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The Obama Joker Poster has taken the Internet by storm, and anyone who is against President Obama’s policies or agrees with the notion that he is a socialist, is grabbing hold of the image. Obama joker posters, tee-shirts, and mugs have now found their way to the Pinellas County Republican Party. In fact, a visit to the Pinellas County Republican Party’s Facebook page has the Obama Joker Poster for sale in a variety of forms. Florida State Representative Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, finds the Obama joker picture hurtful and inflammatory.
He is quoted as saying, "If there had never been a period of time in this country when African-Americans in order to be funny played Stepin Fetchit type roles in greasepaint, and members of the majority population had not used such caricatures to make a people feel inferior or as buffoons, then maybe some folks could look at it for some pure artistic humor, but for many of us, it conjures up feelings of denigration."
Though we live in a country that advocates freedom of speech, is this crossing the line, especially for the Republican party? Let me point out an issue.
When Sarah Palin, a former Republican governor of Alaska, found her image defaced on the Internet, or when her daughter was used in a joke by David Letterman,there was an outcry across the GOP. The Republican camp jumped aboard the Palin bandwagon as rallies against David Letterman were held, and campaigns to stop the attack of Sarah Palin were launched nationwide. Additionally, when one Alaskan blogger questioned the motives of Sarah Palin’s sudden resignation, media outlets were sent letters by Sarah Palin’s attorney threatening defamation lawsuits.
Isn’t it ironic, that Republicans are now grabbing hold of the Obama Joker Poster image and using it in similar fashion as those who morphed an image of Sarah Palin and her baby?
If Sarah Palin had grounds for defamation, should President Obama remain silent as his image floats across the Internet? Of course freedom of speech allows for a great use of media forms that seem tasteless, even offensive, but does that make them criminal?
Another factor that must be taken into consideration is the use of greasepaint in the image. Though taking a photo of President Obama and calling him a socialist might be an expression of free speech, does it become an act of racism once you apply greasepaint to the face of an African American president? Greasepaint holds stereotypical and racist connotations for many people, dating back back to the early minstrel shows. Has this image by itself crossed the lines of free speech and moved over to an act of racism?
Has the Pinellas County Republican Party gone too far using the joker image of President Obama?
Comments
Get a life its true
Which Palin poster are you comparing this Joker poster to? This poster is a simple political statement on Obama and/or his policies/rhetoric not a riff on his family or kids. Pick a specific Palin poster and try and make your case again. Lightweight. Grade F.
i reckon HEATH LEDGER was racist...dummy...
Go to a VA hospital..like the one in Miami..where HIV was transmitted via dirty colonoscopy equipment!! People are not racist.. They just dont want our health care to go down the tubes.
I suppose that every black person who defamed Bush is a racist!! I am so tired of the race card being pulled.. This is not a hate crime!
This is not about Al Jolson.. This is about caring for our own welfare.. Do you know how many Doctors fled to the US from Canada?? Do you?? THINK!!!
IS it racial? No. Only lib media hacks
and pols throw that out there. IS it like
the Palin slander that suggested rape and hanging her and her family? No. Is it any different from the slander faced by the last President? No. Charisse is lib hack wanna be journalist.
Is the Joker a socialist?
Put this link together. Bush had it done to. get over it vanityfair.c om/online/politics/2008/07/bush-as-joker.html
end of story
just like a socialist to try to make freedom of speech a hate crime
The poster is by no means racist. It is a pollitical statement that behind Obama's charm and rhetoric lay sinister intentions. Wether or not you believe in the message, the image is not a hate crime. The use of greasepaint as a source of angst? Seriously?! What a joke...
How about this: any republican who was up in arms over the media's treatment of Palin, and who also
cheers this display is a hypocrit. Any liberal who applauded the panning of Palin and then scoffs at this painting is also a hypocrit. If you can't take a bit of mud slinging, get out of American politics.
In my humble opinion the Obama poster holds more wieght than the attacks on Palin. The posters male a clear allegation: Obama is a socialist. At least it's saying something of import... I can't remember any Palin propaganda denouncing Palin based on her political views - most were denouncing the fact that she was an attractive woman reaching for a position of power.
Obama is a clown, a foolish, self-centered clown. I do not think the picture is racist, but I thnk he is. He is the poster boy for the "life as a victim" attitude.
