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Racist Obama T-Shirt Protest video. Store owner statement. watch!

youtube.com — Marietta bar owner Mike Norman says the T-shirts he's peddling, featuring a look-a-like of cartoon chimp Curious George peeling a banana, with "Obama in '08" underneath, are not meant to offend. Norman acknowledged the imagery's Jim Crow roots but said he sees nothing wrong with depicting a prominent African-American as a monkey.

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  • Pssdoff, on 05/15/2008, -383/+151Why is this racist? Anyone who doesn't vote for Obama is a racist now?

    http://images.google.com/images?q=george+bush+monk ...
    • thirdcoastborn, on 05/15/2008, -121/+48are you really that ***** stupid you ***** *****. you don't see what's racist about this? ***** little bitch
      • MarkusGarvey, on 05/15/2008, -40/+24ok...ok...settle down now Beavis....don't drop yourself down to his level....just understand that we dealing with some very ignorant people here..trolls will go away when you don't feed them...
        • JimmySpaza, on 05/15/2008, -35/+33Thirdcoastborn uses THAT kind of language, hate speech, and personal attacks...and you, markusgarvey, are calling the OTHER guy a troll and ignorant?

          Amazing.
          • Tiak, on 05/15/2008, -13/+15Technically it was just random personal attacks, unless he was attacking Pssdoff for being a woman, which is unlikely, there was no hate speech...
          • archiesteel, on 05/15/2008, -0/+8JimmySpaza, I don't think you know what "troll" means. A troll isn't just someone who uses bad language or insults on a web forum. A troll is someone who makes intentionally provocative statements in order to elicit emotional responses (if you don't believe me, look it up).

            thirdcoastborn's comment, even though offensive, doesn't fit that definition. Rather, it represents a typical emotional response to a troll. As far as Pssdoff's comment is concerned, it depends on the intent, but it does seem rather trollish, since it equates the legitimate outrage over this distasteful t-shirt with an unreasonable position (i.e. that not voting for Obama will cause the latter's supporter to call you racist).

            And before you say that this is what Obama supporters do (i.e. call those who criticise him racist), that is also incorrect - it just so happens that many of the anti-Obama posters *do* in fact use racist justifications for their position. So, just to make clear, it is not the position itself which is racist, but the justifications of some of the critics.
      • supras, on 05/15/2008, -4/+8Never thought I'd hear Marcus Garvey say that ;P.
      • hempydave, on 05/15/2008, -25/+10It OK to be racist with GW BUSH but not Obama because he's only half white not all white.
        Get how racism works?
        • nmnnotmyname, on 05/15/2008, -4/+16Calling George W. Bush a monkey is an intelligence insult, not a racist comment. When you call Obama a monkey, you have different intentions - Firstly, Obama doesn't come off as an idiot like G.W. Bush did...
          • Polamalu43, on 05/15/2008, -12/+1No one called Obama a monkey.
          • nmnnotmyname, on 05/15/2008, -0/+8I guess not, but isn't there a point where we can assume that's what they were doing when they made the T-shirt? They depicted him as one. Yes, some people claim it was because he looked like Curious George, but it's painfully hard to believe that's all the intentions were.
          • bluezinc, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3@Polamalu, you're oblivious to the story you commented on, aren't you?
        • rrasco, on 05/15/2008, -0/+5This is great....do people not really understand the difference that blacks have been degraded by the term monkey for decades? I could really care less about GW Bush or Obama, but there is a difference between calling them both monkeys.
          For example:
          GW is a monkey = insulting, but not racist
          Obama is a monkey = racist
          Obama is as dumb as a cracker can be = insulting, but not racist
          GW is as dumb as a cracker can be = racist
      • nmnnotmyname, on 05/15/2008, -2/+10Aren't you supposed to be in school?
      • michael43, on 05/15/2008, -4/+5Lots of people are offended by your cursing, but that's different isn't it? Nothing matters but YOU and what you think is offensive. Hypocrite.
    • castevens, on 05/15/2008, -20/+82Not everyone who doesn't vote for Obama is racist. But, as we saw in West Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas is that over 8 out of every 10 people who thought that race was an issue in choosing a candidate voted for Clinton.
      • 5urr3al5am, on 05/15/2008, -26/+8This is a plant by the OBama people.. why else would it be on this list sooo often?
      • dexter411, on 05/15/2008, -4/+15Didn't 8 out of 10 blacks in South Carolina vote for Obama over Clinton, too? People vote for certain politicians for lots of reasons. If race is part of it, I don't care; I know my vote won't be based on it.
        • goomba323, on 05/15/2008, -2/+7Yeah but the 8 out of 10 blacks who voted for Obama could very well have voted 8 out of 10 for Edwards over Clinton. The fact is, Clinton and her surrogates played a very tricky game, especially in this day where the media analyzes every word and every slip up. The problem is that they said some things that could be perceived as racist, so black people obviously wouldn't want to vote for her. I understand where you are getting at, but I just don't think it's the same thing.
      • BobOki, on 05/15/2008, -5/+5So ***** tired of Digg users ***** out-of-the-ass numbers and percentages.
        75% of all statistics are made up on the spot... cept on digg that number is doubled.
        • jitterbits, on 05/15/2008, -1/+5150% of statistics on digg are made up on the spot? That seems, well, statistically unlikely. ;)
        • mrASSMAN, on 05/16/2008, -0/+2That number is from exit-polls taken during the W.V. primary. It's not made up.
      • Axxion, on 05/15/2008, -1/+5those are just ignorant ppl, i dont see why every time a black person is slightly being made fun of it is racist, but when millions of black pp (and all other races) make fun of one white guy leading our country its not racist. the ppl who give a crap about that stuff are the ones that make it worse, ppl just need to learn how to ignore other ppl comments.
        • KingWilson, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1amen......i'm sick of this double standard *****
    • kineticworm, on 05/15/2008, -17/+75yeah, there is no way you could make a t shirt like this and be completely oblivious to the fact that it might be offensive. i mean look at the bar owner and his friends, do you really think that they worry more about political issues or the fact that a possible presidential nominee is black.
      • Pssdoff, on 05/15/2008, -48/+52I see bush as a monkey all the time, and there are no shouts of "Thats Offensive! Thats Racist!"
        ... But if Obama is depicted as a monkey somehow everything is different just because he is black?

