Is this tacky & disrespectful...yes. But then again so were the hundreds of pictures of Bush decapitated, with a gun to his head, call for his death in bumper stickers and signs and even the Movie about Bush's assasination. But only now has there been any outrage over a picture of a sitting President. http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-obama-posters,0,940643.story Obama 'Joker' Poster Causing a Stir in L.A. KTLA News 8:04 AM PDT, August 4, 2009 LOS ANGELES -- A poster showing President Barack Obama as Heath Ledger's "Joker" character from "The Dark Knight" is creating a stir on the streets of Los Angeles where the image began appearing over the weekend. The Obama-Joker poster shows President Obama with white face paint, dark eye shadow and smudged red lipstick and also has the word "socialism" printed in bold, dark letters under the image of his face. It's unclear who created the image and who is posting it across the city. No one has taken credit so far. Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson is calling the depiction, politically mean spirited and dangerous. Hutchinson is challenging the group or individual that put up the poster to have the courage and decency to publicly identify themselves. "Depicting the president as demonic and a socialist goes beyond political spoofery," says Hutchinson, "it is mean-spirited and dangerous." "We have issued a public challenge to the person or group that put up the poster to come forth and publicly tell why they have used this offensive depiction to ridicule President Obama."
Right, "only now" - lucky black guys get all the outrage (consisting of a local tv write-up!) once they become president, meanwhile white guys get pictorially decapitated and nobody cares. PS I don't remember anybody posting a picture of a decapitated GWB here or any of the other things you mentioned. I did see the Joker picture posted twice yesterday.
Meh. It's just not very clever. At least reference the movie and come up with something better than "socialist." But yeah, it's not worth any uproar.
Let me hear that dirty word SOCIALISM! (NSFW Language) <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w6ag_2dg8nI&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w6ag_2dg8nI&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
My personal thought is that we as American's should ALL be upset, no matter WHO is President, Bush or Obama. Its just downright disrepectful to the Office of President and the Officeholder. disagreeing with the Pres is one thing, but some of the pictures and bumper stickers I've seen on BOTH sides of the political spectrum have just been deplorable over the last 10yrs. I don't ever recall seeing such outward HATE for any Presidents like I've seen the last 2.
Not around for the Clinton years, huh? Anyway, if it doesn't cross racist lines, no big deal. There's a long history of denigrating politicians in this country.
If they were done by republican teen taggers in the middle of east L.A, I would be frightened right about now. Republicans with a passion for art thats terryfing, dangerous even.
i saw one of these yesterday in LA when heading to my friends place last night I didnt think that much of it While I personally I may not agree with it, worse was done to Bush whenever you are a large political figure photoshops comes with the territory I dont see why anyone is making a fuss about this. the only issue should be the graffiti aspect of it, who cares about the picture I am sure President Obama isnt losing sleep over it.
Oh yeah, I remember the Clinton years well. Nothing that happened to Bill was nearly as openly mean-spirited as the last 10yrs has been to Georgie and Barack.
Just that his wife was either a lesbian or having an affair with Vince Foster, who he had killed, and that he was part of a drug smuggling ring flying cocaine into Arkansas. That appeared in the Wall Street Journal, btw, not wingnut media or drudge
It's like a triple fail, unless it is absurdist art. Joker <--> socialism? No Obama <---> socialism? No Joker <---> Obama? No. This is the worst one. Psychopathic clown who asks "why so serious!" versus even-keeled, (too) serious and stuffy politician. I would photoshop Obama's head onto the Smog Monster and make it like the federal government is trying to suck up everything that sucks until it is so enormous that not even godzilla can deal with it. Yeah!
I don't find that poster offensive. I just find it to be ineffective. This, on the other hand, is borderline racist. Since Obama isn't from Kenya.
Huh? That's not racist at all. Stupid, sure. But not racist. If there were rumors that Obama was really born in Greece then the same image would have been made and would have made the same amount of sense.
