# What's the first thing you think of when seeing this New York magazine cover? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 11, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663 "2008-08-11T21:28:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/21 "2008-08-12T00:57:56Z")
OK, I cheated and read the thread after looking at the cover, but before posting my thoughts. First thought was, “I suppose it’s about the presidential race, but they’ve made a boo-boo and it looks like a commentary on Obama being black.” But now I see that the choice and double meaning were deliberate. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/22 "2008-08-12T01:07:04Z")
Ethnicity ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/23 "2008-08-12T10:24:07Z")
I get confused every time David Gregory’s show, “Race for the White House,” comes on MSNBC. What? How’d HE know that race was going to be the crucial issue this time? And why the WHITE House? Couldn’t he have called his show “Campaign for the Presidency” or something? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/24 "2008-08-12T13:27:59Z")
I saw the cover when it was delivered to my office yesterday. I thought “Presidential race” not “African-American ethniticity.” ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/25 "2008-08-12T16:15:33Z")
My first thought was “Clever use of the pun.” My second thought was “_Why_ does race have to be an issue?” Third thought was “Why is race an issue when the candidate is African-American, but not when he is white?” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/26 "2008-08-12T16:15:53Z")
I predict that the article will be about how someone who is neither fully white nor fully black is seen as racially ambigious and in the position to choose what race they portary themselves as. Obama, however, seems to identify as black, which can be seen by his marrying a “real” black woman. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/27 "2008-08-12T16:22:19Z")
I thought “Barack Obama has a little conjoined twin head growing out of his shoulder.” ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/28 "2008-08-12T17:10:54Z")
1. ethnicity. 2. man, that guy has some big ears on him. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/29 "2008-08-12T20:47:19Z")
Photographic negative? Maybe Oreo, since you’re obviously fishing. I’ll go read your spoiler now. ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/30 "2008-08-12T20:55:49Z")
I figured it was a story about Barack Obama and race in the US. Race as in ethnicity. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/31 "2008-08-12T22:36:27Z")
Second thought: Michelle’s on the black side, Obama’s in the middle…why isn’t there a face on the white side? Like McCain? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/32 "2008-08-13T01:24:38Z")
I think I thought of race as in ethnicity first, then “oh, it’s a pun.” ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/33 "2008-08-14T19:11:35Z")
For some reason the picture loaded slowly and the word ‘Race’ was only visible at first for a second or too. I think color and the font, not to mention the absence of any modifiers (like ‘the race for the white house’ or ‘relay race’ or just ‘the race’) made me think of ‘race’ as ethnicity. When the rest of the cover appeared and I saw Obama’s face, I thought of the presidential race. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/34 "2008-08-15T17:48:24Z")
Race in the ethnic sense, Obama in the middle of that divide. And Rorshach tests, but the latter is only because I am thinking about the Watchmen, and your request for impressions. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/35 "2008-08-16T11:28:52Z")
I was stunned to discover that Obama was a white man in blackface this whole time. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/36 "2008-08-16T17:30:57Z")
My brain saw the word “Peace” instead of “Race”. I had to look twice. I think it’s because of the font. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/37 "2008-08-16T18:54:05Z")
It’s obviously a subtle comment on Barack’s nuanced thinking on the the issues facing the electorate, the country ane the world today, rather than the usual black and white stances, however far apart those stances may be. Aren’t you guys even paying attention? ---
**Author:** ![Paladud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Paladud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paladud)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/38 "2008-08-17T20:33:57Z")
Protoss versus Terran. The centerpiece is a strange zealot with large ears and extra facial features tacked on, while a medic panics in the dark background, thinking, “If the idiot who made this map had bothered to put a vespene geyser in the natural, I wouldn’t be in this predicament.” ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/39 "2008-08-17T23:59:20Z")
New York Marathon, of course. No, not really. Obviously it’s about Obama’s internal dichotomy. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663/40 "2008-08-18T00:08:53Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] Third thought was “Why is race an issue when the candidate is African-American, but not when he is white?” [/QUOTE] Why is race an issue when you call a black person a monkey and not when you call a white person a monkey? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of-when-seeing-this-new-york-magazine-cover/459663.md?page=3)