The controverisal cover of the July 21 issue of The New Yorker
This week’s New Yorker magazine cover has a “satirical image” of Michelle and Barack Obama. The image is entertaining to some because it embodies ignorant assumptions about the Obamas. The Obama and McCain campaigns have agreed the cover is offensive. Both campaigns recognize that the average person who sees this image or a similar one will not read the 18-page companion article and probably has not ever read the New Yorker. The New Yorker editors assumed we would see the cover image as satire. We all know what happens when you assume. It is human nature to simply take in the image that is splashed all over today’s headlines and believe what you see.
The First Amendment expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws that infringe on the freedom of speech or the freedom of the press. However, I agree with one comment that this image will grace tee shirts by Friday. Will the New Yorker release an equally satirical and controversial cover for the McCains? When will it be released?
Politics is a hugely complex machine and, unfortunately, not everyone takes the time to educate themselves on the process and the players. Now more than ever it is critical to read, to educate yourself, so that satire does not drive your selection of the individual, who MAY be the face of the United States and lead all Americans over the next four years. Organizations like AAUW provide tools to get you educated about the voting records of your members of Congress.
This is what Barack Obama had to say about the New Yorker cover on Larry King:
“Well, I know it was the New Yorker’s attempt at satire. I don’t think they were entirely successful with it. But you know what? It’s a cartoon, Larry, and that’s why we’ve got the 1st Amendment.
And I think the American people are probably spending a little more time worrying about what’s happening with the banking system and the housing market, and what’s happening in Iraq and Afghanistan, than a cartoon. So I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about it.”
(Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/07/obama-muslim-1.html)
The only reason that this Mr. & Mrs. Obama satire DOES have impact — and may very likely spread — is because like all good satire, or good humor for that matter, there’s more than a germ of truth in it. Otherwise, the satire would utterly roll off the Obamoids’ backs, having no impact.