        The real racists are the ones who turn everything into an issue about race. Them and thirdcoastborn, all racists.
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_standard
        • zerepasil, on 05/15/2008, -21/+67But comparing Bush to a monkey is really aimed at his stupidity and not his skin color. That doesn't compare the same way. If it was as simple as that this issue wouldn't be controversial. it's more likely that the people who are defending the shirt are most likely white or not black. Your missing what's obvious.
          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparing_apples_to_o ...
          • castevens, on 05/15/2008, -6/+18And his abnormally large ears.
          • bratterscain, on 05/15/2008, -8/+17I like how this was dugg up because Bush has facial features that some want to compare to a monkey while the diggs seem to condone it's okay to make fun of Bush because of that. When all along, the racists in the days of old and still somewhat today like to compare the native African's facial features to that of other Great Apes. I'm not into politics, so it's not an anti-Obama statement, I'm just stating the obvious digg double-standard.
          • masterm1nd, on 05/15/2008, -23/+8I'm not what Obama's IQ is, but Bush's is surprisingly high.
          • masterm1nd, on 05/15/2008, -18/+6But really, how do you know what the aim was if you weren't the one aiming it? You're basically guess accusing people of racism.
          • bratterscain, on 05/15/2008, -4/+9I also think it's hypocritical to comment about someone's stupidity when you continually mis-spell *your* words.
          • Stupidumb, on 05/15/2008, -14/+2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/*****
          • kineticworm, on 05/15/2008, -8/+5your missing the point completely on that brainscain. your attention has drifted off the issue at hand and you're calling someone hypocritical because they made a small error of misspelling. what is this school? i see comments misspelled all the time, hell people don't even spell anymore, everybody uses lame acronyms like lol and lmao. FOCUS! get your a.d.d. under control and pay attention. what are you defending bush for anyway. and yes i know i didn't use capitalization.
          • brstilson, on 05/15/2008, -1/+13Comparing Bush to a monkey is an insult to monkeys everywhere.
          • gyrfalcon, on 05/15/2008, -12/+2But comparing Obama to a monkey is really aimed at his stupidity and not his skin color. That doesn't compare the same way. If it was as simple as that this issue wouldn't be controversial. it's more likely that the people who are bashing the shirt are most likely black or not white. Your missing what's obvious.
          • Stupidumb, on 05/15/2008, -2/+5kineticworm: you're a monkey
          • kineticworm, on 05/15/2008, -4/+2gyrfalcon, don't you have any comments of your own? people are bashing the shirt because it's offensive.
          • kineticworm, on 05/15/2008, -2/+2yeah, i totally am.
          • Stupidumb, on 05/15/2008, -5/+2kineticworm: What the *****? Who said it's OK for you to call yourself a monkey? It's OK for me to call you that, *****. RACIST.
          • kineticworm, on 05/15/2008, -3/+1well technically sasquatch, also known as bigfoot, but we're all decedenst of monkeys anyway.
          • hipnerd, on 05/15/2008, -3/+11@braterscain: Comparing one person to a monkey as a comment on his specific intelligence is not bigotry, comparing an entire race of people to monkeys based on their skin color is bigotry. Even if Obama does have big ears and looks like Curious George, you simply can't compare an African American to a monkey and pretend that the long history of racial slurs doesn't exist.
          • clclark33, on 05/15/2008, -0/+5@hipnerd: I'm glad you got it right and used bigotry instead of racism. Most people just toss about the word racism and don't even know how to define it.
        • kineticworm, on 05/15/2008, -9/+13i like how you said "them" as if there is no way it could be "us', instead of saying "people who say". your racism is thinly veiled. you're becoming more than obvious as well.
        • dexter411, on 05/15/2008, -12/+5Hooray for the PC police.
        • NebCanuck, on 05/15/2008, -0/+18The difference is simple: White people haven't been stereotyped as resembling monkeys for centuries past.
          Obviously there's a problem with making everything about race. But when you call up blatantly abused imagery, you should expect that people will think of you as racist.
          It would be ideal if the imagery faded away with time and eventually no one would think twice about the fact that some guy thinks Obama looks like Curious George. But societal memories haven't faded yet, and the fact is, race is very much an important factor in this election. To argue that somehow people should ignore it because ideally it wouldn't be an issue is ridiculous. For the vast majority of people, there are bitter tensions between black and white, and until that goes away, racist symbolism like this has to be seen as negative.
        • archiesteel, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3"But if Obama is depicted as a monkey somehow everything is different just because he is black?"

          Yes. And there's a good reason for that, too: it's called historical tradition. "Monkey" has been used as a racial slur against blacks for a very long time. It hasn't for white.
      • sparsely, on 05/15/2008, -6/+12*****. Some people look to be offended. I was once suspended from a forum I visit because I was using the "Centipedes? In My Vagina?" thing as a sig, and one of the moderators considered it racist. When I asked how it could be construed that way, she responded something like "if you don't see how it's racist you're blind". Well, I still don't see it.
        • chinolofus, on 05/15/2008, -0/+5because black women have centipededs in their vaginas..duh!
        • nmnnotmyname, on 05/15/2008, -1/+9Because you don't think something is offensive doesn't mean it won't come off as offensive... I don't exactly see it either. Don't be too sure he just doesn't like you :P It's a really good way to ban someone you don't like.
          • sparsely, on 05/15/2008, -4/+2Oh I know it's offensive, but it's not racist at all. It's not meant that way. I don't care if it's perceived that way, their feelings are invalid. I could see anything as racist. That doesn't make it so.
            Feelings are not facts. Get over yourselves, people.
          • nmnnotmyname, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1More like Get over eachother... I know people full of themselves when I see it, this is a case of people giving a ***** about eachother, a rarity in society today.
          • sparsely, on 05/15/2008, -3/+3What is this case you're talking about?
            One could be offended by the word "blackout" having negative racist connotations, but would they be justified? No, because it's absurd, and it's obviously being taken out of context.
            We've been calling Bush a monkey in pictures and word for years now, and the only ones offended are the neo-cons :P
            But now someone makes the same resemblance comparison, and it becomes unacceptable because the individual is partially black?
            I'm sorry, but if someone really that upset with the a t-shirt sold by some redneck saloon owner in BFE, they've got their priorities *****, and they certainly don't need to be president.
            I'm not conservative or liberal, and probably won't vote in this race at all, so I have no stake in this. I fight for reason, and accountability.
            But from this and a few other articles recently, it's an obvious and logical tactic by Obama supporters to construe all non-supporters as racially motivated. It's a smart move strategically, but horribly unethical and grossly divisive. It is, itself, a _prejudicial_ position.
      • CosmicJustice, on 05/15/2008, -5/+4I find it telling that you can look at a picture of a monkey and IMMEDIATELY think "oh that looks like a black person"
      • plnegative1, on 05/15/2008, -4/+2"i mean look at the bar owner and his friends, do you really think that they worry more about political issues or the fact that a possible presidential nominee is black."

