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August 5th, 2009, 15:52 GMT · By Elena Gorgan
Poster with Barack Obama as The Joker Branded as Racist |
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A poster showing President Barack Obama with his face painted white, with heavy black eyeliner around the eyes, red lipstick and huge scars on his cheeks, just like The Joker in the Batman movies, has started popping up all over the place in Los Angeles and on the Internet. The reactions to it have been mixed, not few being those to cry racism or even some sort of political upheaval, as SkyNews reports.
No one seems to know who designed the poster or for what purpose, which only means interpretations for it vary considerably from one media outlet to another. The fact that the caption underneath the photo reads “Socialism,” for instance, has prompted many to believe that it could be a response to Obama’s recent announcements on the health issue. Others, on the other hand, believe that whoever chose to make the President white like The Joker may have done so for racial reasons. What is certain, though, is that the poster has managed to cause quite a stir in the media. “It has a bit of everything to appeal to the drunk tank of California conservatism. The only thing missing is a noose.” politics reporter Steven Mikulan of LA Weekly says, as quoted by SkyNews. Tommy Christopher of Mediaite adds Mikulan is probably “overstating” the issue, but agrees the image of Obama as The Joker “is immediately and strongly evocative of blackface minstrel shows.” Thomas Lifson of the conservative American Thinker blog is trying to put things into perspective, saying that this poster is just the first from a long series. According to him, “Obama’s cool image is so 2008,” so it’s only understandable that more materials along the same lines be released in the following weeks. However, until then, reports in the media have it that the website to first run the poster crashed shortly after following intense traffic. As of now, it is not known whether the site went back up again. What with all the controversy, some cannot but stop and think that perhaps this is the very purpose of the poster: get people talking and not much more. Jack Napier, for instance, is of the same opinion, as he writes on the LA Times blog that, “The Joker would have a field day turning both sides on the other while they eat themselves, that’s the whole point of the Joker. And maybe that’s the whole point of the joke; create a controversy, upset the apple cart, and watch people go!”
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| Comment #1 by: William on 05 Aug 2009, 19:20 UTC | reply to this comment | Just how does painting something white represent racism..doesn't that say more about the insecurities person criticising, rather than their subject?
I think Obama looks like a zombie in this picture - perhaps the intention was to personify his social healthcare reforms in a similar light, i.e. dead..rotting..redundant.
Alas, it seems like some people are just too eager to jump on the racial bandwagon, instead of focussing on the bigger picture. Perhaps then we'd have real men of fibre instead of global, corporate puppets who appeal |
| Comment #1.1 by: Tina on 11 Aug 2009, 21:50 GMT | This is just someone's artistic interpretation of the current politics. Why get upset over this? It's art. it's truthful. You don't HAVE to look at it or believe in it. Put down the Koolaid and pay attention. |
| Comment #2 by: Lily on 05 Aug 2009, 19:31 UTC | reply to this comment | I'm tired of everybody labeling everything "racist." These labels is what is actually causing the racism. This picture is not about racism. It's simply in very poor taste. |
| Comment #3 by: xelliz on 05 Aug 2009, 20:53 UTC | reply to this comment | I loved this poster the 1st time I saw and I still think love it. In fact I think I love it even more since the ignorant have called it racist...as well as democrats crying about it being "mean spirited." |
| Comment #4 by: Okpulot Taha on 06 Aug 2009, 05:54 UTC | reply to this comment | Ha! Ha! What is more comical than this poster is all those political pundits and those talking heads on television performing all these deep analyses of, "What does this mean?"
Experts are called in, psychologists, FBI profilers, Dr. Ruth, Judge Judy, Alan Greenspan, Bernie Madoff even Cardinal Mahony, all expressing their expert opinions on, "What does this mean?"
Shoot, all this means is a teenage boy was sitting around smoking dope, trying out his Photoshop software pirated off the web, sitting around with some boys from the hood, getting stoned, giggling and having a good time messing with Obama, "Oh wow, man, awesome, totally sick!"
