Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

Feb. 23, 2009 – The New York Post decided to offer an apology to those who may have been offended by the cartoon depicting the president as a monkey.  But the paper didn’t go far enough to say it’s sorry for the editorial decision to publish the cartoon in the first place.

That could be the reason why folks are still upset and continuing to call for a boycott of the paper and its advertisers.  Benjamin Todd Jealous, president of the NAACP called on The New York Post to fire the editor-in-chief Col Allan and the longtime cartoonist Sean Delonas.

Jealous speaking at the NAACP’s annual meeting in New York called the editorial “a half of an apology, without elaboration.”  The leader of the century-old civil rights organization said the cartoon “picks off the scabs of all the racial wounds.”

Jealous was joined in his outrage by the Rev. Al Sharpton and New York City Council member Letitia James (D-Brooklyn), who told reporters outside of the KISS FM radio headquarters that they also wanted to review the employment records of The Post because they want to determine if the newsroom staff represents diversity.

But that’s not all. James and Sharpton are starting an on-line petition drive to collect signatures that will be sent to the Federal Communications Commission calling to remove the waiver the paper enjoys, which allows the  parent company, News Corp., to run more than one media outlet in the area.  They run the local Fox television news station as well. 

“This is not the first time they [The Post] have denigrated people of color,” said James. “Now is the time to do it.”

NAACP officials told The Associated Press that if The Post does not take “serious disciplinary action,” they would reach out to organizations across the country to join them in their efforts against the tabloid.

A spokeswoman for the newspaper referred The Associated Press to the paper’s editorial about the cartoon, which said “a depiction of President Obama, as a thinly veiled expression of racism . . . most certainly was not its intent; to those who were offended by the image, we apologize.”
James and Sharpton said they will be staging a protest on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday.

Do you think the apology was sincere? 

By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

Feb. 20, 2009 — It looks like the controversy over The New York Post’s political cartoon has taken another turn:  Folks are now calling for a boycott of the paper’s advertiser.  All of this stems from the cartoon Tuesday depicting two officers, one with a smoking gun pointed at dead chimp and saying, “Next time they’ll have to get someone else to write the stimulus package.” 

The cartoon started a firestrom of criticisms questioning if the paper was linking President Obama to the dead chimpanzee.  The paper has denied the connection and called the cartoon a “parody” of a news event. But their explanation appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

Just before midnight I received an e-mail with an attached list of businesses to boycott. 

The e-mail said, “Please e-mail this list to everyone you know, also send e-mails to the individual companies to voice your displeasure with them for their association with The New York Post, if you are so inclined.”

I wasn’t the only journalist on the list but some cc’d were not. Those listed to be targeted by the boycott included the following national advertisers:

Bank of America , City Bank , HSBC, Capital One Bank , Bloomingdale’s Department Store , Diesel Clothing Line, Jill Stuart Clothing Line.

The call for boycotts started with activist the Rev. Al Sharpton, who lead protestors outside the New York offices of the paper on Wednesday.  But the civil rights leader and talk show host now has the support of other fellow Black radio show hosts Steve Harvey and Michael Baisden.  Both have discussed the topic and call for a boycott on their shows.   

But the call to target the paper’s revenue source isn’t solely from the Black community. The e-mail I received included a link with a number of White radio show host affiliated with Air America Media, an on-line media network who also agrees.  The five year-old network describes itself as, “The nation’s leading progressive media network, representing a smart, entertaining and independent political voice on-air and online.”

Do you think a boycott of the paper and it’s advertiser will have an impact?

By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

Feb. 20, 2008 – In case you were wondering, The New York Post will not be apologizing for the racist and violent cartoon it published in Wednesday’s paper.  The editor in chief of the paper called the cartoon “a clear parody of the current news event” and placed the blame for the outrage on civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton. 
 
The cartoon, which appeared in Tuesday’s editions, depicts two police officers, one holding a smoking gun and standing over the body of a dead chimpanzee, which lay in a puddle of blood.  One of the officers says, “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.”  The paper admits the comparison of the stimulus bill, signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday, and the actual shooting of a violent chimp in Connecticut, was an intentional tie, but maintains that it was not racially motivated or meant to be offensive.

CNN was able to get Editor Sean Delonas on the phone.  In that interview, he called the controversy “absolutely friggin’ ridiculous.”

“Do you really think I’m saying Obama should be shot? I didn’t see that in the cartoon,” Delonas said.  “It’s about the economic stimulus bill. If you’re going to make that about anybody, it would be [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi, which it’s not.”
 
Earlier, in a statement to media, Delonas said, “The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington’s efforts to revive the economy,” Delonas said in a statement, adding that the paper is standing behind the cartoon. “Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist.”

See the video:


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But Sharpton isn’t alone in his outrage. Hundreds of BET.com users also found the cartoon racist and insensitive.  Debbie Turner wrote, “I believe this is an outrage. Who ever wrote this needs to be fired, and an apology [issued] to our 44th President. [The] New York Post people are small minded – they need to get over it …President Obama is a wonderful person. Give him a chance to do his job.”
 
Vonnie wrote, “This man has a family, just like everyone else, and feelings. He is only tryin’ to fix what Bush did,  give him a chance: Everything doesn’t have to be all about skin COLOR!!!!!!!!!

 Sharrese cautioned that this could be the beginning of something even uglier. “The graphic nature and blatant disregard for those who have authority over us is overwhelmingly disgusting. America just hasn’t learned … with freedom comes responsibility, and that’s why we’re in the predicament we are in now. Until we humble ourselves and demonstrate a repentant heart, we will continue on a downward spiral, regardless of who is in office,” she wrote.

Several BET.com users, like Robert Poindexter, want to take action against the Post.  Poindexter wrote, “As a Black American man in today’s society, we have witnessed a Black man become President. As a people, we need to stop acting as if we are not being insulted and that it doesn’t matter. Let’s stand together and demand respect at all times. Let’s boycott the Post and any other franchise that insults us as people of color.”