No justification exists for the poorly executed satire by The New Yorker, despite its stated attempt to take a major dig at the lies and rumors of lies that have swelled around Sen. Barack Obama.
Obama and his wife are lampooned on the magazine’s July 21 cover, with the premise that the magazine wants to point out the ridiculous rumors that Obama is Muslim, that he is unpatriotic, that he is aligned with terrorists, and that his wife, Michelle, is the militant black woman America shudders to hear.
The New Yorker's satire is just for laughs, and pundits say Obama should take it on the chin and giggle about it too.
I wouldn't...
...Not in this day of misinformation when stories are insufficiently sourced. (Remember the flap Sen. John McCain had with The New York Times about McCain's alleged affair. McCain was absolutely right to take the newspaper to task. The story did not back up the claims it made.) Tragically, many of the nation's newsroms have fewer warm bodies available to comprehensively report stories because the industry is struggling, and the disarray of newspapers has influenced campaign coverage. And after decades of efforts to bring more people of color into newsrooms, fewer of them are actually there now. Believe it not, a diverse presence makes a huge difference in media coverage. When a multitude of voices -- all ethnic and racial groups, all backgrounds -- are missing in a newsroom, the selection of stories, the breadth of sources, the methods of storytelling all suffer. A newsroom loses some of the creativity energy I love because the loss of staff means fewer leaders to challenge the merits of stories, how they are displayed, and whether they are an accurate reflection of what's going on. Those who remain are often overworked and unable to pursue some of the very hard-hitting stories readers miss.
...Not in this day of misinformation when the struggles of print media are amplified as stories fly across the Internet, even though the stories may be blatantly unsubstantiated. A recent Newsweek poll quoted on CNN.com says that 26 percent of Americans still believe Obama was reared a Muslim, though this is false. The allegation also puts Obama at political odds with Muslim voters as he seeks to define his religious faith, and yet deny any Islamic roots.
...Not in this day when the current events topic of the day are the tumble Miss Texas took at a pageant, and the Brangelina twins. With that news diet, we can overlook how the New Yorker cartoon reeks of Jim Crow-inspired art, a deplorable expression where African-Americans are given absurd, racist attributes. (Check out this essay about Jim Crow by Ronald L.F. Davis, Ph.D.) It wasn't right when Al Jolson sang in “black face” and the 1915 film, "Birth of A Nation," stirred fear
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A clip from "Birth of A Nation," courtesy of Hollywood Classics on YouTube.com.
in whites about blacks because of this controversial retelling of the Civil War and Reconstruction. And it’s not right to depict Michelle Obama with an Afro and shouldering a weapon. She does not wear an Afro, so why change her appearance? For all of us sisters who sported Afros and continue to do so, for all of us sisters who choose permed, weaved, naturally curly, braided or bald, the killer image is offensive because it takes the politics of black hair to an entirely new level. A hairstyle does not make you a terrorist. Self-awareness and community empowerment should not translate into blowing up the White House.
...And not in this day when the republic starves for journalism that “comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.” We need stories that ask both Senators Obama and McCain the hard, relentless questions about what they think, what they believe, and what they plan to do as President of the United States. Our country faces problems that require a smart, compassionate leader and a responsible and capable press.
And that ain’t funny.
Judy Howard Ellis
Jolie/Pitt link, courtesy of The Associated Press;
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