        Judging someone by the way they "look" is the same as judging them based on skin color.
        • kineticworm, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2i'm not judging the bar owner and his friends by their color, more their attitude towards the situation. but i have to ask. what's your point? what are you defending?
    • nard3456, on 05/15/2008, -13/+24Are your really that stupid?
    • 5urr3al5am, on 05/15/2008, -14/+19people see what they want to see
      • FF9999, on 05/15/2008, -3/+4If Obama becomes president, he is going to have even more free reign than Bush. Everyone will be afraid to criticize anything he does for fear of being called "racist"!
    • staplez, on 05/15/2008, -32/+46You know what I love? All these people calling you stupid or saying there's NO WAY YOU CAN'T NOTICE. The best part is that, the fact that you didn't notice shows how non-racist you are. You are oblivious to the racism, and that everyone who's insulting you or modding you down, realistically this is what we are trying to get to. We should be celebrating the fact that there are non-racist you are and the fact that you are oblivious to the racist undertones of that shirt. Instead we mod you down and make you fully aware of how the shirt is racist so the next time you see someone of color, that racist image that did not exist before will now exist in your head. Basically, by forcing this issue, we have just made a LOT of people more racist. This is irony!
      • halleyscomet, on 05/15/2008, -10/+32No, he's just woefully ignorant about the shameful history of race relations, particularly in the US.

        Still, you made a nice stab at making ignorance sound like an asset.
        • miggie, on 05/15/2008, -2/+12The reason that this is racist is because blacks have historical been called monkeys by whites. They have said we have tails. They drew cartoons of us swinging by our tails. They say we are apelike and subhuman. If it was a panda then it would be funny. (Panda because he's half white.)
        • thcobbs, on 05/15/2008, -11/+2Isn't being "just woefully ignorant" of racism a GOOD thing?
        • Metman, on 05/15/2008, -6/+4 I made this point yesterday. This is a matter of perception. When I saw the picture yesterday I saw a monkey with a banana - nothing reminded me of Obama. It was the memory of racial slurs from my youth that reminded me of the connotations of the image and it's link to racism. Keeping a perception alive then rationalizing it by 'referring to the history of racism' is nothing more then someone trying to feel good about still making that connection to 'historical' racist stereotypes. If we stop perpetuating the perception, there is a pretty good chance it would fade away. Now I know the next remark is going to be - "Well the people it offends are not going to forget it!" It is ironic to me how quickly we forget that African-Americans are not the only people to have dealt with racism in this country. The Hispanics, Irish, Italian, Polish, Jewish and nearly every major influx of immigration throughout our history was met with racism. I am not going to sit here and argue the weight and duration of racism compared between the factions, but the fact remains that many of the racial imagery and rhetoric from that period has long since been forgotten. It is unusual in fact that many of today's racial perceptions remain intact today in regard to this article. I think a really important question is why after 10 decades we still remember these perceptions when many of the other images/stereotypes faded away in less then 3-4 decades. I would almost bet it is exactly the type of 'rememberence' we see being defended here on these comments.
          • kineticworm, on 05/15/2008, -0/+4but your comparing three decades to hundreds of years. not to mention the struggle that came with those three decades. yes people are still bitter, and it should be understood why.
        • notoneofus, on 05/15/2008, -1/+7@thcobbs: Do you consider it a good thing if people are ignorant of the war in Iraq? The flailing economy? Whether the products they buy come from China? What things matter to you, and are you upset when people are ignorant of those things? I suppose it's possible that some people live in some sort of utopia where real world events and ways of thought don't affect them, but I don't know any of those people. That said, I find it incredibly disingenuous for anyone to assume Pssdoff is ignorant of racism. He just feels -- wrongly, I believe -- that this case is not racism.
        • linzperc, on 05/15/2008, -1/+0Obama-panda... I can't stop laughing at miggie's comment!

          OH SNAP! I think I may be racist... o.o
      • AmnioticEntity, on 05/15/2008, -6/+4staplez win's. halleyscomet - try being a little more open minded plz.
      • bobartig, on 05/15/2008, -0/+10So, not too long ago in the south, when the US had institutional racism, it was not uncommon for white children to be raised calling black people '*****'. At some point, they are too young to really be prejudiced, they're just regurgitating what they're told and what they hear. They are ignorant to the fact that what they say might be hurtful and racist.
        If you WTFV (watch the ***** video), you'll see that the shop owner, and advocates of the shirt are not likely to be ignorant of the racial slur of referring to black people as chimp/monkey, and their stance is minimally believable.
        Racism at its core is attributing certain traits to certain races, and its not by itself immediately offensive. You might say "italian chicks are hot", "black people sure like fried chicken", "koreans are really good at Starcraft", and these may or may not be offensive to italians/blacks/koreans, depending on who you talk to. So, a component of racism is indeed in its perception, and that is related to more than a single individual's understanding or intent. In other words, we need to learn to be culturally sensitive and ignorance is not bliss.
        • clclark33, on 05/15/2008, -3/+1No, racism is believing in the superiority of one race over others. You confuse stereotyping and bigotry with racism as do most people. People in this country have a right to opportunities but that does not include a right to protection from offensive things. We may not have to agree with everyone, but since when is it a good idea to curtail the rights of anyone to protect the feelings of another? We are heading further down that long slow corridor towards big brother and thought crimes every day.
      • ludar, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2using words for something other than its literal meaning now that is irony
      • Shiftgood, on 05/15/2008, -4/+9Dont try to pull some ***** southpark logic. We all saw that episode, you're not that smart. The t-shirt was obviously meant to offend. did i say obviously? because i meant it.
        • michael43, on 05/15/2008, -6/+7You're damn right it was offensive. Curious George did nothing to deserve being compared that socialist, racist, lying, ass wipe named Obama.
          • Shiftgood, on 05/15/2008, -2/+5aww.. you're a lost little boy.
          • chevyorange, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2Oh no. I'm not naive but *****! People like michael43 actually do exist. The sun was just coming out here in Seattle and I was feeling so good but then along comes "Brainwashed Mike".
          • michael43, on 05/15/2008, -2/+2@*****: awww, you're going to offer the poor lost boy a piece of candy to come to your car? I'll tell you what, give me 10 bucks and I'll come in your mouth.
          • Shiftgood, on 05/15/2008, -2/+3By your rhetoric im guessing.... 14? mom is a chain smoker who like porcelain trinkets and your dad touches your little sister when hes not kicking the dog.
        • thereyago, on 05/15/2008, -2/+1dugg back up cause I agree with you.
    • thcobbs, on 05/15/2008, -18/+36Personally, I loved Curious George growing up. I think this shirt makes me want to vote for Obama now....


