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Newspaper sorry for 'Obama ape' cartoon
Ed Harris20 Feb 2009
The New York Post has apologised to people offended by a cartoon that critics said was racist because it likened Barack Obama to a chimpanzee.
The newspaper acknowledged that the cartoon had drawn controversy because African-Americans and others saw it as a depiction of the president.
"This most certainly was not its intent; to those who were offended by the image, we apologise," the paper said in an editorial on its website headlined "That Cartoon." The paper said: "It was meant to mock an ineptly written federal stimulus bill. Period."
The cartoon of a policeman shooting an ape played on the real shooting of a pet chimpanzee that attacked its owner's friend in Connecticut this week. A police officer in the cartoon says, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."
The cartoon was published on Wednesday - the day after Mr Obama signed into law a $787billion economic rescue package.
Demonstrators led by civil rights activist Al Sharpton chanted "End racism now!" outside the skyscraper headquarters of the newspaper's parent company in Manhattan yesterday. They called for the jailing of Rupert Murdoch, whose international media conglomerate News Corp owns the Post.
Reader views (10)
There's no coincidence with the Obama cartoon. Just the like the Muhammed Cartoon in Denmark was a carefully executed plan. Nobody prints anything without approvale from above. My opinion is that Israel is sending a warning to Obama to play ball, or else...
- Vic, Ribe Denmark, 17/03/2009 14:07
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Look, I did not vote for Obama and I have only met 2 others that will admit they did. I do not care if he is Black, White, Orange, or Yellow. He is the President. This makes him fair game. Will you folks quit playing the race card. It shows your racism. Remember not all Blacks voted for him. We are in a mess and we are not out of it yet. History is written after the fact and not before. This is truly a historic event let's all be proud or disappointed together. Just because he is 1/2 black does not give him any special d1spensations. He was elected he and you need to deal with it.
- Stephen D. Scott, Tifton, Ga USA, 23/02/2009 00:57
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If it looks like him, where is the offence?
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 22/02/2009 21:29
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George W Bush was regulary depicted as an ape - I don't recall people being outraged then. (Abraham Lincoln was also so abused for his simian looks).
- Nora, London, UK, 22/02/2009 20:33
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Please excuse some of my more illiterate countrymen, race was not an issue in the cartoon, just ignorance. I speak English and understand it, and did not find the caption or cartoon offensive, but to the point. Not just Congress, but also the Senate wrote this bill, they are the "monkey"!!!
- Donald Filak, Bisbee,Az, USA, 21/02/2009 13:44
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Once again the racism Nazi's find perceived offence in an innocuous cartoon. The way I read it it was aimed at the monkey brained idiot who wrote the bill no Obama. But facts don't stop the NazI's from screaming racism.
PATHETIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Duncan Walker, Lucky to live in Thailand, 21/02/2009 01:51
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The cartoon is innocuous. Cap has it right. Obama didn't even write the "stimulus" bill; it was written by idiots in the US Congress, who would gladly do it again. Furthermore, Al Sharpton is a reknown race baiter and fingerpointer who thrives on contrived controversy. The article is a fair presentation of the facts, which is rare for British journalists covering American politics.
- Don Truitt, West Plains, MO, USA, 20/02/2009 15:02
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A clear case of Left wing Main Stream Media double standards -or hypocrisy as it's otherwise known.
How many times was Dubya called chimp boy? Suddenly it's out of order to compare the Obamessiah?
Funny that.
- Ethan, UK - another day older and deeper in Brown's debt!, 20/02/2009 14:09
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Obviously the dumbing down of educational standards is affecting the US as well.
I couldn't see how this cartoon, based on crazy real events in the US, could be construed in such a way to cause any people offence.
(except maybe the owner of the chimp shot dead by Police)
There's nothing to apologise for.
- Cap, London, 20/02/2009 12:17
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Freedom of speech means the freedom to be wrong.
- Neil M., london uk,, 20/02/2009 11:34
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