Posted on 01/09/2005 7:31:05 AM PST by American Infidel
I know I shouldn't be nearly as angry as I am over this (In fact, I know I shouldn't even care), but I couldn't help but notice that featured prominently on the top of the front page of the comic section of today's Philadelphia Inquirer (big surprise) was today's blatantly racist Boondocks comic strip. The strip in question consisted of one frame in which two young black characters observed a white character jogging in the snow while dressed for warm weather. The line written for the black characters is simply “White People”. The implication was obviously that only white people would do something as stupid as to go jogging in the winter, while being dressed for warmer weather. Imagine for a moment that the strip consisted of two white men waiting for a bus to take them to work while observing a black man sitting on the corner, drinking a 40 ounce malt liquor beverage, with the line, “Black People” coming from one of the white characters, implying that only black people would be sitting on the corner on a week day, getting drunk while other people were on their way to work. Not only would this strip never see the light of day, but all future strips from the cartoonist would have been cancelled. The Philadelphia Inquirer on the other hand, chooses to run the strip and to feature it prominently at the top of the front page of the comic section. I understand that Aaron McGruder is the “voice of angry black America” and that he must be treated with kid gloves, otherwise they will be accused of being racist and no corporate entity wants that kind of P.R., but this is ridiculous. It's not the strip itself that ticked me off (it was sort of humorous actually), it was the hypocrisy and the double standard of UPI, the Philly Inquirer, and the other urban newspapers that I am sure ran the strip today. OK that's my rant. Thanks for listening.
And there is something innately hilarious about how only white people will go out in crappy weather risking pnuemonia for the sake of burning some calories and avoiding a heart attack.
India during the British Empire:
Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out at midday.
But that's just the way those people are.
Agreed.
nah, that was the editors saying they didn't want to serve up something so controversial that it makes people uncomfortable -
like this whole thread. I would think that most FReepers think of themselves as pretty tolerant and not bigoted, but it still isn't all right to accept/stand aside and let looney angry cartoonists walk all over the reading public and the editors who have to put up with the reading publics' comments...kinda like the CBS affiliates who had to sweat out all the calls about Rathergate...
link doesnt work
It doesn't? Then how do you account for the popularity?
Just like Robert Scheer.
If I were still a runner, I'd be wearing a warm, comfortable pair of old sweats, gloves, and a watch cap in this kind of weather. Looks be damned. I think that's the point of this strip, though I won't pretend to read the author's mind. I'm no Boondocks fan, but this one doesn't seem to be worth getting worked up over.
Had the strip featured a couple of old white grannies saying "Young folks these days." we wouldn't give it a second glance.
"Macgruder is a racist and he needs to be taken out of all newspapers."
I'm not familiar with his work. Do you see racism in this cartoon?
but since then the left has increasingly made race a partisan issue. i object to that.
I was just epanding on this statement with how hyphenated, African, Hispanic, Italian Americans only divides us and causes us to focus on our differences then focus on our being Americans. It is part of the left's theory to try to divide and conquer.
When Gary Larson stopped doing Far Side.
"When Gary Larson stopped doing Far Side."
That and I remember Calvin and Hobbes as being funny as can be. Is there a new one waiting in the wings to put out funny cartoons again or are we stuck with political crap forever?
I don't think it is all that popular. It's controversial so it's well known, and those who make editorial decisions at metro newspapers like it, but I think it's hurt more than helped in most circulation departments.
Is it me or is this comic strip not funny?Where is the funny part?
My 2 cents - I thought it was somewhat amusing, actually. I've seen white people jogging outside in the middle of winter, and think that they're idiots. I really don't see the big deal. While MacGruder has done some borderline-racist stuff, his humor is mostly observational, like Chappelle.
I must be missing something. I see nothing racist about this cartoon. As a matter of fact it's not even that funny.
Was refering to the popularity of being overly sensitive.
Oh, sorry. I must learn to be more sensitive :-)
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