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Latest update: 20/02/2009
- bailout - Barack Obama - media - racism
'New York Post' apologizes for misplaced monkey humour
The New York Post, a right-wing tabloid, apologized for its cartoon depicting a chimpanzee being shot by police on Thursday. While irate critics claim it was a racist allusion to Barack Obama, the paper says it was just a bad bill.
The New York Post has apologized for its controversial cartoon that, critics say, likened US President Barack Obama to a chimp. The paper said the caricature was a statement on the stimulus bill and not a racist attack. Do you agree with the paper? Or do you think the cartoon crossed a line? Click on ‘React’ button below and tell us what you think.
REUTERS - The New York Post apologized on Thursday to those offended by an editorial cartoon that critics said was racist because it likened US President Barack Obama to a chimpanzee.
The newspaper acknowledged that the cartoon published on Wednesday had drawn controversy because African Americans and others saw it as a depiction of Obama.
"This most certainly was not its intent; to those who were offended by the image, we apologize," the paper said in an editorial on its website headlined "That Cartoon."
"It was meant to mock an ineptly written federal stimulus bill. Period," the paper said.
The cartoon of a policeman shooting an ape played on the real shooting of a pet chimpanzee in Connecticut this week. A police officer in the cartoon says, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."
The cartoon ran a day after Obama signed into law the $787 billion economic stimulus that he had strongly promoted. Critics interpreted the cartoon's dead chimp as a reference to Obama, who became the first black president of the United States on Jan. 20.
Demonstrators led by civil rights activist Al Sharpton chanted "End racism now!" outside the skyscraper headquarters of the newspaper's parent company in midtown Manhattan on Thursday. They called for the jailing of Rupert Murdoch, whose international media conglomerate News Corp owns the Post.
The newspaper initially defended the cartoon as a parody of Washington politics, but Sharpton said it exploited a potent image in the history of racism toward blacks.
"I guess they thought we were chimpanzees," Sharpton said. "They will find out we are lions."
Sharpton said he would meet with advertisers to encourage them to pull their ads from the New York Post and he urged New Yorkers to boycott the newspaper.
The Post said it was not apologizing to all of its critics.
"There are some in the media and in public life who have had differences with The Post in the past -- and they see the incident as an opportunity for payback. To them, no apology is due," the editorial said.
"Sometimes a cartoon is just a cartoon -- even as the opportunists seek to make it something else," it said.
But critics said the racist message was clear.
"You would have to be in a time warp or in a whole other world not to know what that means," said demonstrator Charles Ashley, 25, a model who did not believe the cartoon was an innocent political joke.
Others said it made light of assassinating Obama, a possibility they said that worries many Americans.
"Just the fact that they put a monkey with gunshot wounds in his chest, it gives the idea of an assassination," said Peter Aviles, 48, a building superintendent.
Police in Stamford, Connecticut, shot and killed a 200-pound (90-kg) chimpanzee on Monday after the pet nearly killed its owner's friend and attacked a police car. The chimp, named Travis, had once starred in television commercials and was taking medication for Lyme disease.
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Comments (60)
Chimp Cartoon an outrage
I am a white female and I love all of Gods people.......There is NO room in today's society for ANY egnorance. EVERY person involved in the creation, caption choice & printing of this article should be fired with NO EXCEPTION. It is time for ALL of gods people to come together as we were created equil in gods eyes so who is to judge God!? Yes, you have freedom of speach but the translation of that freedom is rather loose. Show me where God gave preference in color..... allowing white to be the leading color....I can not believe that your paper employees people with such ignorance & offence behavior. I will NEVER buy another paper from you!!
New York Post Cartoon
It seems that the general public is always trying to find something wrong with everything that is said or printed these days. What about all the cartoons about the past presidents. No one has said a word about them. I have seen black cemedians on tv make jokes about presidents without having to apologize for his actions. What is the difference? Besides it was just a cartoon. There are a lot more importanat issues to worry about than this, and besides have you forgot about the freedom of speach, freedom of the press? How many more of your rights do you want to give up that our forefathers spilled their blood for to preserve our rights?
Rasist Cartoon
This cartoon has racism all over it. It's insulting, distasteful and childish. It also display a very negative image of our country. I'm disappointed, but certainly not suprised. America is full of small minded people who need to insult others to feel better about themselves. Those men involved at the New York Post have never been and will never be half the MAN that our President is. Please!