It's free speech! Get over it!
Tasteless... yes, but we live in a tasteless and uncouth society. Just another sign of the times I'm afraid.
a black man portrait in "White face" is a racist stereotype. Plain and simple. I'm sure all you white racist Republicans would like to say different, but we all know it true. It would be impossible to live in America and not know it's racist to put a black man in "White Face". So save your feeble excuses. You are the party of hate and derision. You are the party of old white people that are afraid of a future without you in charge. You are the party of the KKK. You are the party stuck in the past. BTW: the day i see someone wear that shirt in public, is the day I kick someones ass!
This is definitely NOT racist, to suggest such is, in itself, a grab at sensationalist journalism. This has absolutely no connotations with Al Jolson or the 'blackface' acts of the early 20th century. This would not be racist on a caucasion, latino or asian - it is a parody of a popular motion picture character to make a political statement. The President is a MAN first and foremost. Take out the fact that he HAPPENS to be of African descent. This was a political parody of a MAN not the man's race. Let's stop this politically correct pussy footing and treat each other like HUMAN BEINGS.
The Joker was an anarchist. This poster is dumb.
Also, stop trying to make everything a racial issue. We're sick of it.
Race or hate crime? Wow how desperate can you get. This street artist nailed the soul of Obama. Try not to "read" anymore into it than that.
Of course it's not racist! The Joker was an equal opportunity hater. We the People are unfortunately resorting to guerilla tactics to get the message out. Just leave it to the press to insight more hate.
Obama's policies are definitely frightening. I think the Obama-Joker picture brings up a very powerful point: Obama is out of control and unhinged.
Isn't it racist to always bring up the race card anytime anyone attacks Obama. Like since he's black he needs to be protected from even the most convoluted claims of racism. All liberals notice about someone is what can separate them into various groups.
The president pick John P. Holdren as Science Czar, a man who repeatedly advocated forced sterilization, forced abortion, and a global regime that would oversee a eugenics agenda. Therefore Obama portrayed as the an evil villain, the Joker, is a very insightful comparison. The Obama administration mirrors the proverbial villain role.
To gimpydwearf: Talk about your hate and derision! Listen to yourself dude! Let me guess, you're not a Republican? Take a Cymbalta or something.
This juevenile drivel just chaps my hide in anyone whose graduated from high school.....Pres. Obama is a grown man with plenty of power ....and this is not attacking his race, family or kids. Someone is calling him out as a socialist. He can deal with it. Heaven's sake, he's the commander in chief.
I love how you racist try and defend this picture. You are so full of crap. There are millions of ways to alter a pic of Obama to show you don't like or trust him, but to use White Face! That is a time tested and true way of showing racial intent. I can't believe you morons are trying to defend this and say it's not a racist attack. I guess if he were eating watermelon and fried chicken, that wouldn't be racist either.
Why have America hating libs become so patrotic in defending the President? Where were the libs in defense of President's Reagan, Bush Sr. & Bush when vile, hateful, pornographic, threatening, sick, depictions of those President's were and still are all over the web and print? Libs are playing the race card to the hilt. Obama has nothing to do with race. He's a marxist who lies his butt off. He lied about transpareny, lobbyists, taxes, health care, etc. He lies without any worry, because he knows his liberal marxist press lapdogs won't call him on his lies. They use the race card to try to scare away criticism. Jimmy Carter has to love Obama. Obama with his socialist/marxist plan for this country is going to make Carter look like a financial & foreign policy genius. Obama is on a path to take Carter's place as the very worst president in modern times.
STOP!! It is hysterical. If anyone has watched "The Dark Knight" you get it. Even if you havent, listen to his pre presidential run speeches and you will see how misanthropic he really is. In one of his books he even states about having to wear "masks" to fool the whites. Wake up people we are in serious trouble. And for gimpydwearf the party of the KKK is yours, Robert Byrd and the old southern dems. Try checking history before spouting talking points.
Letterman crossed the line referencing Palin's minor child. I would like to believe he didn't realize the child he referenced was the younger one - that would make it a mistake rather than something more egregious.
Sarah Palin chose to step into the arena - therefore she's subject to the same crap that Bush, Cheney, Clinton (both of them), or McCain all catch when they put themselves out front. Why should this guy (Obama ) get a pass?
