Another Post Apology, Same Old Racist Attitudes

By the end of last week, an editor at the Post finally made a non-apology apology for their racist cartoon after many in the community came out to protest the Post's actions. Since that did nothing to address the problem that the cartoon generated, the protests continued and the press surrounding the story became increasingly negative for the newspaper rag. So who else does the Post bring out but the head honcho himself to make yet another "apology."

From The Albany Project (because I refuse to link the Post anymore):

As the Chairman of the New York Post, I am ultimately responsible for what is printed in its pages. The buck stops with me.

Last week, we made a mistake. We ran a cartoon that offended many people. Today I want to personally apologize to any reader who felt offended, and even insulted.

Over the past couple of days, I have spoken to a number of people and I now better understand the hurt this cartoon has caused. At the same time, I have had conversations with Post editors about the situation and I can assure you - without a doubt - that the only intent of that cartoon was to mock a badly written piece of legislation. It was not meant to be racist, but unfortunately, it was interpreted by many as such.

We all hold the readers of the New York Post in high regard and I promise you that we will seek to be more attuned to the sensitivities of our community.

What Murdoch is make this look serious and even professional. It does not snipe and make childish remarks such as berating Al Sharpton and others that saw the cartoon and were compelled to give their time to protest the racist behavior of the cartoonist and editor who let it be published. Yet, it is still not a true apology. I put that sentence in bold up above because as the comments at The Albany Project show, there is no way to interpret this cartoon as anything but racist. You have to be racist in order to find humor in it. Mocking the stimulus bill is one thing, but to do it in this fashion is not only about the legislation Barack Obama had signed into law last week. I sincerely find it hard to believe that Murdoch's comments are nothing more than an attempt to kill the story that his paper has serious racist elements lurking inside.

The NY Post's Non-Apology Apology

Last night, after significant pressure for nearly two days, the NY Post issued a statement on their website addressing the racially-stigmatized cartoon. The image, depicting a chimp being shot dead by two white cops while they talk about the stimulus bill has drawn considerable outrage from nearly every group except for white conservatives. Al Sharpton even led a protest of hundreds in front of the paper's offices. So to sweep things under the rug after getting their desired amount of free publicity, they came out with this:

Wednesday's Page Six cartoon - caricaturing Monday's police shooting of a chimpanzee in Connecticut - has created considerable controversy.

It shows two police officers standing over the chimp's body: "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill," one officer says.

It was meant to mock an ineptly written federal stimulus bill.

Period.

But it has been taken as something else - as a depiction of President Obama, as a thinly veiled expression of racism.

This most certainly was not its intent; to those who were offended by the image, we apologize.

However, there are some in the media and in public life who have had differences with The Post in the past - and they see the incident as an opportunity for payback.

To them, no apology is due.

Sometimes a cartoon is just a cartoon - even as the opportunists seek to make it something else.

So for those that were offended but didn't say anything, you can thank those that did because their apology is directed at you. The response above is written by someone with the mentality of a five year old, who is resentful at various people for daring to call them out on their approval of a cartoonist's veiled use of racism. This wasn't about payback, it was about being shocked and horrified at a major New York daily paper that would print a cartoon that follows in the path of a long history of comparing blacks and chimps/monkeys/apes, etc.

This was no apology, it was meant as a childish swipe at people of our community that have protested the actions of the Post, and who will continue to do so until they take full responsibility for condoning that type of racially-insensitive material.

Unfortunately though, I seriously doubt the Post will take any additional steps. They are known as a rag in this city for a reason. Yet I am a little uncomfortable even using that description, because I wouldn't want to tarnish the good name of the many rags out there by elevating the Post to their level.

Update: A nearly identically titled post from The Zoo also explains why this isn't an apology, starting with what's written in the dictionary.