Incredibly ridiculous.
There's no other way to describe the over-the-top political correctness that leads a major newspaper to issue a prophylactic apology for an unoffensive cartoon in the anticipation that someone somewhere will raise a fuss.
Yet that's what the Washington Post did yesterday in a correction posted on page A2 of the Sunday edition (via Jossip):
So Gene Weingarten from The Washington Post wrote an article called "Monkey Business" about men and women and their sexual fluidity, based on that New York Times trend piece from a couple weeks ago. But since the title of the article had the word "monkey" in it, and the accompanying picture was of a cartoon monkey, WaPo needed to clear up any misconceptions vis-a-vis The Post cartoon and our current president.
Story Continues Below Ad ↓The headline, illustration and text of "Below the Beltway," a column in The Washington Post Magazine today, may cause offense to readers. The magazine was printed before a widely publicized incident last week in which a chimpanzee attacked and badly mauled a woman in Stamford, Conn. In addition, the image and text inadvertently may conjure racial stereotypes that The Post does not countenance. We regret the lapse.
You know, it took the Post about 4 days to sorta-apologize for their monkey comic. WaPo's correction was printed the same day as the cartoon. That's how you know they printed it on purpose to drum up controversy.
For his part, Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz confessed on his Twitter page that he was confused as to why the Post felt it necessary to issue an apology (posted to his page shortly after 1:30 p.m. EST today):
@michellemalkin I thought my paper's preemptive apology for Monkey Business cartoon was odd. Didn't seem offensive to me.
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
What a bunch of phony as
February 23, 2009 - 14:09 ET by bigtimerWhat a bunch of phony as heck malarky..to put it kindly here.
People are getting confused.
February 23, 2009 - 14:15 ET by MassConservativePeople are getting confused. What Obama's actions over the last month have demonstrated is that he is a BUFFoon not a BABBoon !!!
"There are scandals that need to be addressed. Republicans address them, Democrats re-elect them." - Tom Delay
MC... You've got me
February 23, 2009 - 14:24 ET by bigtimerMC...
You've got me laughing...you are dead on the money here!
At least you didn't say
February 23, 2009 - 16:05 ET by JoeBobAt least you didn't say "dead on the monkey". That may have caused offense and inadvertantly conjured racial stereotypes.
Without recognizing the ordinances of Heaven, it is impossible to be a superior man. - Confucious
What a bunch of
February 23, 2009 - 14:15 ET by 10ksnookerWhat a bunch of monkeys
Acting President Obama sure is a liar isn't he?
And I hope Ken is ready for
February 23, 2009 - 15:20 ET by motherbeltAnd I hope Ken is ready for the PC police to come after him for that headline....
I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson
Careful Here
February 23, 2009 - 14:20 ET by slickwillie2001Now we need to acknowledge that any mention of bananas is also racist in connection with Obammy, because that links to simians, which links to blacks, thus to Obama. Same for any mention of fried chicken, watermelon, ribs, basketball, welfare, housing projects, domestic terrorists, ACORN, foreclosures, etc. New lists of banned words are being prepared by the FCC as we speak.
An "a-peeling" compromise for the "thin-skinned" crowd
February 23, 2009 - 14:21 ET by metaphorsbwithuPerhaps, in the future, all depictions of primates should be acompanied by identification tags to indicate who they are representating. For example, "Congress" or "Schumer" or "Typical White Male".
How ironic though that liberals, who have elevated the animal kingdom to a status above humans, who have insisted we have descended from "apes", are suddenly insulted when they think one of theirs is compared to one.
metaphorsbwithu
Oh, metaphorsbwithu....
February 23, 2009 - 14:33 ET by dborschjr68Your subject line, An "a-peeling" compromise for the "thin-skinned" crowd, caught my attention, as it is a prime example of what I refer to as "Hardcorn Pun-ography."
Please know I have alerted the Pun Vice Squad, and they shall be arriving shortly at your house. Thank you, and have a great day.
"Liberate tutume ex inferis, liberal puppets." Me.
