Is This Offensive or Funny?

Let me ask you this Chris.. If you had someone die because of terrorism would you even THINK of running this? Did you ever experience a terrorist threat? Or is this just to drive clicks to your blog… Once again you show your complete childish behavior in full action!

UNSUBSCRIBED!

The ski mask works best because it could be one of those fanatical Christian funamentalists that are blowing themselves up all the time.

Chris,

The 2nd one is the better cartoon, and you know it. Muslim extremists have been at the core of airline safety concerns for at least the past 5 years. Why pretend that they are not?

The first one sure looks like a cop out. Sometimes the truth hurts.

All the best,
JMB

Geez, I’m glad you fixed that. I thought I was losing my mind, like this was one of those “spot the six differences” things I see in my daughter’s magazines. I didn’t see any differences! (For those who didn’t see this quickly enough, someone (cough cough Chris cough) linked the same picture twice. :-)

The ski masks works better for me. It opens the possibility that the terrorists could be any group one wanted to imagine them being. The original cartoon was too specific.
Geez, all this fear of offending and accusations of not taking the matter seriously… Lighten up, people. It may be political in nature, but it’s still a cartoon. It’s as valid a comment on current affairs as anything written by Andrew Sullivan and more entertaining than the often nonsensical rantings featured on CSpan.
Besides, it’s really a comment on Sony batteries. What’s more geeky than that?

Last time I checked Muslim extremists were heading up Al Qaeda - and they don’t wear skimasks.

And it’s a ***** move to run two cartoons and to show the original. Run one or the other. Or it’s a move to garner some attention ;)

I found the original image of uptight Republicans dressed up in Muslim Fascist halloween costumes to be a bit offensive. Nobody would make a costume with such obvious racial characteristics, for fear of being called unimaginative.

I’m glad you went with the ski masks. There’s too much racial hatred & stereotyping around at the moment. Not every terrorist is a bearded Arab Muslim - just ask the Spanish about ETA or Sri Lanka about theTamil Tigers.

I did not know they skiied in the Middle East!

Stop bowing to political correctness and go with the original. It’s not like there are Fundamental Baptists making planes drop from the skies.

“Is this Offensive or Funny?”

Unfortunately, I would have to say neither. It’s just lame.

I usually remain silent, lurking in the shadows chained to my cartooning table, but I needed to chime in on this one because this whole “cartoons and stereotyping” thing lately is really starting to get under my skin. So rather than fill up too much space here, I posted about it in detail over at my blog:
http://www.bradfitzpatrick.com/weblog/347/offensive-cartoons/

Skimasks were the better cartoon, but I agree with Paul on the issue of running the two cartoons. Make an editorial choice and live with it.

Chris its time to grow up!!!!!

I see the predicament you were in … Honesty that’ll piss some people off? Or cop-out that says the same thing but pisses off less people? You could have not run anything along those lines at all and pissed off even fewer people. Or just post pictures of puppies and flowers, that would piss off almost no one at all. (If it’s not entirely clear, I believe you should have gone with the original and the heck with the latter-day McArthyites who would have us censor our thoughts so they have more time to complain about everything else.)

Dude, I’ve lived through 9/11. i was IN New York City. I lived in New York City my whole life. And, as a New Yorker I can tell you:

That’s goddamn funny. Keep up the good work.

Both of these guys look totally Caucasian to me. Both of the guys in the original picture did not. The question is which version is more accurate or more humorous? I am not going to judge.

I’m not sure who you’re concerned with offending. Are you afraid of offending Islamofacist terrorists? It seems so.

It’s like making a comic ridiculing Nazis or Hitler and not showing their Anglo faces or that they have swastikas or German uniforms. It would make no freaking sense.

For the record I think they were both funny but it’s sad that you were worried about offending those that would hack your head off without a second thought.

Chris,
You did the right thing. There was absolutely no loss of humor and I really doubt that anyone would have missed the point about terrorists. Sometimes keeping things generic are better because they can be enjoyed by more people that way. Loved it!

g

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You succombed to the social pressures heavily in favor of NOT stating what has easily been observed: 100% of the hijackers involved in 9/11 and recent international terror activities have been either Muslim or of Arab descent. Using that in a cartoon does NOT mean you think all Muslims [or Arabs] are terrorists, only that you are observant. Unless, of course, you’re that insecure.

People…. the blog clearly stated NOT to click on it if “easily offended”. So what do you do? You click on it, and then wonder why you’re highly offended! ;p Personally I dont see it as any worse than anything else I’ve seen around. Obviously you havent been to the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in NY or L.A. ;-)

I thought the one that wasn’t published was much funnier…but I’m a fan of sick and wrong humor.

The ski masks make the cartoon unbelievable. Punky teens, with nose rings, mirror glasses and a spiked green mohawk, would have been funnier.

Better luck next time.

Isn’t that a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed?

I hate that guy!

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Hilarious, but they both work…

My vote goes for funny and clever. I also vote in favour of the whole process you took. Three issues were attempted to poke fun at in the original cartoon - airport security and liquids, Sony batteries and international terrorism by one particular ethnic group. Of the three, the last was the least funny (and potentially the most controversial). By removing this last element and running the second cartoon was a good move. Making everyone aware of this change AND warning of possible offensive material was clever and bold. You did the right thing Chris.

of this misery. Lenovo expects their financial impact of the recall “minimal” because Sony is supporting affected resellers financially. What about Sony? By googling about this issue, I found a funny carton. Just have a look at this: [IMG ] (Source: “Is this offensive or funny?”) Concluding, it nothing else remains to be done as whishing you successfully working with your notebook…Get me out of here!!!

As a non-Arab, non-Muslim, non-American, I find the stereotypy of the unedited cartoon *highly* offensive.

To my own (admittedly biased) view, the cartoon would be inoffensive to those who:
(1) Swallow the stereotype that Arab peoples are intrinsically more dangerous than non-Arabs;
(2) Don’t care who they offend and what stereotypes they propagate, or
(3) are blind to the presence and influence of stereotype.

It is my view that stereotypy is the root of racism, and that the way for us all to defeat racism in this modern world is to be deliberate and critical of the stereotypes that we accept and promote.

The unedited cartoon shows no such care.

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The cartoons are offensive as is everything at Lockergnome. Imus was fired for a joke. But what can I tell someone that would sell space on his chest. The cartoons arw trash.

hey guys how would u like it if suddenly this stereotype about chistians or jews came up that they were terrorists. Just because a bunch of men wearing arab or muslim clothes sent videos that said that they were muslims and they had blown up american towers every body belivese it! you may this it is funny when joked about but this causes muslims and arabs alike problems in their social life and makes there children social outcasts so it is not funny at all.