Racist Cartoon
Shame on Ny Post for stooping to such a degrading level. As much as we like to believe that this country has moved beyond such racist thinking...and the cartoon was indeed racist......there will always be those who think otherwise about people of color and relating them to "animals". And those views and that kind of thinking has a way of always coming through.
president Obama
This letter is to state that your article showing President Obama as a monkey was inappropriate. In fact it was racial. Sean Delona's cartoon and the editor who approved it is living proof that racism is alive and well at the New York Post.
Cartoon in NY Post
The N Y Post is SAD! You know you are wrong.
Barack Obama is class, and will not bend to such lowness of mind to even address this sort of behavior, and I'm proud he is our President, and a man of color to top it all off.
There have been many qualified before him, but they were vilified, put down, kept out, held under, and ruled out; but this man will stand, and strong he will be. The USA will be better served from having elected our 44th President.
new york post cartoon
I do not believe the New York post had to apologize to anyone. In this country we have freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Did the New York Post apologize for having those rights?
Post "cartoon"/stimulus bill
Shame, shame, SHAME on the Post & author of the offensive depiction!
Same ole same ole
We have reached the mountain top, but ignorance and racism has followed. If the editor of the post had some intelligence and a backbone, the cartoon would have never made the cut. As with all good there is some bad. President Obama is running the show now and when he and his administration turn this country around, all his critics will have a feast of CROW. I just hope the idiots wise up before the meal is served.
Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton....extortionist, liar, windbag, and mainly VICTIM (and he will be one for the rest of his miserable life)! Why was he not made to answer for the Tawana Brawley fiasco which he probably helped perpetrate????? First of all, he shows his stupidity by apparently thinking Barack Obama wrote the stimulus bill... what he needs is a lesson in civics.It was written by Congress; Barack signed it. Also, since he seems to only be concerned with news that involves blacks, I guess he had no idea that a chimp was shot by the police in Connecticut after it viciously attacked a women there. I am extremely dissappointed that the NY Post has apologized to the cry baby known as "reverend Sharpton"(how did he attain that)? The cartoon was very sharp, irreverent and on point. I look forward to many such efforts which parody the worlds news (someone 'splain this to Al) because the Post does it so well! Janet Mackey
they got caught
close that news paper down he's a billionaire hit him where it hurts
they got caught
close that news paper down he's a billionaire hit him where it hurts
THE COMMANDER AND CHIEF
WHEN WILL THE NEW YORK POST LEARN? WHY DON'T THEY MAKE-UP A CARTOON ABOUT THEMSELVES AND SHOW JUST WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ALL CAN NOT GET ALONG.
Monkeys in a Mess
Only a nation's cowards fail to see the implication of pain depicted in the cartoon; (institutional racism) which intentionally and by cultural habit relegates classes/races of people to second class citizenship, poisons the national environment. It foretells a sad future in challenging times when some decide to hide behind cynical crayon drawings as if they were grade school bullies.
CARTOON
IT WAS RACIST..PERIOD
Chimpanzee Carton
Your lack of sensitivity if remarkable. If you consider the history of racism against Afro Americans in this country and the contributions by Afro-Americans to the building of America, you would not offer further offense by depicting our distinguished President in this way. Your carton is a disgrace. I will never purchase your paper again.
Obama cartoon
Thank god you apologized for that cartoon! That is dispicable of you and you call your selves educated!! How dare you do this to our president, who has done nothing to warrant such hatred from you and your staff! May your subscriptionss fall considerably. You better take a good hard look at the people who work for you and how they treat others. You better do some serious soul searching. This is a time in the world we need all to work together and get along and stop mud slinging at each other.
obama cartoon
DISGUSTING, let me ask america this when that monkeys check comes in your mail box i guess its all good then RIGHT!!!!!!! then he did right by you all, new york post I'm sure you'll want some part of that bail out . but yet you'll shoot the monkey. the editor and the cartoonist should be fired
Poor chosen humor
I understand the place of political cartoons in poking fun and finding humourous angles in all political themes, but the stimulus bill cartoon dipicting police shooting an ape was rather insulting and in extremely poor taste. I also know that you are a right-wing publication, which explains a lot concerning the poor judgement but you should really exhibit better editing skills and take an objective look at all ads before putting them in publication. Poor form, fellows. Poor form.
