Somebody in LA is putting up posters of Barack Obama in both "white-face" and "black-face with the same kind of red lipstick look as Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight.
Of course, the picture portrays Obama in terms of blackface minstrelsy. Minstrelsy was an entertainment form in which white performers corked up in blackface to imitate stereotypes of African-Americans as lazy, buffoonish, and deeply appreciative of slavery. In representing Obama this way, the anonymous sources of this poster are saying that Obama and, by extension, all African-Americans, are slaves by nature and that Obama's occupation of the White House is something that goes against a beneficial natural order.
But that's not all.
The picture also reveals the racist intent of the right-wing's constant accusations of Obama being a "socialist." That's because the picture uses the word "socialism" both above and below the red square framing Obama's minstrelsy face. By associating the word "socialism" with this heavily racialized image of Obama, the people behind the poster are revealing that the "socialist" label was always a substitute for the "n-word."
Given that I hadn't really thought of that, I owe these people a favor.
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3 comments:
This is new and disturbing to me as well. A new low for the right-wing. The BIG problem is that far too many Americans buy into all of this horse-shit. God, (or in whomever/whatever one might believe save us from ourselves. Post-racial America my ass!
Actually, I think that this image would make a very colorful postage stamp. Lighten up you people!
Liberals were not very upset when Bill Maher showed President Bush as Hitler and compared Laura to Hitler's dog. There were a shit load of these Bush as Hitler images floating around. (Google Images:Bush as Hitler.) Just think of the outrage if similar images of the Obamas were circulated! We just can't do THAT. But we can watch a movie that suggests Bush being assassinated. That is acceptable and celebrated by the left.
The image is not designed to be Obama as black face minstrel but Obama as the joker from The Dark Knight. This is certainly not a favorable portrayal of the man, but also not intended as a racial slur.
When I was in NYC a few weeks ago there was vendor in front of the Guggenheim selling these pictures as well pictures of Obama dressed as Superman. I guess he just likes to imagine his president as assorted DC comic book charecters.
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