Cartoons Out to Get Rice?



Conservative-leaning media organizations and personalities are beating the drums of accusation in claiming that cartoons have depicted soon-to-be Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice in racist fashion. At the heart of their complaints are appropriations of stereotypical ungrammatical black speech and parodies that involve making the current National Security Adviser into an animal of some sort. The general thrust behind the anti-Rice cartoons that are being denounced seem to be that Rice has a "pleasing the parent" complex that makes her too eager to agree with President Bush.

My gut reaction is that the racial stereotypes thing is a step too far and the animal comparison bit is a standard tool in the editorial cartoonist arsenal. Whether or not this becomes a wider issue will depend to a large extent on how influential direct conservative punditry is on the mainstream news, and whether anyone still gives a crap about editorial cartoons.

I also have a sense that political attacks on specific editorial cartoons and comic strips may be felt intensely for a while as public mood seems to sway towards a firm demand for "balance" in all news media.

In other political news, Ted Rall was dropped from Washingonpost.com, and he's not happy about it.
 
posted 8:40 am PST | Permalink
 

---

 
Daily Blog Archives
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
 
Full Archives