The New Yorker Cover Controversy

The cover of The New Yorker is causing quite a controversy. The cover shows a characature of Barak Obama in muslim dress and Michelle Obama looking like a member of the Black Panthers holding a machine gun. They are giving each other a fist bump. In the fireplace, the American flag is burning and above the fireplace is a portrait of Osama bin Laden. The title of this piece: "The Politics of Fear."

Now, I believe I understand where The New Yorker editorial board was coming from. They saw it as biting political humor. Satire. Poking fun at our absurdities. And they are correct.

How absurd to think that the presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States is a terrorist and hates America. How ridiculous to believe this Baptist church-going man is Muslim. How silly to think he was raised in a terrorist camp and/or is a terrorist sympathizer when he went to Punahou School in Hawaii.

How have the American people become so fearful? I thank the government for instigating it and the media gets the assist for perpetuating it. Make the people so afraid that they will not ask questions, demand reasons or think critically about the unsubtle erosion of their civil liberties. In attempting to protect the very ideals we cherish, we have allowed ourselves to be stripped of those same rights. After all, if we think, question or demand accountability from our government, WE WILL DIE!

The policies approved by our Legislature in the mis-named Patriot Act, the Administrative dictates from the Executive Branch and the capitulation by the Courts have all been a disservice to us, the American people. The people who are supposed to love freedom and liberty. As Tony Benn says, it is much easier to control a frightened, uneducated populace than a healthy, vibrant, knowledgable one (or something like that).

The news media is supposed to ask the tough questions and ferret out truths, rather feed their own capitalist hunger and flash provocative (and misleading) headlines, play overly dramatic music and basically scare us into listening to them. If we don't, WE WILL DIE! The New Yourker was poking fun at them...and at us...through publishing this cover. How easily the American public allows itself to be manipulated by a frowning leader and a few minor chords accompanying a scary headline.

The fist bump in the picture is obviously a reference to the "terrorist fist bump" controversy a few months ago. Some political pundit mused aloud if the fist bump referred to a terrorist message. Probably the same person who thought t.v. chef and talk show host Rachael Ray was giving a message to her terrorist peeps by wearing a printed scarf. Don't these people know that if they have these thoughts they should keep it to themselves? I believe it was Mark Twain said something like: it's one thing for people to think you're a fool, it's another to open your mouth and remove all uncertainty. But these people get paid to start these idiotic rumors. Bleh. Worse yet they're on "news" stations. Double bleh.

For these legitimate and thoughtful reasons, I believe The New Yorker ran its cover. To point out our absurdities when there is any mention of the Middle East. To highlight our knee-jerk reactions to the words "muslim" or "terrorism." The New Yorker probably sees it as their job, maybe even their mission to point this out to us.

But even though I understand all this, I still find the cover in poor taste. Perhaps satire needs to be biting and shocking, but my initial reaction when I saw the cover: Too soon. Too close. In proximity, emotionally and in time. Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee for President. A part of our populace truly believe he is muslim or is tied to terrorists. No one makes 9-11 jokes in New York City. Because it is too soon.

In order for it to be witty and funny there needs to be some distance. We don't have that distance yet. But perhaps this cover has helped create some of that space. If that is the case, then perhaps it was the right call after all.