# New Yorker cover too much? (Obama as a terrorist) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 14, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451 "2008-07-14T16:36:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/1 "2008-07-14T16:36:20Z")
[Here is a link](http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/14/obama.cover/index.html) to a story and a picture of the New Yorker cover in question. > [@](#): > > The cover, published Sunday, shows Obama in the Oval Office dressed in traditional Muslim attire. His wife, Michelle, wears an Afro hairstyle and has a machine gun slung over her back. An American flag can be seen burning in the fireplace, and a picture of Osama bin Laden hangs on the wall. The cover is meant to lampoon the notion of Obama as a Muslim and so on. I get that. However, I suspect to many people they will just see that picture on a respected magazine and just assume there is truth to it (no, I do not have faith in many of my fellow Americans’ ability to apply any thought to what they are seeing). Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/2 "2008-07-14T16:37:24Z")
[QUOTE=Whack-a-Mole] I do not have faith in many of my fellow Americans’ ability to apply any thought to what they are seeing [/QUOTE] Me neither. What a terrible idea. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/3 "2008-07-14T16:44:42Z")
I think it’s brilliant satire. It shows just how ridiculous the treatment of Obama has been. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/4 "2008-07-14T16:48:19Z")
[QUOTE=Whack-a-Mole] The cover is meant to lampoon the notion of Obama as a Muslim and so on. I get that. However, I suspect to many people they will just see that picture on a respected magazine and just assume there is truth to it (no, I do not have faith in many of my fellow Americans’ ability to apply any thought to what they are seeing). Thoughts? [/QUOTE] If it were People, or even Time, I think you’d have cause for concern. The people who read the New Yorker will definitely get the satire. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/5 "2008-07-14T16:52:05Z")
I don’t think the average New Yorker reader will take it literally, though I do think the extreme anti-Obama bloggers will love this. It seems more Onion than New Yorker to me. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/6 "2008-07-14T16:54:26Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] If it were People, or even Time, I think you’d have cause for concern. The people who read the New Yorker will definitely get the satire. [/QUOTE] I’m not too worried about the people who actually read the New Yorker. I am more worried about the millions more who see it on the news stand and will not bother to read the article. Wonder what FOX Noise will do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/7 "2008-07-14T17:01:53Z")
This sums it up nicely I think: > [@](#): > > Presumably the New Yorker readership is sophisticated enough to get the joke, but still: this is going to upset a lot of people, probably for the same reason it’s going to delight a lot of other people, namely those on the right: Because it’s got all the scare tactics and misinformation that has so far been used to derail Barack Obama’s campaign — all in one handy illustration. Anyone who’s tried to paint Obama as a Muslim, anyone who’s tried to portray Michelle as angry or a secret revolutionary out to get Whitey, anyone who has questioned their patriotism— well, here’s your image. > > SOURCE: [Huffington Post](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/13/yikes-controversial-emnew_n_112429.html) ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/8 "2008-07-14T17:06:31Z")
[QUOTE=Whack-a-Mole] I’m not too worried about the people who actually read the New Yorker. I am more worried about the millions more who see it on the news stand and will not bother to read the article. Wonder what FOX Noise will do with it. [/QUOTE] Oh, what’s the big deal, he looks handsome in his Muslim garb and she looks powerful. Maybe those guns will peel away some of the NRA vote. Plus, what is the big deal about him being a Muslim. It’s the religion of peace. 😉 Seriously, this is not a great thing for Obama. I think TNY will realize this and seek to undo the damage by having something even more over the top about McCain. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/9 "2008-07-14T17:15:50Z")
[For completeness, a link to the Pit thread of the same cover.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=475472) I’ve got zero problem with it. I think it’s sort of amusing (I don’t think I’ve ever laughed at a New Yorker cover; maybe I’m just relieved when I get them). I do think there’s a little leftist snobbery, and Doper snobbery, going on here, and I don’t think the New Yorker has any obligation to be careful lest its cover be misunderstood by people who don’t read the magazine in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/10 "2008-07-14T17:17:11Z")
