Question

[chasovschik.livejournal.com]

Ladies and and Gentlemen,

I need some help. From discussions here I have got an impression that reference to a monkey is racistic. Various posters and signs featuring monkeys were more than once presented here in order to prove the racist nature of anti-Obama movement.

Being born far from here, I'm not sure I fully understand this cultural reference.

Here are two pictures:



First one is from Liberal Street Fighter, 2006, second one is from here, found via Google.

I will highly appreciate the comprehensive explanation: are both pictures racist? If only one, which one and why?


UPD: Thanks everybody, I got it. Could have guessed actually.

Comments

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Historical context.

[xforge.livejournal.com]

The one on the left is not racist because historically white men have not widely been referred to as "monkeys." Sorry if you don't see it, or if you don't like it (actually I really couldn't give a fuck) but that's just the fucking way it is.

[wight1984.livejournal.com]

It's all about context.

Historically black people have been compared to monkeys. There are still racial slurs against black people that use that comparison. This is not the case for white people.

The former does not evoke any racial slur because there is none to be evoked.

The latter does evoke those racial slurs and does reinforce that negative image of black people.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

pretty much what everyone here has said. It's a fairly well known phenomenon, as well.

[blueduck37.livejournal.com]

If you wanna sit there and pretend that there is not a well-known, derogatory, racist historical context of black people being compared to and referred as "monkeys", then please be my guest.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt since you were not born in America, but trust me when I tell you that in America there is a very serious, deep context of racism behind the monkey comparison for blacks.

[udoswald.livejournal.com]

As xforge said, Africans have historically been compared to monkeys (see: Macaca moment) as a way to suggest that they are racially inferior. Bush was compared to a monkey to suggest that he was dumb personally, Obama is compared to a monkey to suggest that his entire race is genetically inferior and unworthy of political power.

[mylaptopisevil.livejournal.com]

historical context, like everyone said.

[lafinjack.livejournal.com]

Just because.

[pragmatic-chimp.livejournal.com]

What everyone else said. I'd also like to point out - because I'm a petulant Anthropology major - that the animals pictured aren't monkeys - they're apes. The one the left is a bonobo, and the other is probably a baby chimp.

But the slur references apes as often as monkeys, so far as your question goes it's all one.

[dearmisterecho.livejournal.com]

You've got the picture it seems but, in the tradition of the community, here are some cartoons that shows the historical context.


19th century medical journal illustration trying to show through phrenology (study of the skull) that blacks were scientifically inferior to humans, more in common with apes.

And this is a clip from Spike Lee's "Bamboozled," it's a montage of stereotypical representations of blacks in film and cartoons. Especially pay attention to the cartoons: there was a preoccupation with representing blcaks as the "other", as African tribespeople who live the jungle and act, behave and live with...yes, the monkeys.


Hope this helps give clarification!

[phillipalden.livejournal.com]

I'm not even touching this one, but note the icon.

[jamie-miller.livejournal.com]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/30/gates.police.apology/index.html

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

I have to say, I did a double-take at this advertising campaign (scroll down)

http://www.4music.com/artist/tinchy-stryder/tinchy-stryder-profile.html

[kadaria.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to echo that yeah, it has to do with historical context.

[i.livejournal.com]

i wonder why lather2002 hasn't weighed in on this with some insightful, erudite comment.

[saint-monkey.livejournal.com]

As a monkey i am EXTREMELY offended. (Both pictures are of apes however, so not as offended as i COULD be.)

[saint-monkey.livejournal.com]

By the way... you should completely follow this up with a post asking why black kids can call each other ni**a in polite conversation without being racist, while white kids can not.

Yeah, that'd be AWESOME!

[bord-du-rasoir.livejournal.com]

http://community.livejournal.com/politicsforum/2059783.html

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

[lather2002.livejournal.com]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/The-Left-overplays-the-race-card-for-Obama-8253120-59473377.html

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]