Satire Is Hard

by Matthew Caston
July 16, 2008
The “satirical” cover of the New Yorker appeared over the weekend.  It depicts Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama dawned in, as one Fox News correspondent calls, Muslim garbӔ in the oval office fist bumping his wife, Michelle Obama.  She, supposedly depicted as an insurgent, carries an AK-47 and sports an afro.  As the extremist couple fist bumps the American flag burns in the fireplace as Osama Bin Laden watches from his perch above. Perfect satire, right?

The cover can be viewed at http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2008/07/discuss.html.  It depicts Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama dawned in, as one Fox News correspondent calls, Muslim garbӔ in the oval office fist bumping his wife, Michelle Obama.  She, supposedly depicted as an insurgent, carries an AK-47 and sports an afro.  As the extremist couple fist bumps the American flag burns in the fireplace as Osama Bin Laden watches from his perch above. Perfect satire, right?
Although the two articles featured in the magazine about Obama were very serious, it isnt hard to see why this cover has been the epicenter of news talk since its debut.  The New Yorker says in its defense that all of their covers are satirical and that this one is no different.  The cover is supposed to play on what conservatives think of Barack Obama and is somehow supposed to be funny, I couldnt tell.
Many say that the New Yorker failed in its attempt at satire, I couldnҒt agree more.  Michelle Obama, with her fro and camo, looks more like a Black Panther than an insurgent.  Just because a man has on a robe and turban doesnt mean heҒs a terrorist, although Barack Obama does look rather happy.  As for Osama above the fire place, I wouldnt be surprised to find him in actually in the White House.
On behalf of ObamaҒs defense, one blogger wrote that the next cover of the New Yorker should be a tottering old McCain dressed up in his old POW uniform chasing kids off his lawn while simultaneously trying unsuccessfully to use a computer, singing ғBomb, bomb, bomb Iran, calling his wife vile names, and kissing the butts of the religious zealots he used to criticize. Of course while this is going on, secret Vietnamese radio waves will be beaming Manchurian candidate instructions into his brain.ђ Now thats satire.