I wish that the political tone were more civil. But things are not going to change - we can expect it to get worse.
Double standards abound. One person sees a cartoon and sees it as racist - another one calls it sexist. I guess it was okay to call Bush stupid because he's a white guy. So, even if it were racist, or sexist, how is one insult worse than another?
Get tough or get out - it ain't getting' better.
Any time anything is said against this President and his policies the libs throw up the race card. It is getting a little old. Same type of pic was done of Bush and Vanity Fair published it. Guess that was racist too.
Let's see, socialism is very scary and evil. Now where did we get that idea from? Russia of course, where they killed millions and ran a dictatorship under the guise of socialism. The problem with this is that true socialism, if carried out within a democracy would probably be a good thing. What all you knuckleheads that preach fear need to think about is that no matter what ism a country lives under, it can be sabotaged by the evil ego that abides in ALL of us. Obama scares a lot of you because you are so used to your beloved politicians spouting fear and then telling you how they are going to protect you from the bogeyman of the day, then comes along a man who does not preach fear. That scares the hell out of you becaue you are addicted to fear.
"White greasepaint holds stereotypical and racist connotations". Are you saying Obama is being compared to a Japanese Geisha? What connotation are you most troubled by? Are you high? It's the JOKER! Is the concept of a clown RACIST? Is the word "skin" racist? Or are you so obsessed with race and it's power to silence any opposition that you will grasp at straws? Also, in this country, this is protected speech. Sorry. Even if it is racist, it's not illegal. A hate crime has to be racially motivated and more importantly, a crime, this is neither.
Are you people really so stupid to think that to put a white man in white face, is the same as putting a black men in white face? Learn a little history. Everyone now agrees that Amos and Andy were racist stereotypes played by white men. There is no defense to this. If you can't see that, you must be a pack of insensitive and uneducated racists.
Racist! come on! Stop Race Batting. Its only racial because the media turns it into a racial topic. Left or Right, there is no difference, wake up you brainwashed fools. Stop getting distracted by trivial crap and learn your history to see the magic veil being pulled over Americas head.
The Joker from Batman depicts the PERFECT IDEOLOGY of President Obama. The Joker would always create a Crisis and turn it into a Catastrophe in order to Gain Power. Excellent Caricature for the Socialist.
It's a shame that the Libs missed the ENTIRE POINT of the Joker Poster and cry "Racism". You'd think they'd be more "with-it" considering they Wrote-The-Book on Trashing people like Sarah Palin. Instead, they pull the "Race Card." It's Laughable!
As a white 50+ year old conservative Republican, I was shocked at the obvious racial overtones of the picture. is it illegal? probably not. Is it in Bad taste, Racially insensitive, crass & rude? Yes. Is this the way I want my Republican party to act? Absolutely not! Every black person (and allot of white folks)in America are going to read "Racisim" into this picture. Is this the message we want to send? Is this the only way to make our point?
Hypocrisy from the left as usual. Suck it up, it's only going to get worse for you.
Get a life Charisse. I don't hate blacks. I don't even hate PBO. I DO hate what he trying to do to America. He's all about power and Marxism. Just take a good look at his Cabinet appointees.
WAKE UP AMERICA. Soon it will be too late.
We need to fire the entire 'don't bother to read the bill' Congress and PBO
The poster is neither racist nor a hate crime. It's a complete non-sequitur.
My advice for the author, Charisse Van Horn, is to go to Blockbuster and rent the movie Batman. Apparently, she has never seen the movie! LOL.
Maybe, she would then understand the "Joker Poster" with a little more "Objectivity" (as a Journalist should).
Our "Joke" of a President (I mean Joker) is really NO Joke. He is implementing Policy that "usurps" the Constitution of the United States. You think College Educated Journalists would understand that.
Oh Yeah....they don't teach Civics of the Constitution in the Universities anymore. They only teach how to tear it apart to fit the Progressive Liberal Ideology.
Liberals are the true haters and racist in this country, now we are fighting external terroist and internal terroist and all internal terroists are contained in the Democractic Party. The Taliban has declared war on this country and so has the Democractic
Party "only the Democrats have a chance to defeat this nation" the poster should say communist not socialist.
WHAT??? Racist?
So was it racist when newsweek had Bush on the cover as the joker???