"Dude! Let's make some posters!"
There you are, just a bunch of pothead boys out on the streets having a good time, a right good time.
Right now, those boys are probably eating pizza, drinking beer and laughing their butts off, "Check it out, dude, our posters are on TV!"
Meanwhile, all these hyper-head pseudo intellects are scratching their heads and wondering,"What does this mean?"
Now, that is comical!
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation |
| Comment #5 by: Jasper on 06 Aug 2009, 06:02 UTC | reply to this comment | "And in their desperation they turned to a man they didn't fully understand." - Alfred Pennyworth, describing the Joker and the American voter in 2008. |
| Comment #6 by: Dee on 06 Aug 2009, 23:17 UTC | reply to this comment | Who ever would do such a thing, I know there parents are ashamed of of you for doing such a thing or agreeing with it. No parents wants to know that they raised a fool. Who ever done this God sees all and knows all and you will be judge!!!!! And I will Pray for all of you because you're sick |
| Comment #7 by: MaKocee on 07 Aug 2009, 15:56 UTC | reply to this comment | This is great!! Was it racism when they did a picture of G. Bush on Vanity Fair as Satan? Yea, much different from you liberals when its your "Boy" huh? This is just the start. many more posters to come!
Funny how when your "Boy" is attacked, its aways about race!! One day we are going to finally get tired of that being thrown in our faces. |
| Comment #8 by: Andrew on 08 Aug 2009, 14:21 UTC | reply to this comment | For what it is worth, here's my comment:
New and improved, Joker products! Socialized medicine, income redistribution - Welcome one and to the democratic plantation! Cross over children, all are welcome! Comrade Obama and his lackies can dish it out, but cannot take it when the tactics of an acorn community organizer are turned on them. Where was the outrage when acorn loaded up busloads of compensated demonstrators and occupied the lobbies of banks and S&Ls, and marched on the homes of CEOs and other corporate executives, and when Columbia University students shouted down a presentation by the founders of the Minutemen? Trust - who do you? |
| Comment #9 by: PJ on 10 Aug 2009, 08:14 UTC | reply to this comment | I've posted about 25 of these in my neighborhood in the past week or so. People eventually take them down, but I just post them up again! |
| Comment #10 by: LadySidhe on 10 Aug 2009, 17:47 UTC | reply to this comment | Just because BO is black does not mean that disagreeing with him or opposing him is racist, even though the liberals would like everyone to believe that. It means that people are fed up with his socialist agenda, and are making their feelings known.
Throughout history people have mocked leaders with whom they disagreed, in print, in art, and verbally. It's called Freedom of Speech, and--so far-- Freedom of speech is still legal.
Incidentally, it isn't illegal to be racist, either...YET.
It seems to me that accusing the artist, and those who agree with the poster, of being racist is just another ploy by liberals to squash the free speech rights of those who disagree. Dissenters must be silenced, and what better way than to accuse them of racism?
It also seems to me that the liberals are so in love with the idea of racism that they can't believe that everyone else is NOT. It never occurs to them that others just DON'T care about race.
A socialist is a socialist, regardless of color.
Obama is a socialist, and he is trying to force this country, against its will, to be socialist too.
And the People are protesting. It's not racism. It's vehement disagreement. |
| Comment #11 by: rooster on 12 Aug 2009, 13:29 UTC | reply to this comment | Dee, why do you hate America? Poor taste? It's a political commentary.
While Obamarx is an intleiigent man, he is a joke at the same time.
Lighten up, Francis! |
| Comment #12 by: LOL on 18 Aug 2009, 21:05 UTC | reply to this comment | Surprise the "Racist" artist is actually a 20 year old college student of Palestinian descent named Firas Alkhateeb who's from Obama's home town Chicago. Another vast right wing conspiracy uncovered! LOL | |
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