tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162431493776686444.post2254108265331443017..comments2023-10-29T05:13:15.825-05:00Comments on Another War-on-Terror Blog: The New Yorker 'Satire' Obama Cover BackfiresBrian H. Gillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209697542675181894noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162431493776686444.post-60401756095445904032008-07-15T23:18:00.000-05:002008-07-15T23:18:00.000-05:00markstoneman, Thank you for getting back on this t...markstoneman, <BR/><BR/>Thank you for getting back on this thread of comments. <BR/><BR/>About the "Republican nightmare" - got it. And, thanks: I thought I might have missed some text there. <BR/><BR/>And, I'm glad you qualified it to 'some Obama opponents.' <BR/><BR/>Unless some posters and pundits are lying through their teeth, that weird cover probably does come pretty close to showing their fears. <BR/><BR/>Doesn't go far enough, actually. There's some genuinely rabid anti-Obama (and anti-McCain, I suppose) sentiment out there. Elections seem to get some people riled up. <BR/><BR/>What surprises me is how discussions of this cover have centered around race. Sure, Michelle's image plays up the race angle, but Barack's does the same for the religious angle. <BR/><BR/>Seriously - I haven't run into anything like the race-related outrage over this cover, regarding the overtly anti-Islamic imagery. <BR/><BR/>Curious.Brian H. Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13209697542675181894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162431493776686444.post-9868703409942329112008-07-15T21:51:00.000-05:002008-07-15T21:51:00.000-05:00I should have said "what some opponents of Obama f...I should have said "what <B>some</B> opponents of Obama fear"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162431493776686444.post-68328216390528598002008-07-15T21:50:00.000-05:002008-07-15T21:50:00.000-05:00@Brian: I used the phrase "Republican nightmare",...@Brian: I used the phrase "Republican nightmare", because the cover is supposed to portray a nightmare of sorts for Obama's political opponents. I loosely used the term "Republican" in that sense. The image is supposed to be making fun of what opponents of Obama fear. One of those things is an assertive Michelle Obama who is just a little too hip and not patriotic enough. If you're going to paint that nightmare, a submissive Michelle Obama wouldn't have a role to play. If she were submissive, she'd be what some seem to want. Or haven't you noticed her taking flack just as Senator Clinton did back in 1992?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162431493776686444.post-71051104335908116842008-07-15T12:22:00.000-05:002008-07-15T12:22:00.000-05:00Back to Markstoneman, "Besides, how would that be ...Back to Markstoneman, <BR/><BR/>"Besides, how would that be a Republican nightmare?" <BR/><BR/>I've looked for the "Republican nightmare?" phrase. Can't find it in the 'posture' thread I started on BC, or here. <BR/><BR/>In my opinion, if this cover has any impact on the election, It's as likely to provide a reference for Republican talking points, as for Democratic ones.Brian H. Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13209697542675181894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162431493776686444.post-63684051533233543102008-07-15T12:19:00.000-05:002008-07-15T12:19:00.000-05:00Thanks, all, for responding. Cooper, "Political or...Thanks, all, for responding. <BR/><BR/>Cooper, <BR/><BR/>"Political orgy" is a new one to me - and a pretty good description of parts of the current campaign. For me, electing candidates is a bit like making sausages - I generally like the end product, but the process isn't as pleasant. <BR/><BR/>minnesota classified ads, <BR/><BR/>Okay. <BR/><BR/>Ian Thal, <BR/><BR/>"...I suppose I'm one of those 'ironic' people one only finds on the East Coast." <BR/><BR/>I wouldn't despair. It's quite possible that irony, as well as other human qualities, are to be found outside the New England states and southern enclaves on the East Coast. <BR/><BR/>And yes, the cover in question is clearly satirical - although possibly in poor taste. And, The New Yorker is known for satire. <BR/><BR/>What floors me is the position of many of the people who are upset over this cover. More about that later. <BR/><BR/>markstoneman, <BR/><BR/>I think that "...can't we laugh once in a while?" is an excellent point. <BR/><BR/>Grist for the mills of Obama opponents? I don't see how - outside some rather eccentric circles, who'll see 'proof' in almost anything. <BR/><BR/>About the submissive posture - this shows up more in a low-res thumbnail, than in a more detailed view. What I noted was the S-curve of her head, body, and legs, the head bowed toward him, rather sharply, and the hand in a position that is consistent with an offering of the fingers for a gallant kiss. <BR/><BR/>I doubt that this perception was intended - unless the satire is much more multi-level than I suspect. <BR/><BR/>Ian Thal, <BR/><BR/>More about the 'submissive' posture - again, think low-res. I don't see it in the detailed view, but I still see echoes of the head-bowed, demure posture if I get the resolution low enough - under about 80 pixels across, roughly.Brian H. Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13209697542675181894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162431493776686444.post-58668420374067358372008-07-15T00:20:00.000-05:002008-07-15T00:20:00.000-05:00I agree with Mark. I don't see anything "submissi...I agree with Mark. I don't see anything "submissive" about the Michelle Obama posture. She's in full para-military gear and is posed as a hip-revolutionary. Her facial gestures are drawn to portray intelligence and agency, not submission-- even the "power-bump" gesture is one shared between equals, not between a master and servant.Ian Thalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15348768867561450314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162431493776686444.post-36826952306311223072008-07-15T00:05:00.000-05:002008-07-15T00:05:00.000-05:00By the way, I don't see the submissive posture you...By the way, I don't see the submissive posture you're talking about. Not at all. Besides, how would that be a Republican nightmare?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162431493776686444.post-22491086632400545732008-07-15T00:03:00.000-05:002008-07-15T00:03:00.000-05:00I actually find the cover funny. Whether or not it...I actually find the cover funny. Whether or not it becomes grist on the mills of Obama's opponents remains to be seen, but I doubt it can have that big of an impact. Hell, can't we laugh once in a while?<BR/><BR/>(FYI: I'm an Obama supporter.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162431493776686444.post-52125685476872994382008-07-14T23:53:00.000-05:002008-07-14T23:53:00.000-05:00I said this on BlogCatalog:The controversy amazes ...I said this on <A HREF="http://www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/the-new-yorker-cover-and-victorian-postures#comment_471055" REL="nofollow">BlogCatalog</A>:<BR/><BR/>The controversy amazes me.<BR/><BR/>Does anyone grasp who writes for <I>The New Yorker</I>? Who the subscriber base is? Who reads it?<BR/><BR/>Readers of <I>The New Yorker</I>? if they don't live in or around New York City, live in other major metropolises of America. They tend to be liberals, vote Democrat, and probably already support Obama.<BR/><BR/>Quite simply, regular readers of <I>The New Yorker</I>? are amongst the Americans least likely to believe the sorts of smears that inspired the front cover illustration.<BR/><BR/>Most regular readers get that cover was meant to satirize the rumor-mongers and the lies they tell-- in part because regular readers of <I>The New Yorker</I> are accustomed to seeing satirical covers. New Yorkers get the joke (even if they don't like the way it was told.)<BR/><BR/>The sort of folk who actually believe that the Obamas enjoy burning the American flag in their home, don't read <I>The New Yorker</I>anyway.<BR/><BR/>Simply put: I was planning on voting for Senator Obama before the cover, I still plan on voting for him, I believe he will be a good president, and I still think <I>The New Yorker</I> is a fine magazine. But I suppose I'm one of those "ironic" people one only finds on the East Coast.Ian Thalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15348768867561450314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162431493776686444.post-66521374147616817862008-07-14T23:01:00.000-05:002008-07-14T23:01:00.000-05:00The magazine is doing a great job ,specially durin...The magazine is doing a great job ,specially during the elections time.Its a good entertainer as well a good guide to influence the mind of voters in a right way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162431493776686444.post-19820861296216690952008-07-14T16:13:00.000-05:002008-07-14T16:13:00.000-05:00You know one I just got back to see a comment left...You know one I just got back to see a comment left onmy post which says it for me as well. Though the commenter despised the cover he said<BR/>"The election is in the at stage of politico orgy where nothing’s happening so people start making stuff up." ( at least making stuff up to get over the top upset about) "The political orgy" is a correct term for something that to me is getting so out of hand crazy, and maybe it's just because I wasn't as aware of the surrounding of the election last time I voted nationally ( my first national election , but all these distractions and the pontification which follows is getting quite exhausting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com