Boston Herald: Sorry If We Offended With Obama-Watermelon Cartoon

[meegbear]

Source: TalkingPointsMemo.com

The editors of The Boston Herald issued an apology of sorts Wednesday, saying they "sincerely regret if we inadvertently offended anyone" with a political cartoon that trafficked in racial stereotypes, according to a tweet from a news anchor at WBZ.

The cartoon by renowned cartoonist Jerry Holbert and printed in Wednesday's newspaper was accompanied by the caption: "White House Invader Got Farther Than Originally Thought." It showed President Obama brushing his teeth while the uninvited guest sat in the tub over his shoulder. As the intruder sudsed up, he asked Obama whether he'd "tried the new watermelon flavored toothpaste."

The Boston herald did not immiedately return calls seeking comment.



Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/boston-herald-obama-intruder-racist

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The Boston Herald is the poor man's New York Post. No surprise here.

[valerief]

1. The Herald so racist anyway. It's a Republican rag. nt

[calimary]

2. Shit.

There are so many other things they could have put in that speech balloon. SHEESH...

[brush]

27. Yeah, it not that hard to stay away from . . .

racial stereotypes — unless you just want to.

Some editor there had to know better than that.

[Roy Rolling]

3. WTF?

Really? "Inadvertently offended"?

This is shameful, not just idiotic.

[brer cat]

8. It is clearly our "fault"

for being so easily offended. What racists a@#holes.

[JustAnotherGen]

4. don viejo posted too

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5607025

My comments there. But I'm loving that we now have two people posting this - and showing us what it is. The more links the better.

[zonkers]

5. Apology? Who is gonna step down? Since I was a boy, I always felt that seething Boston "ugly".

Last edited Wed Oct 1, 2014, 10:46 PM - Edit history (1)

[George II]

11. Even to this day Boston remains one of the most, if not the most racist city in the US.

[heaven05]

22. true

lived there for 5 years, 70-75, s. boston was the worst.

[MADem]

6. The Herald is virulently racist and right wing, so this is nothing new.

The sky is blue, the sea is green, and the Herald is dog-whistling. No surprise, indeed.

[DonViejo]

9. Remember when...

Howie Carr was considered a liberal columnist? Granted, it was back when the Army was still using stones but, he was supposed to be the paper's liberal. Then he started hanging with Jerry what's his face from WRKO; Howie went galloping to the right then.

[MADem]

24. He lost that "everyman" patina right quick when he started spouting the hate speech. nt

[TwilightGardener]

7. WTF? How does this happen in this century?

[jtuck004]

10. Maybe make web site with pictures of their rag used for bird droppings? Talk about cartoons...n/t

[WinkyDink]

12. "sincerely regret if we inadvertently offended anyone"---BUT IF WE DELIBERATELY OFFENDED YOU, GREAT!

[TheCowsCameHome]

13. The Boston Herald is a scummy rag, not really any surprise here.

They are rotten to the core.

[Aerows]

14. How stupid does an editor have to be

to miss the racist undertones of that cartoon? How far does one's head need to be up one's ass to miss that?

[blkmusclmachine]

31. I'm pretty sure the racist dig was intentional. Real classy. Just like the GOP.

[jollyreaper2112]

15. Ha

My girlfriend is nigerian. I picked up wings from the store. She was like "They're breaded like fried chicken. What made you think I like fried chicken?" And I reply "What makes you think they're for you?" Ha. She can't stand watermelon. No worries: i love it. Stereotypes are stupid but they're memorable. They're shorthand. Japanese people don't have buckteeth and bad eyes but we're primed for it from WWII propaganda.

The funny thing is she misses a lot of the dog whistle shit the Republicans use. She thinks it's like Richard Hoagland and David Icke finding symbols of the Illuminati in all manner of public media. No, I said, it's more about knowing that words that otherwise seem innocuous have a specific meaning to a certain audience. Quiet enjoyment means one thing to me, quite another to a lawyer. A full quiver means one thing to an archer, another to a fundamentalist baby cannon like that Duggar woman.

[hatrack]

16. Best quote I remember re. the Herald was from a reporter who (briefly) worked there in the 50s

"I had been aware that Herald readers moved their lips as they read. I hadn't known that the Herald editors did, too."

[Malraiders]

17. If that is meant to be the intruder then they got his race wrong. n/t

[heaven05]

23. looks like

a slightly darker zimmerman to me.

[VA_Jill]

18. Another non-apology

"Sorry IF WE OFFENDED" is NOT an apology. It's pure weasel words. Hell yes you offended! Now take the "IF" out and apologize properly!

