“The New Yorker” Put On Blast For Satirical Obama Cover! Editor Defends Decision

It would seem the saying “If it ain’t one thing, it’s another” fittingly applies to the merry-go-round circus called the media. Monday, “The New Yorker” magazine presented the cover of its’ July 21st issue to a wave of criticism. The cover is a cartoonish representation of Barack and Michelle Obama. Barack Obama is wearing traditional Muslim attire while his wife, Michelle, is wearing military fatigues, carries an AK 47 slung over her shoulder with ammo, and sports a hip afro. The Obamas are in the White House with a portrait of Osama bin Laden hanging above the fireplace and the American flag burning brightly in the corner. Oh, the Obamas are also engaging in the gesture they made infamous called fist-bumping.

“The New Yorker” editor in chief, David Remnick, stands by the cover, issuing a statement to Huffington Post that ”I ran the cover because I thought it had something to say.”

Remnick further explained that “we’ve run many, many satirical, political covers. Ask the Bush administration how many…the fact is it’s NOT a satire about Obama, it’s a satire about the distortions and misconceptions and prejudices ABOUT Obama.”

So, Mr. Remnick chose to help Barack Obama’s campaign by green-lighting a controversial cover that does nothing more than advance the ignorant perception that every African American with an African or Arabic name is naturally a follower of Islam, therefore a Muslim extremist that wants to wage a ‘holy war’ against America? If this was Mr. Remnick’s implemented proposal, it definitely gives cause to take a second look at his editorship.

With Obama constantly on the defense about his religious affiliation, his choice of place of worship, his supposed elitist stance and a name that was given him AT BIRTH, it is increasingly suspect on Mr. Remnick’s part to have even considered, at this stage in the election season, to have thought that a satirical cover of this sort would educate the public at large instead of fanning the flames of ignorance. You can not throw a satirical magazine cover to the wolves and expect them to behave and react with a semblance of intelligence.

If the cover has to be explained and re-explained, Mr. Remnick, then it doesn’t work. Perhaps the true intent of this suspect cover is to increase sales revenues. Using the insanity of the minority to sale magazines is the true villain here. Call it what it is. Throwing someone under the bus for profit. In that vain, Mr. Remnick did an excellent job.

Excerpts of David Remnick’s interview were taken from: www.huffingtonpost.com. Thank You Huffington Post!