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Is this cartoon racist?

Is this cartoon racist?


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That's the context of the cartoon itself, along with a bit of additional outside context provided by the OP. If you think there's somehow some other context from within the cartoon that indicates that the reference to chocolate and/or feces was meant to refer to race, and not to the policies and/or to the literal objects of chocolate/feces, then please...I'd be all ears.

But pointing to historical uses of those words at times as a means of referencing black people is not pointing to context internal to the cartoon...it's pointing to context EXTERNAL from the cartoon and attempting to apply it to the cartoon, absent anything in the cartoon actually giving an indication that such an application is apt.

My issue has not been, nor is, that someone may end up believing that the cartoon may be racist. Hell; even though I can't understand in any way shape or form how someone could come to a conclusion that it definitively IS racist, I still wouldn't say that's completely ridiculous. My statements have been that I can't see how someone can claim this absolutely is racist based if they are viewing it simply from the context provided within the cartoon itself, without imposing outside assumptions and context onto it that isn't indicated in some fashion within the cartoon.

I had known, and have been acknowledging, that chocolate and feces have both been used to refer to black people before. But just like I wouldn't immediately say the word "Chocolate" in "Hershey's Chocolate Bar" was referring to black people even if it was in an ad for it that featured a black person, neither would I immediately say the word "chocolate" in this cartoon is referring to black people simply because it features a black person. The simple fact that it has been used that way doesn't inherently mean it is being used that way any time it's used in the vicinity of a black person. And when there is absolutely no internal context to the situation to suggest that it's being used to refer to black people, and there's clear contextual evidence to suggest it's referring to the literal candy of "chocolate", I have a hard time personally leaping to a definitive notion that "yep, talking about black people". But I acknowledge it's feasible that it could be what the cartoonist meant and he just choose to leave zero contextual clues within his cartoon to suggest that AND design the cartoon in such a way that interpreting it in that fashion actually makes the cartoon not make a lick of sense....I just think that's 1) highly unlikely and 2) is using external context to suggest that the word "chocolate" or the implication of "feces" in the cartoon is referencing black people.

Again, unless you can explain to me...internal to what's actually IN the cartoon...how you believe the cartoon is indicating or suggesting that "chocolate" or the idea of "feces" is referencing Obama specifically, or his race in general, I don't really see my stance on that changing. Again, I'm not saying I can't possibly fathom how someone can't find this racist by adding outside context and assumptions onto it...I've acknowledged repeatedly in multiple posts I can see that happening. I'm saying simply using the context of the cartoon itself, THAT I can't see and it has not been explained.
 
There is an old joke that says if black is beautiful that my feces is a masterpiece.

The cartoon can be viewed as racist because it subtly plays on the notions of Obama's skin color, chocolate and feces.

Perhaps it plays on the notion that The Insane One cannot distinguish between success and failure. But then neither can his followers.
 
Perhaps it plays on the notion that The Insane One cannot distinguish between success and failure. But then neither can his followers.

Considering the track record of the guy before him, Obama is King Midas. No one turned gold to **** faster than Bush the Junior.
 
That was an absurd example and I said why.

Actually you didn't, and you also clearly didn't even understand it, considering your "explanation" went on a tangent about feces which had nothing to do what so ever with my statements regarding the chocolate bar.

Nothing about the chocolate bar actually suggest that the grid pattern on the bar is referencing prison....but neither is anything in the cartoon itself suggesting in any fashion that the implication of feces is referencing skin color.

Nothing about the chocolate bar actually suggests that its reference to chocolate is referencing black people....but neither is anything in the cartoon itself suggesting in any fashion that the reference of chocolate in it is referencing black people.

Nothing about the chocolate bar being brown suggest that it's a reference to black people....but neither is anything in the cartoon itself suggesting in any fashion that the dark brown color of the policies is referencing black people.

Yet somehow you have claimed that the cartoon IS racist, because it doesn't matter that nothing in the cartoon itself is suggesting those things, the fact that those things are present and the fact that those things have been used to in that fashion in the past means that it's acceptable to say that the cartoon is racist.

Therefore, it doesn't matter that nothing in the Hershey's chocolate bar is suggesting those things. The fact that those things are present (it's pattern, the word chocolate, the color) and those things have been used to in that fashion in the past (you've highlighted the first two, and I doubt you'd argue the notion of racists using prison stats to attack blacks) means that it's acceptable to say that a Hershey Chocolate Bar is racist.
 
On the surface a cartoon depicting the Obama's holding a picnic on the White House lawn eating chicken and watermelon would not be considered racist either. After all, what's wrong with a summer picnic with chicken and a few slices of watermelon?
 
In this case, the additional context is that the "chocolate" reference in this cartoon is somehow referring to "black people". The problem is, there's no context within the cartoon to suggest that's the meaning or inference of chocolate in this case. There's no contextual way that his claim that everything he touches turns to sweet chocolate would make any sense within the cartoon if by "chocolate" he meant "black people". That makes zero sense. He thinks he can touch health care and turn it into black people? He touches foreign affairs and turn it into "black people"?

This is a bunch of convoluted gobbledygook and is the result of very flawed thinking and I am going to demonstrate why. What you have done here is to concoct an absurd notion that in order for chocolate to reference black people that the activity of Obama touching something would result in it turning into a black person. This is absurd because chocolate is just a symbol and it should be obvious to you and anyone else that symbols can have multiple meanings. It's just like another conservative member of this forum has an avatar that has a picture of Ronald Reagan. When I see it, I think of Ronald Reagan, American conservatism, and a member of the forum here. According to your logic, I would need to be able to substitute Ronald Reagan into the role of a member of this forum for the avatar to make reference to Reagan. And because that is indeed absurd, your contention here is totally bogus.
 
