And since this is the topic, go read the Wed op-ed by Maureen Dowd in the NYT. Timely and interesting.

The people at the NEW YORKER should know better than to put something like that on the cover. And while I realize the New Yorker is higher brow than the average newspaper I work for, it’s still unacceptable to assume your audience is going to get something.

There are so many people who aren’t going to understand it’s meant to be satirical. And it only is going to hurt Obama by simply reinforcing what has been whispered about him…

Painting a United States presidential candidate as a Muslim (which, would it be so terrible to have a Muslim president. It’s not like he is the Taliban or Al Qaeda) and his wife as a terrorist is absolutely abominable!!! A credible source such as the New Yorker has to stoop so LOW as to create national attention to sell magazine.

My furry goes beyond words.

Lauren- Totally agree.

littlespoon- What would you suggest that do with McCain?

Nora- Thank you! They were delicious. (I think grape is my favorite)

Red Squirrel- Your comment made me laugh. And I’m thankful for the CBC just as you love the BBC.

Dingo- Exactly! I just think it was poor judgement.

Sandy- I know!

davisoftheaples1- But what do you really think?

justrun- I agree with you. The idea that anyone would be influenced by this cover (and they will be since it’s been on the air 900 gazillion times) is just.. outrageous.

AM- I was curious to hear what you would think. I think my problem with it is that the article of Obama accompanying the cover is actually really positive. I understand that the cover IS supposed to be poking fun at the people who are not supporting Obama based on things that are not true, but my problem is that even if one person sees this magazine cover as a confirmation of what they think is ‘true’, then the magazine is at fault. I know what you are saying about The New Yorker not being like People, but my issue with that is, with a cover as controversial as it is- The New Yorker was hoping to get the same publicity as a People cover. Their editors even suggested so. So when you put a cover up, that you know is going to reach more than your intended audience of open-minded liberals, you have to take into account the views of the other people who are going to be seeing the cartoon. Because it’s impossible to read any news article or watch any news program now without seeing it- and for those who may not be New Yorker readers- they may skip the satire and see the cover as a confirmation of something they ‘know to be true’- Obama is a Muslim, who dislikes America. And the fear I have, is that allowing such magazines to get away with stunts like this, we are playing on the ignorance of people at a time in history when we’ve never been more ignorant towards political leaders. On the flip side, I don’t know if I agree about retraction either. I think it was a horrible cover, but a retraction would bring up all first amendment issues. It’s just a shame they did it at all.

tpgoddess0103- It’s a bit depressing isn’t?

notperfectdotcom- See, the Jesse Jackson thing is awful but I think of it and can’t help but suppress a giggle thinking of Lou Dobbs using the word ‘manhood’ on the air.

Cheryl- Wouldn’t it be great?!!!

Mel Heth- Loved the book. Really loved it. It’s like, “The Office”, but book form! Although, I thought the ending was kind of sad, I definitely recommend it. (Okay, I think I just wrote this almost exact comment on your blog. Sorry for the repeat).

Kathryn- I agree with you on the Muslim point. I think it’s a fine line between Obama clearly being annoyed that he’s being portrayed as someone he’s not- a Muslim, and the outrage some people have that comes with the word “Muslim”. Or, the fact that people will not vote for him if they think he is a Muslim- that alone is enough to change a vote? Ugh.

Angela- At the end of the day the fault ultimately lies with the voter. Like you said, a smart person does their own research and reviews a candidate but so many people are willing to just accept whatever the media hands them. The New Yorker definitely fueled the fire on this though.

Supergirl- I completely agree with you, and I think you have a good point (along with AM.) If it had just stuck to newsstands and hit the intended ‘liberal’ audience, I think the satire would have been accepted. But, it didn’t. And I’m pretty confident The New Yorker didn’t create a cover like this thinking it would only stick to the audience it wanted. It wanted controversy, and it got it. As for the book, I hope you get a chance to read it sometime!

Jacinta- Isn’t ‘very bad form’ a great way to say ‘you totally screwed up”? I love it!!

geekhiker- I know. See, I don’t know enough about banks closing and mergers of beer companies to write about that, so this is the news I write about. As for the McCain cover, I would be curious to see that…

ally- That’s scary.

Nicole- Thank you dear!

citygyrli- I did! congrats on doing it!!

Diane Mandy- I totally agree. 100%

Evans- Spiedi on the cover of The New Yorker? I completely agree! She could be illustrated wearing something from her collection. Perhaps the zipper print short shorts?

longredcape- So sad, so true.

Semichrmd- Agreed!

Dutchess of Kickball- True, but if we go with the assumption that people who weren’t going to vote for him anyway aren’t going to read the magazine, doesn’t it still make the magazine inappropriate? Whoa. I’m not sure my sentence makes sense but hopefully you know what I mean.

SM- My problem is that I think The New Yorker DID think a bit more when making the cover and wanted the hype this created. I get that they need to sell magazines, I just don’t like that they do it by creating this doubt over a candidate. It confirms the worst that some believe, while those who know the truth, are left to try and explain it to everyone who doesn’t want to hear it anyway. I hate the idea that Karl Rove is loving this right now.

brookem-ha! My hoh is massive!! But I’m glad you liked the pictures, I totally thought they were worth sending just for the hair shots.

Nilsa- Agreed!