Countdown With Keith Olbermann – Animated Racism (Al Sharpton Speaks)
John Legend’s open letter to the NY post is below.
Stop The Madness: The NY Post Releases A Controversial Cartoon With A Shot Monkey
Dear Editor:
I’m trying to understand what possible motivation you may have had for publishing that vile cartoon depicting the shooting of the chimpanzee that went crazy. I guess you thought it would be funny to suggest that whomever was responsible for writing the Economic Recovery legislation must have the intelligence and judgment of a deranged, violent chimpanzee, and should be shot to protect the larger community. Really? Did it occur to you that this suggestion would imply a connection between President Barack Obama and the deranged chimpanzee? Did it occur to you that our President has been receiving death threats since early in his candidacy? Did it occur to you that blacks have historically been compared to various apes as a way of racist insult and mockery? Did you intend to invoke these painful themes when you printed the cartoon?
If that’s not what you intended, then it was stupid and willfully ignorant of you not to connect these easily connectable dots. If it is what you intended, then you obviously wanted to be grossly provocative, racist and offensive to the sensibilities of most reasonable Americans. Either way, you should not have printed this cartoon, and the fact that you did is truly reprehensible. I can’t imagine what possible justification you have for this. I’ve read your lame statement in response to the outrage you provoked. Shame on you for dodging the real issue and then using the letter as an opportunity to attack Rev. Sharpton. This is not about Rev. Sharpton. It’s about the cartoon being blatantly racist and offensive.
I believe in freedom of speech, and you have every right to print what you want. But freedom of speech still comes with responsibilities and consequences. You are responsible for printing this cartoon, and I hope you experience some real consequences for it. I’m personally boycotting your paper and won’t do any interviews with any of your reporters, and I encourage all of my colleagues in the entertainment business to do so as well. I implore your advertisers to seriously reconsider their business relationships with you as well.
You should print an apology in your paper acknowledging that this cartoon was ignorant, offensive and racist and should not have been printed.
I’m well aware of our country’s history of racism and violence, but I truly believe we are better than this filth. As we attempt to rise above our difficult past and look toward a better future, we don’t need the New York Post to resurrect the images of Jim Crow to deride the new administration and put black folks in our place. Please feel free to criticize and honestly evaluate our new President, but do so without the incendiary images and rhetoric.
Sincerely,
John Legend
Tags: Al Sharpton, Barack Obama
Suggestion Box
February 19th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
That image really made my stomach turn…. Some things (or ppl) will never change.
February 19th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
wow sharpton murked this interview.
February 19th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
al its a fuckin cartoon why are you so easily offended?! why cant you just shut the fuck up once in a while? ur a grumpy old fuck
February 19th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
even if it was fo real, its simply expressin his opinions that who ever wrote is a monkey. so wat? you complain about war and all sorts of bullshit but its this same sort of mentality that starts wars. didnt jesus tell your dumbass to turn the other cheek?? man wtf!!! everything is a fuckin issue!!!!
February 19th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Get em John
February 19th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Sharpton is a fuckin idiot.
The monkey is for the WRITERS of the stimulus. Did Obama write it? NO. End of argument.
All sharpton is doing is keeping racism alive.
February 19th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
THE FUCKED UP PART ABOUT IT IS , IS THAT NOBODIES REALLY COVERING THIS IN THE MEDIA.
February 20th, 2009 at 4:22 am
If you’re telling me you cannot see the connection and the subliminals in that cartoon…then you must be dumber than the goddamn Chimpanzee!!
And while i’m on it, officer Ricky need to cut that whole Monkey shit out… I for one am not having that shit, cos too many Black people have that associated with them for Decades and it’s absolutely ridiculous for another Black man to resort to calling another black man a fucking monkey, so what does that make his fat ass???????????
February 20th, 2009 at 5:48 am
Dam NyPost people are so arrogant about it. This is messed up.
Stand up. Speak up people!
John Legend said it best.
February 20th, 2009 at 8:35 am
IT LOOKS PRETTY OBVIOUS THEY WERE MOCKING THAT CHIMP IN CONNECTICUT THAT WILDED OUT AND HAD TO BE SHOT WHICH WAS THE MAJOR NEWS STORY OF THE DAY B4 THIS CARTOON WAS PRINTED. NOT ONLY THAT BUT IT SAYS THEY’LL “hAVE TO FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO WRITE THE NEXT STIMULUS BILL”—-OBAMA DIDN’T WRITE THE STIMULUS BILL , CERTAIN MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DID CLEARLY IT WASNT ABOUT HIM ITS ANOTHER ATTEPMT TO SMEAR RUPERT MURDOCH, WHO YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE BUT REALIZE THAT ITS JUST MORE PEOPLE TRYING TO DAMAGE HIS COMPANIES.
February 20th, 2009 at 8:41 am
#3, 4, and 6
Regardless of what you feel about Rev. Sharpton, you, too, should be able to see how that cartoon can easily be “misunderstood” if in fact, it was intended to implicate the writers of the stimulus plan. Note, it is one monkey with a pen in hand. If this plan works or not, it will be considered President Obama’s plan, not the actual “writers” of the plan. We link the New Deal with FDR and I’m sure he alone didn’t write the initiatives.
If you can truly read, John Legend’s letter and not get it, then I seriously feel sorry for you. You lack sensitivity and better judgment.
February 20th, 2009 at 9:19 am
nuf respect for john legend writing that letter still..
February 20th, 2009 at 11:23 am
john wrote the perfect letter damn