Guest Commentary: New Yorker Stoops to Journalistic LowAnh Lębyline‚ Jul. 17‚ 2008The New Yorker magazine's July 21st edition's front cover depicting Senator Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, stoops to a new journalistic low and should be condemned for what it is: blatantly racist, anti-black, and anti-Muslim. The cartoon depicts Senator Obama wearing a turban and long robe, Ms. Obama with an AK-47 rifle slung over her shoulder, and the couple giving each other a fist bump. They are shown standing next to a fireplace, where an American flag is burning. Above the fireplace is a large framed picture of Osama Bin Laden. The New Yorker enjoys a well deserved reputation for one-of-a kind cartoons, oftentimes satirical or whimsical in nature. But this particular cartoon is simply "tasteless and offensive," as the Obama campaign's spokesperson stated. |