The New Yorker Cover Controversy

The Obamas Depicted as a Muslim Iman and as a Terrorist

A well-known magazine has on its cover a depiction of Barack Obama as an Al Qaeda Iman, complete with robes and turban, and Michelle Obama as a gun totting terrorist from the 1970s. Which right wing hate rag did this? The cover was on the New Yorker.

The New Yorker cover depicts Barack and Michelle Obama in the Oval Office doing a "fist bump" in triumph. In the background one can see a portrait of Osama bin Laden and the American flag burning in the fireplace.

The New Yorker cover, which is for the upcoming July 21^st 2008 issue, accompanies an article entitled "The Politics of Fear", said to describe fear tactics being used to derail the candidacy of Barack Obama. The New Yorker cover is said to be a satire on the image of Barack and Michelle Obama being promulgated by their carious political enemies. The New Yorker cover is the work of artist Barry Blitt.

Both the Obama and McCain campaigns have united in calling the New Yorker cover tasteless and offensive.

The problem with good satire is that it has to be immediately recognized as such. The problem with the New Yorker cover depicting Barack Obama as an Ayatollah and Michelle Obama as a SLA terrorist is that it looks too much like an attack using stereotypes. Barack Obama, despite his middle name, is not a Muslim, not to mention an Iman. Michelle Obama, despite her unfortunate statement about her pride in her country, is not a terrorist.

The New Yorker's lame attempts to explain that its cover is just a satire just makes things worse. If one has to explain a joke, then it's not very funny. While funny can sometimes be offensive (just ask the late George Carlin), offensive is often not very funny.

An example of visual satire that worked could be found on the cover of the National Review shortly after Newt Gingrich and the Republicans won control of the Congress in 1994. The cover depicted Newt Gingrich as a barbarian warrior leading an assault on the gates of the Capitol Building while riding an elephant. While liberals probably throught the Gingrich was the second coming of Atilla the Hun, his supporters reveled in the depiction.