      If you found this comment ridiculous, you should find the whole thread the same way.

      Its just a goddamned shirt.
      Get you panties out of a wad and get over it.
      • Metman, on 05/15/2008, -4/+6Too many people need to erase the guilt of remembering a 90 year old racial slur by keeping this perception alive and well.
    • nmnnotmyname, on 05/15/2008, -16/+23Wow, your an idiot.
      You obviously are lying through your teeth that you don't see what's racist about this.
      • AmnioticEntity, on 05/15/2008, -7/+6plz read staplez comment and try to grasp what he is saying...please.
        • nmnnotmyname, on 05/15/2008, -1/+5I got what he's saying, but calling African Americans monkeys really is different. You know damn well the intentions - Nobody in their right minds would've made a T-Shirt like that not knowing it would come off racist, and therefore much more likely than not, were being racist.
      • gernblansted, on 05/15/2008, -1/+6Not necessarily. Some of the younger and inexperienced (not to mention non-American) crowed here may not know that there is a history of equating monkeys and blacks in a racist manner in the US.

        Ironically, the demonstrators gave much more power to the possible racist message of that shirt by bringing so much attention to it.
        • chewbie, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1some of us who grew up in other places with no blacks didn't know as racism as a problem.
          I find it insulting that black people can't get over what happened already and just forgive and forget.
          It's a bit racist of them too. If every citizen of Europe would hate the Germans&Co for ww1 and ww2, wouldn't that be "racist" ?
        • chewbie, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Please don't reply with. "Never forget! then it might happen again" because it won't since it's thought in schools. People should just start acting like it's 2008 already.
          WE'RE SORRY!! at least I really am. That won't mean that we owe you anything, especially since it was our grandparents and not us who did you wrong.
      • PabloMac, on 05/15/2008, -1/+4"your an idiot."
        • nmnnotmyname, on 05/15/2008, -6/+2lol, expect nothing but creativity and insight from your neighborhood Apple fanboy.
          • PabloMac, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Either that, or encouragement to improve your written communication skills. You're welcome.
      • shoover, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3"Wow, your an idiot." - automatic fail
    • Plantagenet, on 05/15/2008, -14/+3Mellow out. The T-shirt says "Vote Obama" with a picture of cute chimp. Its not like its a picture of a big ugly ape.
    • dist0rtedwave, on 05/15/2008, -17/+8He makes a good point. Isn't it more racist to give special treatment to Obama? Everyone has been calling Bush a monkey for the past 8 years, but nobody got riled up over that. With Bush it actually makes some sense. For Obama, you have to be aware of some outdated slur to even glimpse racism. The perpetuation of symbols like this as racism is the only reason this could be seen as racism.
    • Trifold, on 05/15/2008, -5/+15I'm one of the first to argue against Obama supporters who imply that anybody who doesn't vote for him is a racist; I'm not going to base my vote on what PC society says I should do.
      That being said...this shirt is ridiculously racist. Anybody who doesn't see the underlying message must have their head so far up their ass they can see breakfast.
      • bonhoeffer, on 05/15/2008, -6/+1So the underlying message is?
      • FF9999, on 05/15/2008, -2/+2So if a black person DOES look like a chimp, we can't point it out? We can only make fun of white people?
    • ensta2, on 05/15/2008, -4/+13It's OK to call Bush a monkey because he's not black. If he was black, that would be another story!
      • clclark33, on 05/15/2008, -7/+10Exactly... Double standards are ok as long as they go against whitey.
        • danthegrant, on 05/15/2008, -1/+6no, double standards are ok because of the unique racial history of this country. Calling Bush a monkey, while juvenile at best, does not call into question his race. Calling a black man a monkey invokes the embarrassing history of minstrel shows and other related humiliations intended to present black people as an inferior race. While both activities are stupid (seriously - I can't stand the "bush looks like a money" thing), the second is way worse because of its loaded connotations.
        • seraph582, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2so then you admit that it's twofaced, dan?
        • clclark33, on 05/17/2008, -0/+1Well, I'm glad you like hypocrisy there dan. It's sort of like certain words that are prominent in certain styles of music that cannot be used by anyone other that the group that the artist belongs to. Not that I promote the use of such words, but it is a bit hypocritical to say "I can call my friends this word but you can't use it." If you don't something, don't contribute to its usage at all. Publicizing things like this guy just gets more people to realize that they have to avoid using yet another word that someone may be offended by at some point.
      • ceraphin, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2When you call bush a monkey do you do it because of his skin color or because he's an idiot?
        • chewbie, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2when this guy pictured Obama as a monkey did he do it because of his skin color or because he kinda looks like one in a funny, non-racial-bush-looks-like-a-monkey-way ?
          This is the dilemma. Everyone sees what he wants to see. I believe that non-racists see this issue as nothing alarming. Racists would say that black people look like a monkey and not hide around excuses.
    • ClosedCaption, on 05/15/2008, -4/+6read a history book on race in america would ya
      • FF9999, on 05/15/2008, -2/+4That's history, but now we've gone in the opposite direction so it's like "Here comes a black person, everyone walk on eggshells!"
        • veriix, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2I just cross the street when I see a black person coming, I don't want to do anything to offend him.
      • IKORKYI, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1who controls the past controls the future, who controls the present now, controls the past
    • PabloMac, on 05/15/2008, -2/+10Anyone who votes for or against Obama, or anyone, for that matter, because of the candidate's race can be called racist. The person I'm voting for (still undecided) gets my vote because of the kind of person I believe them to be, exclusive of their race or gender.
      It would be great to see a female and/or non-white in the Oval Office, but only if they are the best person for that job at the time.
    • sabishiiookami, on 05/15/2008, -7/+3Can someone calmly explain to me why this shirt is racist. Maybe I don't understand because I'm not an american, but I don't see why being associated with this cute little monkey is racist. Is there something I don't understand? Is this curious george a stupid monkey?
      • Pssdoff, on 05/15/2008, -7/+3Its not racist. Barack Obama, George Bush, and Ross Perot all have this in common:
        1. Politican
        2. Big ears
        3. Compared to a monkey

        Ross Perot was called "an albino monkey in a zoo" but nobody said that was racist. This isn't an issue about intelligence either, as Ross Perot was a very successful and intelligent man. Those 160+ people who dugg me down are all just trying to turn this into an issue about race.

