How many of us thought Muslims were bonkers for getting so upset over some Danish cartoons?

[Obamarama]

I, for one, did.

It appears we seem to be having the same reaction to the New Yorker cover. It's satire, people. SATIRE. Yeah, there is going to be some buzz about it, but by the end of the week it will be history and something else will capture our attention and outrage.

Calm down...it's only a damned cartoon. In poor taste? Perhaps, but a cartoon is not going to destroy Barack Obama, nor his campaign.

[rockymountaindem]

1. Except as yet nobody's threatened to kill anybody

or wage a holy war to bring down Denmark and western civilization, er, um... the New Yorker.

[treestar]

7. Muslim threats to kill are also a form of satire

They don't really mean it.

"Death to America" is just a chant.

Salman Rushdie would be dead by now if they were serious.

We don't understand their culture, and take them overly seriously when they make their fatwas and other various proclaimations.

Just because we don't have anyone saying, "Death to Iraq" doesn't mean we aren't bombing and killing them.

[sam sarrha]

16. the Big 3 religions were all born out of schizophrenic "Prophets".. nothing they do is surprising

[cherokeeprogressive]

22. "They don't really mean it" Yeah. Tell that to the family of Theo Van Gogh.

"...shot him eight times with an HS 2000 handgun, and Van Gogh died on the spot. Bouyeri then cut Van Gogh's throat, nearly decapitating him, and stabbed him in the chest. Two knives were left implanted in his torso, one attaching a five-page note to his body"

That was just an anomaly, right?

Satire indeed.

[JeanGrey]

27. Well at least Van Gogh was shot first. Look at Daniel Pearl.

Yup, that is real "satire"

[JeanGrey]

26. Did you leave out a "sarcasm" smilie?

[Pirate Smile]

9. Exactly. People can think it was a dumbass think to do and say so. It isn't like someone is

calling for a fatwā ala Salman Rushdie. Geez, not liking the cover isn't a request for the First Amendment to be thrown out.

So we now have an overreaction to what they perceive as an overreaction? OK. Seems pretty standard. :)

[hlthe2b]

2. There was a major difference--- no one here is suggesting

a fatwah against the New Yorker's staff... Just saying, apples and oranges...

Timing is important for satire, just as for biting comedy. I think the timing is poor on this one....

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

23. If by "here" you mean GD. GD:P moved past fatwah's an hour ago.

[arcos]

29. LOL!!!! DUzy! nt

[Beregond2]

3. Americans

have never had much of a taste for satire. They just don't seem to get it. As playwright George Kaufmann famously said: "Satire is what closes on Saturday night."

[Swamp Rat]

4. Where's the photo?

:shrug:

[DS1]

5. What's the New Yorker cover?

[BuyingThyme]

6. But he's burning the flag!

[mrreowwr_kittty]

8. Um, when DU issues a fatwa against the New Yorker cartoonist, get back to us.

Otherwise, it's not a very apt comparison.

[MonkeyFunk]

15. It's a pretty good comparison

the outrage, the wailing, the bitching, the total idiocy - all very similar.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

17. Outrage, wailing, bitching, and idiocy are commonplace.

Murder threats are not.

[MonkeyFunk]

18. So what?

It's still a good comparison.

In both cases, people got entirely bent out of shape over a friggin' cartoon.

People here are acting like it's blasphemous to portray Obama in any way other than the way they see him. It's absurd.

This cartoon mocks the right-wing, not the Obamas.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

19. Interesting.

You say the cartoon is mocking the right wing, with which I agree.

However, before that you talk about people "acting like it's blasphemous to portray Obama in any other way than they see him...", as if there's some validity to the cartoon.

Hmm.

[gatorboy]

10. Yeah that whole Kerry Swiftboat thing will probably blow over.

Who would possibly believe such lies? In a week it will all be forgotten. Yadda yadda yadda...

[Connie_Corleone]

11. I don't think anyone upset over the New Yorker cover is calling for the cartoonist's death.

[stillcool]

21. but that doesn't mean..

it won't be reported. Especially if those purported to be 'upset' are labeled as fanatics. Get some of that guilt by association thing going on. Otherwise why would we have all the hatred towards Muslims?

[Hannah Bell]

12. good call.

[RB TexLa]

13. The cartoon is making fun of the right. What is the problem?

[TexasObserver]

14. You're comparing Apples and Hand Grenades

We're doing what we do in this country when something pisses us off - we're publicly bitching about it. We're communicating to each other, the New Yorker, and anyone who will listen that we don't think this is funny, because it's a caricature he's trying to live down, and it's totally undeserved.

A caricature should be an exaggeration of their characteristics, not a reinforcement of totally undeserved smear campaigns.

I would not be amused by Obama as House Negro cartoons, or Obama as Al Jolson cartoons, either.

[Muttocracy]

20. but wasn't the Muslim outrage for ANY print depiction of Muhammed?

Maybe I didn't pay enough attention at the time; more important things in life.

But I don't think people here are bothered by Obama being depicted in a print cartoon - it's THIS cartoon.

[Fleshdancer]

25. I think so, but the one with Muhammad wearing a bomb for a turban probably added insult to injury

Looking at that situation as an Atheist, I remember thinking Christians would have had the same level of anger had a newspaper from a Muslim country depicted Jesus that way.

[Canuckistanian]

24. So, the Danish cartoons were lampooning RWers views of Muslims?

I don't think so.

Thanks for playing "Real Bad Analogy".

[JeanGrey]

28. There is just one small problem. A lot of people won't

understand it as "satire".

[UTUSN]

30. Clear, liberal, NON-group/thinking o.p.!1 (Sincerely) n/t