It's wonderful how these libtards constantly throw out the race card... 1 or 2 more years of this idiocy and it will be rendered completely worthless... just like their manchurian messiah!
It is not racist. Look back over time, anyone remember hitleresque mods to Reagan and Bush? A real evil man is far worse to be pictured as rather than a dead actor's fake character.
As other more intellegent folks have said watcht the movie, look at what the government is doing and you will get it and it fits very well! BUT NOT Racist.
The character is at best silly and childish at worst. There are many Americans who want to push the socialism idea for the current president. These people don't even know what socialism is, or its difference from communism. When you have people who advocate an idea about their opponent that is not correct, they make themselves into a fool. However, these people are hiding their deep seed resentment towards a person who worked hard and became American's president.
What people have to realize is the those who consider this image a perfect depiction of the president is helping the GOP isolate itself into a marginal party. America is better served with a two party government than a one party government. The only people these people have to blame is themselves.
Obama is a narcissistic psychotic who destroyed the US economy. The picture is quite fitting.
After the evisceration of Bush for 8 years (a rally where his effigy was in a guillotine that rose and dropped repeatedly), and Palin recently, the Left is in no position to suddenly demand civility. The response to this one image indicates the Right has been quite tame - even wimpy - all these years. This sort of poster isn't common from the Right. It is the adoption of a leftist tactic: iconography. We're always told about right-wing hatemongers, but they're a caricature that really doesn't exist. Which is precisely why an effective image like this touches a leftist nerve. It's new. The recent tea parties, too, are not historical. It's entirely new for the Right. THEY are the ones marching. THEY are the ones now daring to be as crude as the Left. You can call a President Hitler and then say hands off our man. "The villainy you teach me I will execute. And it shall go hard but I will better the instruction." That's what you hate - the right is actually, finally saying "screw you, too"
I am so sick of you libs, every thing thats not sucking his butt you see as crap. One day you will be out of power, and see just how a free USA will be run. How about that SARAH PALIN as the the one running this show. Pass the watermelon fried chicken and Elk burgers
Would it have been less ... ahem ... "racist" if half of Obama's face was black, and the other half white, as is his heritage?
Get over yourselves, race-card players. The Joker character in "The Dark Knight" was made up in nearly exactly the same way as Obama's in this poster.
Race relations in this country have only worsened since this Chicago-trained community activist mysteriously appeared on the campaign trail, and subsequently won the Presidency.
The real problem with Obama is that he is no different than his predecessor ... just better connected with the money-men behind the political machine. He learned his Saul Alinsky lessons well, and is hell-bent on delivering America to the money men behind him. Can you spell "George Soros"? The man who made tens of billions in profits BECAUSE our economy failed, and coincidentally gave over $250,000 to Obama's Inauguration festivities.
There is no crime here, period. Political cartoonists produce renderings like this daily. Shame on the media for latching onto this and trying to pass it off as "news."
It doesn't matter how people voice their disapproval of Obama's policies the liberals scream "RACISM".
Seems to me somebody created a US stamp with a Gun being pointed at Bush's head, and it was called "a powerful statement". I think a picture of a president in greasepaint is far less criminal than the depiction of a presidents assassination.
I hope the poster gets plastered all over the USA.
Also... just how much longer do you think people can yell "racism" before the general populace gets fed up with it and rejects it? I think we're getting close as seen with the Gates episode. By all means keep yelling racism at everything.
Hate crime? That's a joke, right?
This poster is fair game. What is the joke is the term “hate crime”. I am going to shoot you dead because I love you. It was a crime of passion. I guess it is okay. He had hate in his eyes so let us tact on a few more years.
I know what has been glossed over here; it is the fact that Vanity Fair did the same treatment to Bush. What was the color of heart that did that illustration? I like to see someone keep that in mind while speaking their peace on what line has been crossed and by whom.
I think it was raciest of the Star Trek producers to portray the barbaric Klingons as black. They should be prosecuted for a hate crime. Geeeeshhh!!!!
What Miss Van Horn misses is the fact that letterman was talking about Palin's underage daughter having sex midfield. Yes, we all should be outraged. Where is that rage from when V.F. had Bush as Ledger's Joker and called it art.
"you protest too much!" Did someone hit a nerve? If you can't see how a normal person can read racism into this picture, you're just blind.
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