        That man has every legal right to sell those t-shirts, and every legal right to ask protesters to stay off of his private property. If you don't agree with that, then your idea of a free country is appalling.
        • ThatNuttyPeej, on 05/15/2008, -2/+3uhm... no. You're ignoring the historical context. What you say about physical resemblances of individuals would be true in some abstract laboratory, but in the real world, Obama is a member of a historically persecuted minority and George Bush and Ross Perot are members of the historically privileged majority. You may wish it wasn't so, but that does make a huge difference

          I've noticed that white people (I'm taking a wild guess here that you're not a brother) experience racism in this way, as an intellectual exercise. It's easy if you've never felt the sting of racism to say "oh, this is silly, they just shouldn't feel that way". Not everyone has that luxury.
      • chevyorange, on 05/15/2008, -2/+5I can understand why a foreigner to America might not see this as bigoted but if you lived here and understood that African Americans have been called monkeys in addition to other racist/bigoted epithets it would be obvious to you. It isn't uniquely American to be racist but racist America has some unique code words and terms to describe those they fear.
    • IKORKYI, on 05/15/2008, -3/+8why is this even a surprise, ITS WEST VIRGINIA!!!! we're not learning anything new here that people didn't already know
      • Pssdoff, on 05/15/2008, -2/+1"people didn't already know"
        Please, what do you mean by this?
      • relentless1914, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2Actually this was Marietta, GA....
      • Kamacurus, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1GA cockbag
    • GeekyGerge, on 05/15/2008, -6/+3Isn't the description a little racist in itself?

      "Take your "free speech" claim to an African-American's house, and see how long you keep your teeth."
      Does that not imply that African-Americans are volatile and violent?

      And just so you know, I'm pro-Obama.
      • seraph582, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1yes, you have spotted the accidental racism from someone tooting the racism horn like the proverbial boy who cried wolf. You learn to ignore this kind of double-standard ***** from analyzing main stream media content after a while.
    • BobOki, on 05/15/2008, -8/+21This entire thing is *****.
      Double standards all around. Why is it everytime they show a black man whining like a little bitch about someone they HAVE to throw MLK into the mix? At this point guys, I think he would punch you in your ***** face and tell you to shut the ***** up.
      Take the goddamn race nipple out of your ***** mouth, and try to actually DO something to earn it, not just ride on the curtails of a brilliant man.
      I swear to Christ, ***** people these days, its like they have a ***** MISSION to be offended. OMG!!! That telephone pole was painted white! OMG KKK!
      Shut the ***** up. You want to feel offended? Try being a white man in a predominately black school. There, IF you survive, you will have been called "cracker" more times then there are hours in the year, and have heard them call each other "*****" more times in a one sentence than there are hours in a day. Why not the BLACK community stop BEING so racist in everything THEY do before calling foul against ONLY WHITE PEOPLE.
      Yeah, its called reverse racism, and YOU ***** DO IT.
      You don't hear latinos, or mexicans, or asians throwing there race as an EXCUSE... they are proud of who and what they are, maybe IF YOU WOUDL STOP ACTING LIKE ***** RETARDS and maybe even pull up your pants you could grab just a tad of that self-pride and maybe look to better yourself and your race, not just make excuses for them.
      All-in-all, I am just disgusted with the lack of care and effort the black community if willing to put forth to fix the issue, while at the same time willing to die to get someone to stop calling them a monkey or *****. ***** PRIORITIES people! How about you clean up for ***** ghettos, not even illegals want to live theer! How about getting your children some education, possibly teaching them to speak ENGLISH, not just bastard broken street.
      HAVE SOME ***** RESPECT FOR YOURSELF......... then come talk to me about a ***** t-shirt.
      • ikarimaru, on 05/15/2008, -10/+3CAPITALIZING THINGS INAPPROPRIATELY HELPS TO MAKE AN UNNECESSARY RANT POST LOOK SOPHISTICATED
      • kineticworm, on 05/15/2008, -7/+1there's the "they" word again. so angry.
        • Stupidumb, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1He is clearly referring to black people. He is not making an attempt to hide that fact. The use of "they" does not indicate anger, it is simply a pronoun* used to make convenient references nouns without constantly repeating it. "Tom went to the store, and when Tom got there, Tom purchased a hat to wear to Tom's party."

          *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronouns
      • BobOki, on 05/15/2008, -2/+5Actually I like to type like I speak, a capitalized word shows either stress on a single word, or yelling, so yes, intended.
        Is that the best you can bring though? A little dodge and annoy tactic? No wonder this country is so doomed. I brought up at least 5 different issues to address there, and the best you can muster is capital letters and the word they.
      • ClosedCaption, on 05/15/2008, -8/+3Are you trying to earn an internet oscar? That phoney outrage almost seems real.
      • BobOki, on 05/15/2008, -1/+7Nah, just getting really tired of everyone So eager to scream race, for anything, the whole while being ***** racists themselves.
        Perhaps my post was a vent and a rant, but I most certainly mean all of it. Wish more people would point out how hypocritical they (the black community for the ass two up) are being.
        I am all for equal rights and fair treatment.... but equal ends the moment you prove yourself unequal. Being black is not a get out of jail free, or a I got special rights card... It's just as racist to tell me that I am a racist becuase i fired you for being late the 12th time this month. No, you were fired for being late for the 12th time this month, and even insinuating that you color had anything to do with my decision makes you a racist.
        Over and over I see it, some fat ass ignorant woman ***** up her order at a restaurant, the order, of course, comes to the table wrong... and she wants the whole meal free. If she doesn't get it, its a big scene and its all becuase shes black.
        Black man goes for a job and is less qualified for it than the guy that gets it, as long as the other guy is not black, any color will do... the black guys tries to sue that he was discriminated against. No, maybe it was becuase you spelled your own name wrong on your resume (yeah, that one happened too).
        It gets old, it makes a man battle weary trying to be FAIR and BALANCED vs. outright reverse racism.
        • kineticworm, on 05/15/2008, -3/+1"themselves" who exactly are you referring to?
        • Stupidumb, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Black people, obviously. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronouns
        • sensical, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1> insinuating that you color had anything to do with my decision makes you a racist.

          Well, wrongly accusing someone of racism doesn't necessarily mean that they're racist, it just means they're wrong.
      • grow4road, on 05/15/2008, -1/+7can some one please give a thought out response to this kids comment. this dude is saying some serious ***** right here and you guys are giving ***** responses to it because you dont have anything with substance to reply. making fun of him isnt going to further the human race. SUBSTANCE!