Speaking of "going bananas"
February 23, 2009 - 14:56 ET by metaphorsbwithuI think the next four years are punishment enough.
Oh, for crying a
February 23, 2009 - 14:28 ET by motherbeltOh, for crying a loud!
Get a grip, for Pete's sake!
Is the phrase "More fun than a barrel of monkeys" also verboten now?
How long before this and this are taken off the market?
Don't want to teach the youngsters racism, you know.....
I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson
Exactly right
February 23, 2009 - 14:35 ET by bigtimerExactly right mb...
Phrases like 'a barrel of monkeys' or a 'Monkeys Uncle' were some that I used when it came to what was happening to Sen. Allen with the macaca ordeal...that the msm used to do him in...sadly.
Empowering words
February 23, 2009 - 14:43 ET by KC MulvilleIf you tell people that a particular word is so awful and powerful that it cannot be spoken ... well, you can pretty much guarantee two things:
This is the real-world version of the "Knights Who Say Ni."
WaPo introduces "WaPo Sharia"
February 23, 2009 - 15:10 ET by Dont_Like_TheBluesWhy should we all allow such HOPEless cartoonists and journalists to insult Emperor O. Why don't we create our own Shariaesque laws with appropriate barbaric punishment.
Anyone who draws any picture of a primate, chimp, monkey, baboon, bonoboo or gorilla should have their arm cut off.
/sarc off
This is almost as bad as the protest that ensued after the Mohamed-mo-bomb-ed cartoon. The only difference is that the libs aren't asking for capital punishment (just career destruction and a lifetime racest labeling). When I hear the words "Monkey Business" I still think of ol' Gary Harts boat and photos that cost him the dim nomination.
I guess this is what they mean by a nation of cowards when it comes to race, crazy lib accusations and assumptions that all whites are closet racists & clan members.
WTF is going on with this country ?!?!?
NASDAQ ticker
February 23, 2009 - 14:30 ET by katainkent[Ann] COULTER: I think we need a NASDAQ ticker for which words can be used at which times by which people when talking to whom. And it would be constantly changing and updated all the time.
I'm outraged & insulted!
February 23, 2009 - 14:51 ET by locomotivebreath1901This cartoon is obviously a crypto-bigot, rightwing metaphor!
It’s an egregious racial attack on the Democrat party (the chimp) which
brutally swept away the desired, collective affections of voters (the woman)
from a sadly out of shape Republican party {jilted, middle aged white dude of
means (note: expensive flowers)}.
Mean spirited hate speech fascists! I demand a DOJ
investigation!! ACLU protests!!!
Oh. And a front page article at Huffypoo.
Cc: Al Sharpton
Well done, locomotive.
February 23, 2009 - 14:54 ET by QueenMumWell done, locomotive. LMBO
Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of the tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. - Ayn Rand
lb... Fear not....Holder
February 23, 2009 - 14:55 ET by bigtimerlb...
Fear not....Holder will be on the way to save the day!
Confused
February 23, 2009 - 14:59 ET by surfergirl54I am confused. First of all we are no longer allowed to refer to the children's toy - a golliwog - without someone thinkig that it refers to a black man. Now it seems that ar reference to a chimp in a cartoon is referring to a black man. This is where the confusion happens - the left wing rabble compared GW Bush to a monkey or chimp (I have been to the site and have seen all of the pictures) - yet the media claims that a cartoonist was making a reference to OBummer? Or maybe they were referring to that idiot Eric Holder.
As for this particular cartoon, well I could construe the chimp to be OBummer because of the way that the women are swooning at his feet (well I am not one of them I can assure you of that).
Yes, there are many witty sayings like "more laughs than a barrel of monkeys" and if the politically correct crowd have their way we will not even be allowed to use that expression. This is all getting too much out of hand. Time to protest about this latest stupidity from the media (before the rest of the pc crowd get even more obnoxious).
Maggie
WaPo calls Curious George author a "Horrible Racist"
February 23, 2009 - 15:58 ET by Dont_Like_TheBluesI'm just trying to predict tomorrows headlines.