I didn't find it funny. I also didn't find it racist.
 
No, it's absolutely with additional context. Your statement above directly suggest that. You're using context from your environment to shade how your viewing the cartoon, despite nothing in the cartoon itself actually suggesting in any way that it's reference to feces is meant as a reference to black people.

What it appears that you don't get is that words have no inherent meaning. As such, all that anyone can do when they associate words with concepts, is to do it based on the context of the environment they have been exposed to. Like I said before, it is just like when someone speaks Spanish. It sounds like gobbledygook to me because I was not brought up in an environment where Spanish is spoken and never experienced the necessary conditioning to associate the words with the concepts.
 
Actually you didn't, and you also clearly didn't even understand it, considering your "explanation" went on a tangent about feces which had nothing to do what so ever with my statements regarding the chocolate bar.

Nothing about the chocolate bar actually suggest that the grid pattern on the bar is referencing prison....but neither is anything in the cartoon itself suggesting in any fashion that the implication of feces is referencing skin color.

No I understood exactly what you said. But what you apparently missed is that all you had in your picture is a chocolate bar. There is no prisoner, no prison, no prison bars, nothing but candy. In the cartoon there is reference to feces, chocolate and Obama. And because there is COMMON USAGE IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY of feces AND chocolate to refer to black people, the association between blacks, feces, and chocolate can be REALISTICALLY made, contrary to what you would have us believe.
 
No I understood exactly what you said. But what you apparently missed is that all you had in your picture is a chocolate bar. There is no prisoner, no prison, no prison bars, nothing but candy. In the cartoon there is reference to feces, chocolate and Obama. And because there is COMMON USAGE IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY of feces AND chocolate to refer to black people, the association between blacks, feces, and chocolate can be REALISTICALLY made, contrary to what you would have us believe.

Wow! You are really in deep.
 
Considering the track record of the guy before him, Obama is King Midas. No one turned gold to **** faster than Bush the Junior.

Not that it is important here but the entire Bush record, with all of its flaws, does not come close to the ****maker himself. Obama, The Insane One, is a one man wrecking ball.

Now back to the previously scheduled Rorschach test.

Here is my thought. Those who are racists will see racism. Those who are not will see the obvious.
 
Not that it is important here but the entire Bush record, with all of its flaws, does not come close to the ****maker himself. Obama, The Insane One, is a one man wrecking ball.

Now back to the previously scheduled Rorschach test.

Here is my thought. Those who are racists will see racism. Those who are not will see the obvious.
Considering you don't see Bush's failure as a president while thinking the Black guy is one, I'd say you're about as credible as Brian Williams.
 
Not that it is important here but the entire Bush record, with all of its flaws, does not come close to the ****maker himself. Obama, The Insane One, is a one man wrecking ball.

Now back to the previously scheduled Rorschach test.

Here is my thought. Those who are racists will see racism. Those who are not will see the obvious.

"The Insane One"! :lamo
 
Considering you don't see Bush's failure as a president while thinking the Black guy is one, I'd say you're about as credible as Brian Williams.

I will let the historians decide about Bush. Which black guy? The Insane One? He is 1/6th black, 1/6th white and 2/3rds red.
 
Not that it is important here but the entire Bush record, with all of its flaws, does not come close to the ****maker himself. Obama, The Insane One, is a one man wrecking ball.

Now back to the previously scheduled Rorschach test.

Here is my thought. Those who are racists will see racism. Those who are not will see the obvious.


Now you did it. You mentioned the one who shall not be named. Eternal damnation will be yours.


bush-400x310.jpg

bellbush512ready-400x299.jpg
 
I will let the historians decide about Bush. Which black guy? The Insane One? He is 1/6th black, 1/6th white and 2/3rds red.

No one turned things into **** faster than the W.
 
Except for FDR and Obama. I understand. Authoritarian statists love other authoritarian statists.

Odd you would choose to demonize the two presidents who immediately followed the two who turned the most gold into ****.
 
Re: A chocolate city

No I understood exactly what you said. But what you apparently missed is that all you had in your picture is a chocolate bar. There is no prisoner, no prison, no prison bars, nothing but candy. In the cartoon there is reference to feces, chocolate and Obama. And because there is COMMON USAGE IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY of feces AND chocolate to refer to black people, the association between blacks, feces, and chocolate can be REALISTICALLY made, contrary to what you would have us believe.

I see your point.

 
Odd you would choose to demonize the two presidents who immediately followed the two who turned the most gold into ****.

Both damaged the Constitution. Both increased government's reach, scope and penetration into our lives. Both increased the levels of legal plunder. Both damaged the nation, fundamentally transforming the people into serfs.
 
Re: A chocolate city

That's what I have been trying to say.

Right. Racists will see the racism. The mayor of New Orleans was a racist. He used racist terms. It is very likely that you are as well. That is why you see racism.

I am not a racist. I see what is actually presented. The Insane One believes that he has the chocolate-Midas touch. Unfortunately for those of us who must endure him everything he involves himself in turns to crap. He and his followers Gruber themselves into believing his masterpieces are chocolate.
 
Both damaged the Constitution. Both increased government's reach, scope and penetration into our lives. Both increased the levels of legal plunder. Both damaged the nation, fundamentally transforming the people into serfs.

Both followed presidents who literally turned the nation's economy to ****.
 
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