        • ludar, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3they aren't arguing against it, because he's right. he did an excellent job formulating is argument and delivering it.
      • ceraphin, on 05/15/2008, -3/+1it's not a double standard, give the reason why he's depicted as a monkey the reason... gosh so many people seem to ignore something so simple
        • seraph582, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1that's not an answer - that's a request. So no answer from you either.
      • plnegative1, on 05/15/2008, -0/+5It says "Obama 08" under curious george not "BLACK PEOPLE". All you people that are saying that it's racist are putting "black people" under there. are you THAT stupid. it was meant to represent an INDIVIDUAL not a RACE. and IF I may say so myself, Obama DOES kind of look like Curious George. OMG I MUST BE A ***** RACIST.

        You race baiting assholes need to remember that if someone can OFFEND you they can CAN control you simply by telling you something you don't like.

        Quit burying the posts about comparing Bush to a monkey. IT'S THE SAME THING. You people that keep pulling the race cards are perpetuating racism.
      • Kamacurus, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1people are talking about CAPS because there is nothing else to say, you are right on the money. well done.... and further more I WILL
    • DrummerAndrew, on 05/15/2008, -2/+3There is no such thing as reverse racism. It's just racism.
      • seraph582, on 05/16/2008, -1/+2oh really. Thanks for clearing that up. I'm sure the "reverse" was really not meant to create a new term or concept, but to clear up the ambiguity in a two-sided exchange about which side is being referred to as racist.

        ***** retard. Use your brain.
    • wishninja, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2kind of like useing the term tar-baby?
    • hootdoodie, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1leisure wear for the clan.
    • schumpert, on 05/16/2008, -1/+3Apparently, it is racist not to vote for Obama. It's also racist to make fun of him or criticize him in any way. But it's all right. As long as we can compare other presidents to chimps, everything will be fine.
  • sneakeykop, on 05/15/2008, -60/+162you obviously have never been called a N**ger Chimp before..!
    • foxhaze, on 05/15/2008, -13/+55Porch monkey.
      • Etchii, on 05/15/2008, -4/+38Oh, no no, it's cool, I'm taking it back
        • stunod7, on 05/15/2008, -2/+11Hey there, what can I get you little porch monkey?
        • tyywebb, on 05/15/2008, -0/+4Well, good work everyone! This guy is laughing all the way to the bank.
          • adventchild08, on 05/15/2008, -5/+1testing new comment system...still broke?
      • gyrfalcon, on 05/15/2008, -1/+30My favorite quote from the video:

        Protester: "We're all in this together"...
        Store Owner: "You need to get the ***** off my parking lot, that's what you need to do. Just about now!"
        • cawpin, on 05/15/2008, -12/+4He should have just called the cops to have them warned for trespassing. They guy is selling shirts. I agree with him; they are looking for a reason to be offended. They also forgot that you don't have a right to not be offended.
        • sigmaman2, on 05/15/2008, -2/+15But you do have a right to protest that which offends you. They were not looking for a reason to be offended. The bar owner was looking for a way to racially offend people, and still act as if he wasn't trying to.
          Anyway, he's got the publicity he wanted, so now every racist in the country is going to want one through the mail. And then, the Curious George copyright holders will crush him like a ton of bricks.

          ...which will probably happen next January, when Obama takes his oath of office.
      • Metman, on 05/15/2008, -8/+4Ironically, I grew up in an all Hispanic neighborhood and I remember they called anyone who sat out in front of their homes/apts on the steps/porch a porch monkey. The label was not reserved exclusively for one race.
        • chevyorange, on 05/15/2008, -0/+7It is important to note that porch monkey IS exclusively racist though.
    • itstodd, on 05/15/2008, -34/+21i didnt hear or see anyone called N**ger Chimp
      • SuperWinner, on 05/15/2008, -7/+36they drew a picture instead
        • ErikHarrison, on 05/15/2008, -10/+1No ***** DRAW A CLUE... oh wait they drew it for you.
        • AmnioticEntity, on 05/15/2008, -0/+8obama as a monkey, lol, cute. gw as a monkey, sad but true, draw the line where? obama's still getting my vote :)
        • Nougat, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3I picture says "N**ger Chimp" five hundred times.
    • LiquidIse, on 05/15/2008, -13/+6No, no I haven't
    • staplez, on 05/15/2008, -18/+11And isn't that a good thing? That that racial epitaphs is dying?
      • kineticarl, on 05/15/2008, -2/+8try "epithets".
      • AmnioticEntity, on 05/15/2008, -6/+1shutup u racist! except for ignoring jesus as a historical figure, you cant ignore the past!

        /sarc
      • notoneofus, on 05/15/2008, -1/+3If it were true, yes. The epithets may not be as prevalent, but they certainly still exist.
      • ByteGuerilla, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3Racial epitaphs. Brilliant.
    • d3lta, on 05/15/2008, -22/+29So if someone calls you a chimp, that means its true? That means you should feel insulted? I don't know which is more racist, actually calling someone a chimp or insinuating that calling someone a chimp is racist because that inherently assumes that an entire race IS inferior. I personally believe calling someone a chimp is more childish than racist (actually being racist is pretty childish in itself, but there is a difference).
      When Bush is called a chimp we only associate it with the individual. If this is a racial slur, are we actually saying that the analogy comparing black people to monkeys holds some truth?
      • ErikHarrison, on 05/15/2008, -13/+8"When Bush is called a chimp we only associate it with the individual. "
        citation needed??
        No one called him a chimp, they ***** printed a chimp on a T-SHIRT. Not being able to conclude that this guy is comparing the entire race to a monkey is ***** childish. OPEN YOUR EYES.
      • AmnioticEntity, on 05/15/2008, -10/+5wait wait wait...i'm a firm believer in the FACT that we all evolved from black people.....now... umm...does wearing this t-shirt make me racist towards myself (being white) ? or...am i missing something?

        btw, i always preferred george to the man in the yellow hat...
      • ethanpack, on 05/15/2008, -3/+16As an open-minded and reasonable black guy, I see your point, but I do not totally agree with you. It's one of those "until you walk in those shoes" kind of things in my opinion.
        • TheBEAST205, on 05/18/2008, -0/+1If I were a black guy, I'd laugh my ass off every time some one called me a racial slur. Being a white male, I know you could say, "Well, you're just a white boy, you always get what you want, people always look down on us, etc...." But it's actually easier for blacks to get a lot of things than white people these days.

          Take into account the Equal Opportunity Employer stuff, in the field in which I want to work (computer science), a black guy would have a much higher chance of employment over I, simply because there aren't a lot of blacks working in the computer industry. There are also tons of scholarships and education options open to black people that are unavailable to white people.