Monkey Cartoon
Only the Racists view this cartoon as racist. No apology should have been given! What about all the cartoons that ridiculed Bush? Stand your gound Post and remember the First Amendment.
Cartoon
It only goes to show how racist the New York Post is and always has been. This was not an innocent mistake on their part, it was a calculated attack on our president, and had this been done on my job, or any other job in the US, the perpetrators would have been sued or severly reprimanded for culturql insensitivity. Shame on them.
New York Post apologizes for misplaced monkey humour
It is not uncommon for something that is poorly done to be refered to as being something a monkey could of done better. Just because a person is black does not exempt them from the monkey reference anymore than any other race. That would be down right racist.
Ghastly Cartoon
The New York Post was irrresponsible in allowing this ignorant cartoon to be printed. Aside from its hate filled racist overtones, this is an attack on our Commander in Chief. The most powerful man in the world right now and this is how he is treated. With the economic woes we are experiencing in this country we should all be finding ways to come together, however we are still busy tearing it all apart. I served my country for eight years in the US Air Force proudly. It pains me to see that a media outlet such as the New York Post with its vast readership would spit in the face of a President who is quickly working his way through the muck and mire of the past administration to try and clean up the mess. If you don't like the stimulus plan too bad, do you have an idea that will put food on the table, money in the pocket, good healthcare, and job stability back into the hands of the average american? If not, then shut up!
That Cartoon
I was appalled at the overt racism of the cartoon. I saw it at first glance. You don't have to be a person of color to see this blatant expression of a comparison to our President to a dead chimpanzee. I am amazed the the white corporate power structure thought it could get away with such a disgusting image of racism and violence in this new day of hope. We all need to call them on this and not leave this battle to those who cannot help but cry out in pain. The New York Post just doesn't get it. White corporate racism in ingrained in their leadership so much so that they didn't immediately see and still don't get the odious and reprehensible expression they hav eput out to the world. Ugly America? YES! We must stand up to such things and be the REAL America. Do not buy or advertise in the New York Post. Yes We Can!!!
That Cartoon
I was appalled at the overt racism of the cartoon. I saw it at first glance. You don't have to be a person of color to see this blatant expression of a comparison to our President to a dead chimpanzee. I am amazed the the white corporate power structure thought it could get away with such a disgusting image of racism and violence in this new day of hope. We all need to call them on this and not leave this battle to those who cannot help but cry out in pain. The New York Post just doesn't get it. White corporate racism in ingrained in their leadership so much so that they didn't immediately see and still don't get the odious and reprehensible expression they hav eput out to the world. Ugly America? YES! We must stand up to such things and be the REAL America. Do not buy or advertise in the New York Post. Yes We Can!!!
the monkey
we should boy cot the new your post for posting soemthin like that times has changed let move on and be positave
NY Post Outrageous Cartoon
If the Post's editors expect anyone with half a brain to accept its explanation for last week's outrageous and totally offensive "cartoon," I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to sell. As a white American who witnessed firsthand how our Black citizens were subjected to all forms of discrimination, physical harm, and worse during the 1960s--even as they bled and died for our country serving alongside me during the Vietnam War--I rejoiced at the milestone we reached as a nation when President Obama was elected. The crass, insensitive, and vulgar judgment reflected by the NY Post's editorial staff reminds us that hate and bigotry still persist in our society in vile forms. The Post's non-apology is insulting. True accountability and contrition would be demonstrated if Murdoch fired the racist cartoonist and the editor who approved the drawing's publication. I wouldn't hold your breath. For shame. For shame.
New Post editoral
I have cancelled my subscription to the New York Post and hope others will do the same. This cannot be tolerated in the 21st century.
Monkey Cartoon
I don't know if your editors or fools or if they think their readers are. Whether they're stupid or just plain racist agitators, they should be driven out of business!
Apology NOT ACCEPTED!!!
A Mad Black Woman!!!
Demand more than an an apoligy
I'm sure that you guys have people our your staff that look at things before it is sent out. it's just stange how you come out with something as racist as this during black history month, than yo write an apolgy saying that it wasn't attended for Obama yet you have his name wriiten all over it, this should be illgal and you should be force to redo it over and write every afrianca american an apoligy! I will no longer read your rasit paper any more!