Why so serious about Obama as Joker? (BARF ALERT)....

www.guardian.co.uk ^ | 5 August 2009 | Lola Adesioye

[NoRedTape]

In the past few days, an image of Barack Obama depicted as Heath Ledger's Joker character from the movie The Dark Knight has been posted around streets and freeways in Los Angeles and is also doing the rounds on the internet. With the caption "socialism" at the bottom, the image is supposed to be a not-so-complimentary piece of street art, a radical take on the president's ubiquitous "Hope" poster by Shepard Fairey.

There is no doubt that the image is creepy and makes the president look sinister. But is it, as some have claimed, "dangerous", "mean spirited" or indeed "racist"? I don't think so.

Let's take the accusation of racism. I believe that the president's race means that there is a need for cultural sensitivity in how people talk about and depict him. And there is no doubt that some other cartoons and pictures have been offensive or highly questionable. However, there is also a need to avoid being overly sensitive at every single joke or piece of satire that comes Obama's way, particularly those that are in contrast to one's own beliefs about the president. Is it simply too easy to call something anti-Obama "racist" just because one doesn't agree with it?

Some have said that this picture is offensive because Obama is in white face and the image is,

[SkyPilot]

We said two years ago that ANY criticism of Obama would be met with "That's Racist!" from the MSM.

I swear you can read these people like a book.

[Oztrich Boy]

a radical take on the president's ubiquitous "Hope" poster by Shepard Fairey. There is no doubt that the image is creepy and makes the president look sinister.

So I'm not the only one to have noticed that.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"Holy Illuminati, Batman!"

Even TIME magazine caricatured the One as a socialist super-villain.