          I'm not trying to complain, I'm just pointing out that the "hard and dismal life of a black person" is really a load of *****.
      • queenstarsha, on 05/15/2008, -3/+8watching republicans tie their tongues in knots to explain away racism would be funny if weren't so pathetic.
        • Metman, on 05/15/2008, -2/+4Because they clearly stated their political affiliation in the video. Not a single one of them could possibly be a Hillary supporter or independent.... you are not helping by hating. Not all Republicans support Bush, racism, the war in Iraq etc etc.
        • d3lta, on 05/15/2008, -2/+3Its even more pathetic when you try so hard to find something racist in every little thing. You need to MOVE ON!
          It wasn't long ago on CNN, they was a show about how some African Americans rejected Obama because they didn't believe he was "black" enough. When asked to explain that, the lady said "Well he's an African-African American, so he has not gone through everything we have!"
          Btw, I resent being called a republican, but I think I'll hold off playing Sherlock...
        • happyseamonster, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1The guy who made these didn't even have the balls to admit why he did it. A racist and a coward.
      • rrbest, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1"actually being racist is pretty childish in itself" Don't insult children like that, children aren't racist.
    • Difranco1911, on 05/15/2008, -16/+10/hands sneakeykop a tissue/ now now its okay, just dry those tender eyes. Let me call your mommy for you so you can get your diaper changed and powder your bottom.
      • ErikHarrison, on 05/15/2008, -2/+14Shut up you ***** wop.
        • Difranco1911, on 05/15/2008, -4/+1LOL.... even though I'm not Italian.... yeah for the melting pot.
        • rezonq3, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2I guess those people digging you down don't fully understand why you called DIFRANCO (*cof* ITALIAN NAME *cof*) a wop. Or maybe they don't know what wop (*cof* RACIAL SLUR TO ITALIANS THE WAY ***** IS TO AFRICAN AMERICANS *cof*) is.

          Whatever. I understood.
    • blah247, on 05/15/2008, -6/+18I've been called a N*** Lover... does that count?
      • WNW3, on 05/15/2008, -0/+12Nasteriskasteriskasterisk Lover?
      • DubiousDrewski, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Beautiful. Just perfect. Hard lol on that one.
    • jtmeyer, on 05/15/2008, -3/+33no, but an angry black man once leaned out of a public bus and called me a "***** Ass *****."
      i was mostly offended at the ***** part, because i'm gay. i was just really confused about the ***** part, because i'm white.
      • clclark33, on 05/15/2008, -1/+15But it's ok... he's authorized to use the N-bomb.
      • toxicshok, on 05/15/2008, -0/+11didn't anyone tell you, only white people can be racist.
        • slevinkelevra, on 05/15/2008, -2/+1Until the history of America can be wiped clean, and a new slate of equality given to all men and women, we will always have racism.

          Remember, it's not too long ago that a black man would be hung if he ever looked in a general direction of a white man.
          http://withoutsanctuary.org/pics_01.html

          As American's we need to be sensitive this fact.
        • TheBEAST205, on 05/18/2008, -0/+3No we don't. In the past few years, the racist card has been bastardized to the point that now it's almost a joke. I think that what happened in the past of our country during those times was horrible, but now our "politically correct" country needs to start waking up and realizing that now racism is, in most cases, really little more than a scapegoat for one's own misfortune.
    • cowsgonemadd3, on 05/15/2008, -4/+4What about that woman who called black people YARD apes in her book and got in trouble...
    • instntpudn, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item ...
    • theodenking, on 05/15/2008, -7/+2Let's tackle the elephant in the room. Black people DO look kind of like chimps. At least more than any other "ethnicity".
      • x1soundgarden1x, on 05/15/2008, -0/+41) At best that's a ridiculous stereotype you're applying to a billion people who all look different from one another. 2) Europeans while colonizing and categorizing race groups and manipulating test data to make whites appear smarter often labeled Asians as the monkey race with the most monkey-like features. Don't believe me? Read the Mismeasure of Man by Steven Jay Gould. It might make you realize how stupid your comment was.
        • slevinkelevra, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Great Gould reference. Although personally, his was the type i like to call "misdirected brilliance".
        • theodenking, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Wooooosh.
    • iamanorange, on 05/15/2008, -2/+10Why is it the black people are "allowed" to say "vanilla face" and "whitey" and it is ok but "chocolate face" and "blacky" would be frowned upon. I'm not saying I have a desire to use these terms but I have wondered this for a long time.

      I wouldn't appreciate being compared to a monkey but there would not be an outrage like this if white people were compared to a polar bear who cannot dance.

      Anyway, referring to obama as looking like a monkey does not imply that the entire black race does. It is just taken that way.

      Am I right?
      • DarkoKun, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1Since when has it been ok to call white people vanilla face and whitey? My white friends would never stand for that just because its a insult.
        • iamanorange, on 05/16/2008, -0/+2you see it in the media alot. Comedians etc...
      • theodenking, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Because black people are in the minority and have historically been the discriminated against group rather than the other way around.

        That said I'm against all forms of self-censorship by society. "Sticks and stones may break my bones but calling names won't hurt me".
        • happyseamonster, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1The main reason people are racist is because they were taught as as children to be racist. Not because of numbers. "sticks and stones.." People have been murdered, enslaved etc, because of these kinds of teachings. The issue isn't wether he should or should not be censored, the protestors are calling attention to continued racist promotion.
    • ParaSwarm, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Disgusting. http://youtube.com/watch?v=XfyApiwFBFQ for my quick, personal opinion on this matter. Especially if you don't understand how calling a black person a monkey is racist.
      • happyseamonster, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Where's the video? This links to many...
    • FSTRM, on 05/16/2008, -4/+0and by the way, blacks dont look like monkeys, ASIANS DO

