkey until Clerks II either, to be honest. A lot of those slurs that were dropped in that movie I never heard.
“No offense, Ken, because I agree with most of your arguments, about how we SHOULD be, but this… I hate to say it man, but I think those you mentioned are more of a majority than either of us would like to admit.”
A majority only because you have the internet f***wad theory at work plus a small portion of a certain group (online videogame subscribers who never matured due to parents coddling them). It seems larger than it is, but when you get out in the real world, it’s not the case.
You know, I’m going to have to deal with the shitload of debt prior generations gave me, I’m not going to let them give me their prejudices and ways of creating division among people (I know that sounds hopey-dopey but dammit, the Mighty Ducks II really moved me, and if you bought it when Obama was selling it you can buy it now).
February 20th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Now that’s just crazy.
When was Obama ever selling Mighty Ducks II?
Are you saying that all a black man is good for is to sell Emilio Estevez movies?
(Damn this is easy. I should get a job as a race baiter.)
February 20th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Ken B.
“…internet f***wad theory at work…”
Possibly, possibly. But just because someone isn’t willing to say something in public, doesn’t mean they aren’t thinking it. People are emboldened to be jerkwads on the internet because they feel safe and mostly anonymous. Jerks on Talk@ or Blog@ are one thing, because this site caters to a fairly small demographic: comic book geeks. Jerks on YouTube or XBox Live are a much greater population, and are more likely to be indicative of the population as a whole.
February 20th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Its 2009; our country’s economy is in shambles, we are trying to fight two wars….and people are wasting their time getting worked up over a CARTOON!
As Americans we are entitled to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…not a guarantee that our feelings will never get hurt.
February 20th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Hmmm…who is it that protests editorial cartoons and threatens people because of it…oh, that’s right…radical Muslims!
This is just stupid. The cartoon had not a thing to do with race. The idea is that the stimulus bill was so wrongheaded that a chimp could have done it (and given the likes of Pelosi and company, it could be argued that one did).
But please…PLEASE…keep injecting race into everything…because all it’s really doing is making everyone realize just how moronic political correctness really is…and pointing out who the race pimps really are…
February 20th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Ken B.
As someone who lived and taught high school in Houston for several years around 2001-2003, I can strongly attest to the fact that racism, prejudice and discrimination are alive in well there as well as virtually every other segment of this country.
While I applaud you and your circle of peers for being removed from the idea and struggle that is discrimination and racism, it belittles the day to day struggles and strife of so many–in your very city–who grapple with issues so intangible yet impacting that they have a hard time getting an even moderately fair shake in society.
February 20th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
When I was in college, and doing a cartoon for my college paper, one of the other college papers in my area had a cartoon wherein a stick figure in a ski mask came in to steal someone’s TV. It was mistakenly interpreted by people who didn’t often read the stick-figure comic as a man in blackface, and crucified the poor bastard. Just like in this instance, the quality of the work was not great…but just like in this instance, I have to say that freedom of speech trumps people’s paranoia. Syracuse University’s fear of being called racists compelled them to go after the cartoonist and kick their strip out of The Daily Orange, and I wrote an angry letter to the local daily defending those morons, too.
February 21st, 2009 at 1:21 am
Everyone knows that the legislative branch writes bills, right? So if anyone should be mad, it should be women’s groups, as logically the chimp is Nancy Pelosi.
February 21st, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Ken B, as a black sci/fi fan who uses the internet I can attest to racism/sexism being alive and well. Proof? Try watching a sporting event or sci/fi show on Justin TV and just see some of the responses when an ethnic person comes on.
Now as I stated elsewhere I respect the right of the cartoonist to put that out as it is granted in the constitution. What got me was that none of his editors or co-workers ever raised an objection or poised a worst case scenario.
Sorry again I may be an idealist but I am not Pollyanna either. We all have the tendencies within us, but while a lot can learn to be better, some refuse to. And that’s sad no matter how you look at it.