[heaven05]

19. To make it very clear

Last edited Wed Oct 1, 2014, 06:41 PM - Edit history (2)

I do not agree with all the policies of my POTUS in many areas. I am also making it clear that I am a citizen who voted twice for this POTUS and WOULD AGAIN.

All that this racist BS is showing the world is the true racist underbelly/nature of the whole of american culture. Many of us have known it was here all the time. The lynchers in white sheets put on suits and ties and went into the boardrooms of corporate america, the halls of government, all parties and departments, even it seems, our SS. No proof just an uneasy feeling. Others, like many before them, have donned blue suits with badges, guns and biased laws they could hide behind when shooting down unarmed people especially minorities.

This cartoon could be construed as the bather being racist in asking that question so as to put the racist moniker on the latest person to intrude in the WH, but with the unhidden racist hate that has been heaped upon this POTUS, I don't think so. The watermelon reference is unmistakeable. Always has been used as a racist reference to black people...the wire.com and there many references for hate, black people, watermelon and fried chicken to you who need proof. Watermelon and fried chicken!!! Two of my favorite foods.
It seems that with RW radio and television agitating hate on a level that would make Goebbels proud, america is not going to be able to solve it's racial problems any time soon.

America you have, again, replaced my hopes with distrust and doubt and have made this country a sad, sad place to live with the hypocrisy and hate spewed from all manner of people and media. America, shame! Betrayal is too kind a word, just think unarmed teenagers shot down and bleeding their life out in modern streets or for you older folks, how about a black man dangling at the end of a rope only because he was black.

We the people are the only ones that can put a stop to this insanity and it doesn't seem like we have the numbers or the media to stop it.

[Schema Thing]

28. the cartoonist is clearly saying that the intruder is a racist

[bettyellen]

36. he claims he had no idea about watermelon jokes. We have seen the same crap here too.

Classic racist dog whistling, not buying it was an innocent mistake.

[Schema Thing]

38. well, he's lying about that, obviously, but he clearly drew the intruder as a racist

[bettyellen]

40. more importantly- he drew the intruder as someone his RW racist fans would relate to.

[C Moon]

20. Hopefully a dying breed.

Sure, they publish it, get their kicks, then apologize.
Uh uh. It doesn't work that way, editors.

[DinahMoeHum]

21. Fake Apology. Not Accepted.

n/t

[shenmue]

25. The hell?

Idiots.

[BeyondGeography]

26. Racist pieces of shit

[Feral Child]

29. Racist agenda, EOM.

[blkmusclmachine]

30. Classic "no-pology."

[F4lconF16]

32. Apparently it was accidental.

From the Washington Post:

“I feel awful about the perception that it was racist, but it was nothing of the sort,” Holbert tells The Post’s Comic Riffs. “I wanted another flavor of toothpaste for the cartoon, and we had a bottle of Colgate kids’ toothpaste that was watermelon-flavored … watermelon seems to be a big flavor these days, so…I went with it.”

“It was a completely innocent attempt at humor, but it did not come across that way to some people,” Holbert continues. “I have said I am sorry for offending anyone — I never intended to do that. I never even thought about the racial element. I wish I had, but I did not. A bit dumb on my part — I should have thought it through more.”

Holbert says his aim was only to skewer the lax security surrounding President Obama. “Now it has all blown up around racism,” Holbert tells The Post’s Comic Riffs, “which is something I detest. I never make racist humor.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/10/01/obama-watermelon-toothpaste-controversy-apologetic-boston-herald-cartoonist-says-i-detest-racist-humor/

Edit to add that I posted this in the other thread as well.

[Skittles]

33. he is either lying or very ignorant

it is hard for me to believe he could pick from a variety of flavors and just happened to pick watermelon, AND be unaware how that could be seen as offensive

[F4lconF16]

34. Yeah as clueless as some people can be

That's really stretching it. I agree with you, though. He's a political cartoonist--I can't believe that he wouldn't be aware of the implications.

[bettyellen]

35. I think he is totally full of shit.

[HughBeaumont]

37. Judging by his previous offerings . . . .

. . . I'd say he, Scott Stantis and Lisa Benson are lunch buddies.

Red Flag Numero Dos: Jerry Holbert is a favorite of townhall.com.

[TeamPooka]

39. Boston Herald = Toilet paper.

[jmowreader]

41. It's too stiff and scratchy for that

It's good for housebreaking puppies, tho.