Jul 14 2008
Ivory Towers With No Windows: New Yorker & ‘Satire’
All I can do is sit here, shake my head, and ask for the hundred-trillionth-time: What are they thinking? This time, “they” signifies the New Yorker Magazine; and the subject is the cover of the July 21 issue which portrays the Obamas as Muslim, anti-American, “evil-doers”. James Smith quotes the cover artist as saying, “The magazine is satirizing the ‘use of scare tactics and misinformation in the presidential election to derail Barack Obama’s campaign’”. Well, the New Yorker got part of it right: Scare tactics and misinformation just might derail Barack Obama’s campaign.
The New Yorker must exist in a complete vacuum. To justify this cover under the utopian concept of satire is nothing but idealistic, flawed, and so sad. As much as I would love to live in “New Yorkerland”, I am unfortunately bound to 2008 American Reality, where people voice support of the cover as a portrayal of truth: ”I am glad this was published and it’s really the possible truth and we do not need a President with this kind of overturns. [What does this mean?] Also, the black community will go wild if Obama gets in as the handouts will never quit [I do know what this means]. Good job by the author and artist.” (Comment #97, Smith’s article). Good job? Hello New Yorker–is that really the reaction you were shooting for? Satire is for grown ups. It is an acquired taste which is actually predicated on having taste and the capacity of knowing fact from fantasy. Unfortunately, the New Yorker obviously does not care what is done with their cover; the one that they created and now widely disseminated—they were just exercising their right…in what I believe is the most irresponsible act of journalistic cluelessness I have ever witnessed.
Sources: James F. Smith “New Yorker cover under fire” July 14, 2008 accessed from: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/07/new_yorker_cove.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed4
J. Goldberg. “Obama, the New Yorker, and the Death of Humor”. July 14, 2008 http://jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/07/obama_the_new_yorker_and_the_d.php
Come on! You even said it…satire is for grown ups and people who know fact from fantasy. I’ve said it in response to some other posts and I’ll say it here. Just because some people are too stupid to ‘get it’ doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. I don’t want media dumbed down just so ‘average people’ can get the jokes. I thought the cover was a fantastic commentary on the stupidity of the current focus on nonsensical issues regarding Obama.
I suppose my biggest problem is I expect everyone else (all those twits who don’t get the cartoon) to be competent and intelligent. Alas, I am usually tragically disappointed. I get what you are saying but I don’t have to like it
I don’t understand why everyone is making such a big deal out of this. People who read The New Yorker are a well-informed crowd, who recognize the difference between truth and satire. This really wouldn’t have been a big deal if the media hadn’t gone after this story like a terrier after a rat. We (you and I and most Americans) know that the Obamas are good people. McCain’s crowd must be scared if they’re holding onto this as though it was a major victory. I thought the cover was funny. We need to laugh at this little blip and forget about it.