The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:
Marietta tavern owner Mike Norman says the T-shirts he’s peddling, featuring cartoon chimp Curious George peeling a banana, with “Obama in ’08” scrolled underneath, are “cute.” But to a coalition of critics, the shirts are an insulting exploitation of racial stereotypes from generations past.
No one will be shocked to discover that Pandagon’s Pam Spaulding is among the outraged. Yet some of the early commenters are straying from The Narrativeâ„¢:
Blue Jean
May 13, 2008 at 12:25 pmShrub looks far more like Curious George (or “Spurious Georgeâ€Â) than Obama does. Where are the t-shirts on that?
***
I remember a while back there was a great image going around of pictures of monkeys (including George) and GWB, with similar expressions. I’d wear that shirt. Anyway, I think the Shrub/Curious George comparison has been made fairly extensively, and with more accuracy (at least visually and in terms of qualifications to be prez).
***
norbizness
May 13, 2008 at 12:51 pmI knew bushorchimp.com would backfire one of these days…
Dan and Jeff already predicted this buyer’s remorse, natch. Nevertheless, glad to see Pandagon tackling the thorny issue of racist monkey imagery again.
(h/t Memeorandum.)
Hahahaha. That’s great.
Much to ponder, for students of these sorts of things. This is one of those archetypal things a lot maybe I think.
Oh, before anyone shows up in high dudgeon, I should add that: (1) while I’m not psychic, the quotes from the AJC suggest that the shirt-seller is more likely to be playing racial politics here than the kid described on the Rush Limbaugh show; and (2) using a pic of CG from the movie, rather than the book, is especially gauche.
Where are the t-shirts on that?
1) Has “Blue Jean” been in a coma for the past 8 years?
2) I didn’t know Obama was running against Bush.
Yeah, I don’t like the George from the movie.
They ruined him like they ruined Doug.
I denounce you, I denouce BJ especially, and anyone that thinks that it is appropriate to compare any human being to Curious George.
Speaking of curiosity though, whatever happened to that omg! they looked at my passport file!!!! thinger?
hf,
Pretty sure the passport thinger fizzled when the company involved ended up having ties to Obama.
happyfeet – They found out that it was one of their own doing the looking, and had looked at everyone’s.
Funny how the full story never got anywhere near as much coverage as the feigned outrage.
Oh. But it was such a big deal when Baracky was all upset about it. NPR said it reminded them of the FBI and Martin Luther King. I was so scared.
wolf,
That is the Obama/DNC strategy. ;-)
I think somebody oughta do some passport-file investigating re: The Man In The Yellow Hat. Dude brings a monkey home from a vacation? I mean, I know it was pre-9/11 and all, but really.
hf – You have to admire them a bit. They get that meme out there, and quit reporting it once it is determined to be BS. It is a microcosm of leftist politicians and their media buddies wrapped up in one neat little package.
People, we have a new code word:
As I was driving in to work this AM I was listening to NPR and the report was on that state’s primary. The reporter referred to the  “older, less-educated, less affluent, white voters Clinton refers to as her base.†At this point, there’s little use in cloaking the fact that we’re talking about people who will simply not vote for a black man for any reason.
Older, Less-Educated, Less AFfluent, White Voters= racists.
I dunno. It’s kinda long. How about OLELEWV? But, I think we need to dig into why old, stupid, poor, white people are racist.
They just ARE. They cannot help themselves.
Oh, wait, we don’t make excuses for White People. They’re evil. That’s why. EVILLLLL!!!!
cranky-d….no, we are more evil because we want to rape yer white wimmin. Totally more evil than broke white people.
Oh, no, Lisa. We totally want to rape teh black wimmen. Especially the rich ones of us. And then, because we’re rich whiteys, we get away with it. Look what happened at Duke!
We’re definitely more evil.
Pablo,
I think nishi would call that Jeffersonian ;-)
YOU’LL TAKE MY EVIL WHEN YOU PRY IT FROM MY COLD, DEAD, WHITE FINGERS!
DON’T TOUCH IT! IT’S EVIL!!!
Rob C – Are you channelling Amanda again?
Yeah. Those of us living on a budget just want maybe a little pity sex.
No. The final scene in “Time Bandits”.
Rob C – My bad. I could just picture Marcotte or Hamster yelling that.
Can’t we all just get along?
I mean, aside from the racist scum? (Which ones are they today?)
I htink “Trotskyite tinkermonkey” shirts would sell like pancakes.
Banana pankakes. Rape.
I’m done now.
We ofays rape, yes, but only because we care.
Barry is more of the left’s characterization of George Bush than George Bush.
Okay, I definitely forfeited my right to be offended at chimp jokes. My desktop wallpaper was the chimp vs. Bush collage. And I referred to him as Smirky the Chimp and the Chimp in a Flight Suit more times than I can count. So….alas….time for someone else to take up the mantle of Chimp in Chief. It would be nice to switch gears and have McCain in there with his Bluto expressions to laugh at.
I think I’ve found my next tag line.
LMAO @ Pablo.
No…I will achieve evil equality by ANY MEANS NECESSARY.
(Stands between two burly dudes with guns, cool shades, and berets. Fluffs my afro and looks militant.)
Berets? Why berets? You got something against cowboy hats?
Wait! Wait! Wait1
Don’t monkeys represent “African-Americans ( giggle)? As far as I know, I am not allowed to use the word “monkey” anymore, because some peopke (idiots) think it is demeaning to African-Americans.
Even when I am talking about monkeys? It never occurred to me that I couldn’t say the name for small simians out loud until Al Sharpton explained it to me.
HUH?
Oh. And I am so proud that none of the words I have writen have a random “9” in them. That is a very rare occurrence in my truly incredible talent on the keyboard….
TLD – you could try proof-reading. I hear it is the latest thing at all of the better media companies.
(Stands between two burly dudes with guns, cool shades, and berets. Fluffs my afro and looks militant.)
“The only position for women in SNCC is prone.”
– Stokely Carmichael
I drive past that tavern frequently, and he always has something snarky on his marquee sign out front. Usually its an anti-illegal immigrants message, like “Border Patrol Eat Free”. After 9/11 it was “Nuke The Bastards”.
#36: Stokely forgot to give Angela Davis that memo, LMAO!!!
I’m still in favor of an “I hate Che” T-shirt.
#34: So you can’t call monkeys monkeys? What about Monkees? Is Davy Jones an ex-member of “The Non-Humanoid Primates”? Thats not quite as pithy, somehow. Hmmm.
It gets worse. We can’t refer to Trappist types anymore as “monks.” Now they’re “friars,” at least until the ultra-pacifist fringe and the militant vegetarians decide we can’t use any word that sounds like a demeaning reference to chickens.
#34: So you can’t call monkeys monkeys?
the proper term is Simian-Americans
#41: LMAO!!! Excellent. I can’t stop giggling about offended chickens.
But will Colonel Sanders be brought to the Hague to answer for his war crimes?
“Smirky the Chimp”
And that’s why you can’t use that phrase, Lisa. It’s our phrase now. We’re taking it back.
“It would be nice to switch gears and have McCain in there with his Bluto expressions to laugh at.”
That’s what Barack needs to do. Pose himself as Popeye. Eat Spinach. Dance to a hornpipe. Buff up his forearms. It’ll work I tells ya.
Only if they can figure out a way to get around the “dead defendant” loophole.
And they will.
They will.