The WaPo is a monkey of a newspaper
February 23, 2009 - 15:20 ET by c5thenLets start a watch to see how long before the WaPo is forced to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protections from their creditors.
Hey, I got the wrong "CHANGE"!
Alan Keyes / Sarah Palin - 2012
I'm confused as well
February 23, 2009 - 15:20 ET by BKeyserSo why does an image of a monkey potentially conjur racial stereotypes? And who first made that assumption?
More banned words
February 23, 2009 - 15:25 ET by krendlerAnd whatever you do, don't refer to black children as "monkeys" if you catch them climbing in a tree in your front yard (as a certain Obama delegate found out).
At this point, for all intents and purposes, if you're white, you're not allowed to use the words "monkey", "chimp", "ape", "banana" or the term "black hole" within earshot of a black person, regardless of the context. At a minimum, you'll get a dirty look. At worst, you'll get arrested for using hate speech.
BTW, with the Dems in the white house and in control of both chambers, and the media essentially being an extension of the Obama administration, what exactly is the hold up on the big "dialog on race" that every black pundit and politician has been squawking about for the past X years. Eric Holder: Go ahead and have the dialog. Nobody is stopping you. Should be fascinating/amusing to watch.
kren... Like Holder
February 23, 2009 - 15:31 ET by bigtimerkren...
Like Holder said..."we're a nation of cowards".
Just what they want us to be...nothing like a leftist agenda, now is there?
Like O said repeatedly...."Words Matter"....
LMAO!
Obama looks and acts like
February 23, 2009 - 15:46 ET by SlicksterObama looks and acts like a chimp, pictures and the economy don't lie.
"prophylactic apology"
February 23, 2009 - 15:56 ET by MotherLMAO! I'm stealing that 'un! HILARIOUS!
Seriously though...the whole "Chimp equated with blacks" debate is embarrassing and infantile and had nothing to do with the political POINT of the cartoon which wasn't even that clever or funny TO BEGIN WITH. The stretch from point A. to point B. to get to point Z. was ridiculous. -But, the race baiters never want to let a chance to get fired up over the most asenine minutiae go to waste.
Oy vey!
About the NY Post cartoon
February 23, 2009 - 15:58 ET by nicksmith112About the NY Post cartoon and demonstration.
Why didn't anyone get down to the Sharpton/Barron demonstration outside the Fox offices with a microphone and recorder??
Charles Barron is openly anti-white. I'm sure he and his followers would gladly give their 2 cents about the white devil and the filthy Jews...all you have to do is ask them.
I'm a refugee from the Democratic Party.
<delete>
February 23, 2009 - 16:04 ET by JoeBob<delete>
Streisand Effect
February 23, 2009 - 16:09 ET by AJBThis will turn into the Streisand effect. The more you try to hide something, the more prevalant it will become.
Looks like....
February 23, 2009 - 20:11 ET by AZTech2020Looks like they noticed the resemblance, too! Nothing like pointing it out....
Looks to me the WaPo was Lampooning
February 23, 2009 - 20:15 ET by desertdwellerIf the apology is left alone, it looks to me as though the Washington Post is lampooning the apologists for the original cartoon.
Gorilla
February 23, 2009 - 22:13 ET by slickwillie2001Just because it's there -Name That Baby Gorilla:
http://littlegreenfo...
Holder
February 23, 2009 - 22:35 ET by pgrossjrboy I am glad the new AG gave us permission to talk about race, just look at free flow of conversation the Wapo has initiated. This will be a source of continued amusement throughout the reign of BHO as all the PC that was burned into these journalists makes it hard for them to write a coherent line.
monkey business
February 24, 2009 - 11:01 ET by east tennessee johnLast night KO the JO made a big thing about the NY Post cartoon being a foreshadowing of Sgt. Schultz's assinnation and Julian Bond sat there and agreed with him! This after their side published an actual book/play about doing GWB in and let alone what the websites said. Can you believe this? Anything simian is now referenced to Blacks? Who's playing the race card, really? Perhaps we should just draw big assh**es and work from there. Can dish it out, can't take it. Punks to the max.