WHAT were they thinking?
February 18, 2009, 11:21 am
Posted by David Gibson
You’ve likely read the story about the crazed chimp that went ape and critically mauled a woman in Stamford, CT (where such creatures are considered house pets). Police had to shoot and kill the poor simian. This morning, in an eye-popping interpretation of the event, a New York Post cartoonist has depicted the shooting–two white cops with smoking guns looking at a dead chimp–as a shot at President Obama and the stimulus package. In the caption, one cop says to the other: “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.” People here in Brooklyn were buzzing about it this ayem, and The Huffington Post has coverage here. I love tabloids, but this boggles the mind.
on February 18th, 2009 at 11:31 am
I don’t understand what point the cartoon is trying to make… and I definitely don’t understand why nobody thought better of running it!
on February 18th, 2009 at 11:44 am
There has been no report that the chimp was rabid, and chimps are not monkeys, so The Huffington Post is being sloppy on those two points.
I think the implication was almost certainly intended to be that the bill was so bad it was written by berserk chimps. One of the criticisms of the bill is that it was not written by Obama, who delegated the task to congress.
But it’s a horrible cartoon, especially considering that someone lies in the hospital at the moment, suffering from horrifying injuries, who may very well not survive. Editorial cartoons of course use news events in this way, but I don’t recall one where an accidental tragedy of such a personal and gruesome nature was used while the story was still playing out. It doesn’t really make the political point very well, and it’s just cruel considering what the victim and the chimp owner are going through.
on February 18th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Dumb and insensitive. The Post notes that “Sean Delonas’ Cartoons do not run every day.” We can be thankful for small favors.
on February 18th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
The Post publishing this, then defending it is neither a surprise nor out of character with their long running Murdoch style approach to events.
But in the continued anti-bipartisan mood fueled by Rush and the toxic House of Reps situattion, what’s not to expect?
I think the folks who voted for change will be further angered at the anti-Obama forces who will continue in their bubbles for whatever reason.
Kind of like polarization in the American Church and the kind of comments piosted on blogs (like thecomments on the ones at America at least on Mickens or BXVI,Pelosi and Deal Hudson,)
on February 18th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
You would think that even the New York Post would be beyond the monkey humor at this point. Clearly not and not defensible in any way if you ask me.
on February 18th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
“WHAT were they thinking?”
THINKING! The NY Post? The only faint weasling opportunity they have is to attack Al “The Attack Dog” Sharpton. Otherwise …….
Want to take a bet whether any of the Senate or House Republican leadership comes out and castigates or even tut-tuts against the Post on this? And we know that Rush Humbug and Sean Hairbrained will excoriate the Post. Yep. I can hear it now: freedom of speech! First Amendment rights! It’s all because of Obama’s bad actions!