I said what I had to say about it in the Pit thread. But I’ll just add that Obama better get used to being offended. Comes with the territory. Better to shrug it off or make no comment at all. Unless you want to give it more publicity than it’s already getting. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/11 "2008-07-14T17:19:35Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Better to shrug it off or make no comment at all. Unless you want to give it more publicity than it’s already getting. [/QUOTE] And he made no comment yesterday. Why he denounced it today, I don’t know, but I don’t think it was a good move, and I don’t think it’s in keeping with his efforts on other issues to give people credit for their intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/12 "2008-07-14T17:24:26Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] And he made no comment yesterday. Why he denounced it today, I don’t know, but I don’t think it was a good move, and I don’t think it’s in keeping with his efforts on other issues to give people credit for their intelligence. [/QUOTE] I was a bit careless with my wording there. I was offering future advice, not commenting on present actions. It’s not clear that Obama himself has expressed offense-- the article just says his campaign has, and quotes someone from that campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/13 "2008-07-14T17:27:23Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] [For completeness, a link to the Pit thread of the same cover.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=475472) I’ve got zero problem with it. I think it’s sort of amusing (I don’t think I’ve ever laughed at a New Yorker cover; maybe I’m just relieved when I get them). I do think there’s a little leftist snobbery, and Doper snobbery, going on here, and I don’t think the New Yorker has any obligation to be careful lest its cover be misunderstood by people who don’t read the magazine in the first place. [/QUOTE] I get the satire fine and think it is clever. My problem with it is handing a perfect anti-Obama poster to any who oppose him. A poster they could never have made themselves. As noted in the Pit thread context is everything. If a right-wing blogger produced that they’d have been crucified. Now however they can just post that forever more and perpetuate all the worst stereotypes about them. As mentioned above a lot of that misinformation is remarkably persistent even among “educated” people. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/14 "2008-07-14T17:29:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Thoughts? It’s obviously meant to be a joke (though I didn’t find it all that funny myself…and seeing the cover I think they could have done better with the artwork as well). American’s aren’t nearly as stupid as folks on this board seem to think they are…you’d have to be pretty dense not to see that it is a lampoon, especially considering the source. I’m curious about Obama actually denouncing it though…I hadn’t heard that. Seems kind of stupid to me, and he’s usually really good at that stuff. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/15 "2008-07-14T17:47:42Z")
I also don’t see where he denounced it. McCain did, but Obama wouldn’t respond to a question about it. His campaign staff did. [Cite.](http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/07/14/obama-camp-slams-satirical-new-yorker-magazine-cover/) I knew he had black skin, but I would have hoped it was a bit thicker. If he (or his supporters) are going to throw a hissy fit every time he gets lampooned, he won’t make it to the election. Fuck 'em if they can’t take a joke. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/holmes)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/16 "2008-07-14T17:50:53Z")
[QUOTE=Shodan] I knew he had black skin, but I would have hoped it was a bit thicker. [/QUOTE] What the fuck is that supposed to mean? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/17 "2008-07-14T18:06:57Z")
[QUOTE=Shodan] If he (or his supporters) are going to throw a hissy fit every time he gets lampooned, he won’t make it to the election. Fuck 'em if they can’t take a joke. [/QUOTE] Good grief. :rolleyes: As one would suspect with a presidential candidate (any presidential candidate) there are literally hundreds of cartoons about him ([here are some](http://www.cartoonistgroup.com/bysubject/obama/cartoonists.php)) . Many, perhaps most, are not flattering to Obama. To my knowledge him or his campaign have not said a thing about them. Thus they are not throwing a hissy fit every time he gets lampooned. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/18 "2008-07-14T18:10:24Z")
[QUOTE=holmes] What the fuck is that supposed to mean? [/QUOTE] No, no… the retort is “that’s what _SHE_ said!” ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/19 "2008-07-14T18:11:03Z")
> [@](#): > > To my knowledge him or his campaign have not said a thing about them. Thus they are not throwing a hissy fit every time he gets lampooned. I didn’t think he would…he’s smarter than that. My question though is…why is this a great debate? It’s a cartoon after all, and as you’ve pointed out, he IS a Presidential candidate and it IS an election year. At least in this case it was supposed to be over the top, a lampoon…unlike a lot of the stuff about John McCain being old (after all, he really IS old…while Obama is not a closet Muslim). -XT ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451/20 "2008-07-14T18:40:59Z")
What’s the punch line supposed to be? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-cover-too-much-obama-as-a-terrorist/456451.md?page=2)