NY Post's Editorial Cartoon Mea Sorta Culpa

Two days after controversy erupted when the NY Post ran an editorial cartoon that involved a dead chimp killed by police and a reference to the federal stimulus package, the NY Post has finally apologized. In a way.

Facing accusations that cartoonist Sean Delonas (and Post editors) were referring to President Obama (there's a history of racist depictions of African-Americans and other non-white groups as primates), an editorial titled "That Cartoon" explains:

Wednesday's Page Six cartoon - caricaturing Monday's police shooting of a chimpanzee in Connecticut - has created considerable controversy.

It shows two police officers standing over the chimp's body: "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill," one officer says.

It was meant to mock an ineptly written federal stimulus bill.

Period.

But it has been taken as something else - as a depiction of President Obama, as a thinly veiled expression of racism.

This most certainly was not its intent; to those who were offended by the image, we apologize.

However, there are some in the media and in public life who have had differences with The Post in the past - and they see the incident as an opportunity for payback.

To them, no apology is due.

Sometimes a cartoon is just a cartoon - even as the opportunists seek to make it something else.

The opportunists the Post is referring to would include the Reverend Al Sharpton, who held a protest outside the Post's office yesterday. Sharpton issued a statement as well, promising to discuss the Post's "apology" during another rally this evening at 5 p.m. Sharpton said, "Though we think it is the right thing for them to apologize to those they offended, they seem to want to want to blame the offense on those who raised the issue, rather than take responsibility for what the Post did... All of us can only wish the New York Post had taken a more mature position when the issue was first raised rather than belatedly coming up with a conditional statement after people began mobilizing and preparing to challenge the waiver of News Corp in the City where they own several television stations and newspapers."

Sharpton plans to be outside the Post's offices (6th Avenue and 49th Street) at 5 p.m. with director Spike Lee. Gawker wonders how this will affect Delonas's children's book sales. Our question: Is "That Cartoon" a reference to "That One"?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on February 20, 2009 11:30 AM

Comments [rss]

Susan

I finally saw this cartoon, and really think it has nothing to do with racism. For those who like to play that race card, we DO have a Black President, that should PROVE we are in a different time Now. Get over it.ITS JUST A CARTOON.

matty

this thread is gothamist commenters at their worst.

redryder420

wow--I personally think the protesters are MAKING this into a racial issue themselves...You really have to look at it from all angles. First of all last I checked, supposedly America was a country of freedom of speech--so why dont you make it so we are becoming more and more of a socialist country.....keep protesting Al Sharpton. NY Post should apologize for nothing. What a joke

SeasTooFarToReach

To a certain extent, to consider this cartoon racist is slightly racist.

If this had been done while Bush was in power, it would have been said that they were insulting his intelligence, saying that he is dumb - like it was actually done many many times; But now people say it's racist because it's a black president.

Don't know if that makes sense. :/

chopp3r

There was one about horses but I thought it might be inappropriate.

Were they carriage horses?

deelo

Maybe they should have made the cartoon of police shooting a puppet, since that is what Obama is for Pelosi, Dodd, Frank, and Reid.

That is not an assassination attempt, but just symbolic in that Obama needs to grow some and stop being a puppet for the spend crazy Democrats.

The stimulus bill should not spend beyond 2012. That would have cut the cost of it and would have narrowed the spending to just items that stimulate the economy and cut out the pork. If we need more spending after 2012, then there can be another stimulus bill!

Sketto

I think Delonas is a hateful jerk and the Post an accomplice to his angry unfunny cartoons.

But though Delonas may be a racist himself, I have never understood how comparing people to animals is in itself racist. I know this is semantics, but in case this happens again, can someone please list for me the animals that are acceptable in political cartoons? Seriously, I bet most people calling this racist would be ok with the President (Obama or Bush or whoever) being portrayed in a political cartoon as a jackass (which we have seen in political cartoons many times) or a pig or bear or bull or any other animal. Well, unlesss you want to censor political cartoonists.

So, is this just an unwritten rule that no one can ever be compared to monkeys, especially if they're black? Why is that "more racist" than portraying Obama as any other animal?

Imagine a political cartoon where Hillary Clinton is an organ grinder and Bill Clinton is her little monkey helping her campaign. Can you imagine it? Is this racist? Isn't it a fair idea in a political cartoon that one person is compared to a monkey? Or greedy like a pig? Or ferocious like a bear? Or has their head in the sand like an ostrich?

Once again, I love seeing the Post embarrassed for supporting such an obvious hater of blacks, gays, fat people such as Sean Delonas.

But what is so racist about monkeys? It seems to be an issue for people who are intentionally easily offended.

Felix Hoenikker

Is someone bashing my mom again?!

The Edge

Dude, challenging people to IRL fights is SO 90's.

felixthecat2

I don't know about you but I noted that when I am in an argument, the weasel back down except the brothers. The brothers don't back down. But the short italians back down. they are coward who can't throw a punch. It is good for me that so many men are cowards and can't throw a punch. LOL

The Edge

Did you REALLY have to make another SN?

Dude, this isn't AOL.

valeriob

Kinda looks like ValerioBiscuit. A delicious snack.

The Edge

No, I don't "need" you to make my day pleasant.

But I can't deny I'm enjoying you implode on here.

valeriob

Are you crying. I'm sorry. I really am.

Please forgive my rudeness.

Amanda Harletsch

This cartoon was the dumbest thing a news paper can allow.

I don't think there was such a racist intention, but not for that we can deny the existence of cultural symbolism. How come that mass media outlets can ignore denotations and symbols in language. THAT is plainly dumb and clumsy. That lack of semiotic awareness is what I can not accept.

valeriob

Now, I ask you this genuinely...

What is your native language?

Your Engrish sucks, and your Italian is sub-standard.

Enlighten me, yes?

valeriob

Tell me how you really feel.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

sticchiu

valeriob

Cursing, acting childish, and otherwise flailing your arms and legs in failure is not appropriate in this forum.

Please stop reading Gothamist and start reading My Pet Goat.

The Edge

This is amazing, felixthecat foaming at the mouth over something OTHER than horses, sea kittens, and gay marriage!

Oh man this is making my workday a lot more fun.