      HOLY *****

      ***** BROWN AND YELLOW MONKEYS
      • jayobear, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1What the ***** is wrong with you?!!?
    • danconia, on 05/16/2008, -2/+3Wait so every cartoonist on the planet is allowed to draw comparisons between George W. Bush and a monkey but all of the sudden when someone else gets compared to a monkey then it's unacceptable? I don't get it.
      • davidlick, on 05/16/2008, -2/+2You sir, have hit the nail on the head. When I saw this on the news that was the first thing I said.
      • Intangible360, on 05/16/2008, -1/+3The history of usage and hence connotation is different, and even arguably the intended meaning.
      • ParaSwarm, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1You don't get it because you're ignorant and probably haven't read a history book in your life. Monkies have been used by everybody from the KKK to skinheads to depict African Americans as sub-human. It's got very racist roots. Go do some research and stop acting like a know-nothing clown.
      • happyseamonster, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1If you can't see the difference between the two, you're an idiot.
    • MarrowMan, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1***** Polotiks

      http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/2372/clintonisa ...
    • Loxahatchee, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Porch monkeys belong in the fields not the mans parking lot!
  • tjClassic82, on 05/15/2008, -104/+78There are literally thousands of references to George Bush also being a monkey, chimp, ape etc.... so if this is racist that would have to be racist too.
    • zerepasil, on 05/15/2008, -22/+59but that's to his stupidity not to his skin color. they don't compare the same way.
      • bratterscain, on 05/15/2008, -22/+27So making fun of someone's lack of cognitive skills is okay but not for someone's skin? Are you the type to make fun of the mentally challenged as well? ***** digg standards. If you can dish it out, take it as well. Don't complain that it's not okay when someone calls you stupid when you do something stupid by someone more educated and perhaps naturally smarter. See where I'm coming from?
        • BoonTobias, on 05/15/2008, -10/+4this is where the "dan da da" explanation comes in,
          we're not making fun of people who were born that way, just the ones that were born normal and later went dan da da
        • FasterGun, on 05/15/2008, -0/+11^^^ Buried because Carlos Mencia is a talentless hack.
        • didiman, on 05/15/2008, -13/+4What's ironic is that bush is more intelligent than most of the morons calling him a monkey.
        • willsenior, on 05/15/2008, -1/+7Yes, it is okay to make fun of stupid people when they hold jobs where one of the prerequisites is to not be stupid.
        • nmnnotmyname, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Dude, When we say retarded, it's like saying gay - I certainly don't hate gay people or retarded people. But when I use those words, it's usually an insult to someone, regardless of their skin color. If Obama came off as stupid like G.W. Bush did, I would call him an idiot too! that's the way things work. Now, being racist is different - Nobody was racist against G.W.Bush because he was white. Comparing this to calling a person who is not mentally ill a retard is like using a racist against African American comment against G.W.Bush. It wouldn't make any sense, because it would be saying G.W. Bush is black, unlike comparing him to a monkey, which is calling him stupid.

          Being racist is worse than being stupid. You aren't born stupid. Yeah, you're born Mentally Ill, and then it becomes as bad as being racist to make fun of them. That's different.
        • Phyraxus, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1It is ok to make fun of someone who is willfully an idiot. It is not ok to make fun of the mentally handicapped. Just as it is not ok to make fun of someone for their skin color. Both skin color and mental dysfunction cannot be willfully changed.
          Sad that it had to be said, but your argument is a blatant non sequitur.
      • masterm1nd, on 05/15/2008, -21/+16So how do you know the people who made the shirt are referencing his skin color and not his stupidity? You don't.
        • zephyear, on 05/15/2008, -9/+25please, you and i both know it's his skin color.
          • masterm1nd, on 05/15/2008, -15/+7That would be my best guess, but I don't actually know, and neither do you.
          • masterm1nd, on 05/15/2008, -6/+8Anyone want to tell me how you read their mind?
          • sgtbutterscotch, on 05/15/2008, -4/+4the racial undertones are there masterm1nd it's ignorant to try to ignore them
          • masterm1nd, on 05/15/2008, -3/+6Yeah, but what if I wanted to insinuate Obama is stupid by using a monkey. Are you telling me that you can only do that to white people, because that seems racist to me. I think it would be ignorant to call someone racist when you don't really know. I'm not ignoring the racial undertones, but there is reasonable doubt as to the intended meaning, and it was probably carefully made to be that way.
          • BECoole, on 05/15/2008, -4/+1I'd vote for Alan Keyes. Obama is as stupid as a chimp.
      • TinternAbbot, on 05/15/2008, -3/+6No. It is because GWB looks like a monkey. So does Obama.
        • PolishLogic, on 05/15/2008, -2/+3Thank god somebody pointed this out. Just take a look at Obama's ears.

          It's one thing to say Obama looks like a monkey because he's black, but it's another to say Obama looks like a monkey because of his facial features (which is the same reason people say Bush looks like a monkey). If you thinned Curious George's face it would be even more noticable. Again, not because of his race but because of the way his face is structured. The same way that Al Sharpton looks like Droopy Dog and Jack Nicholson looks like an iguana.
        • FF9999, on 05/15/2008, -2/+2Liberals get all uptight when you make fun of a black person. How could we ever be equal when liberals themselves can't even treat blacks the same, they immediately start walking on eggshells when a black person is involved!
    • Kizilbash, on 05/15/2008, -10/+3Stay stupid!
    • aliengoods, on 05/15/2008, -16/+22So by your logic calling Obama a ***** would be ok if people had called George Bush a *****? OF COURSE IT WOULDN'T! You're either willfully ignorant or just plain dumb.
      • Stupidumb, on 05/15/2008, -12/+7WHY IS IT OK TO MAKE FUN OF ANYONE?!?!
        • Stupidumb, on 05/15/2008, -10/+1NO?!?!
        • 5urr3al5am, on 05/15/2008, -6/+4Apparently its OKAY to make fun of White Males.. but everyone else is completely off limits
          • B1663r, on 05/15/2008, -2/+4On digg it is perfectly acceptable and will even get you dug up to make misogynist statements about Hillary.
        • sublingo, on 05/15/2008, -5/+7@5urr3al5am: When you're a majority of any kind, it requires a level of sensitivity towards minorities that is imbalanced. Especially in this case when the minority in question was enslaved by that majority for 400 years, built the country on their backs, and then ridiculed them through such imagery.

          Stop being snarky to please your ego and start being human.
          • Stupidumb, on 05/15/2008, -5/+3Stop trying to be a righteous smart-ass to support your superiority complex...you monkey.
          • 5urr3al5am, on 05/15/2008, -2/+1get with the times!
        • 5urr3al5am, on 05/15/2008, -2/+1@Sublingo -- apparently you seem to like being stuck in some kind of a time warp of which you seem to have no desire to get your own mind out of. You seem to be the same kind of person that would cry fowl about the Rodney King incident and say that it was racist and the same goes for OJ Simpson, please. Where were you when people were jumping all over Condi Rice and Clarence Thomas? Just admit that you're not pro-black or pro-multicultural but only pro-liberal and pro-secular progressive.
        • sublingo, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1@5urr3al5am: I have no idea what you're prattling on about. You're going on your own tangent.
      • mstoneburner, on 05/15/2008, -15/+5Why isn't it ok to call Obama a *****? He IS a *****.
        • miggie, on 05/15/2008, -3/+5The definition of a ***** is an ignorant person. They people who refer to themselves as ***** are indeed that.
          • Stupidumb, on 05/15/2008, -5/+1Yeah, so if mstoneburner thinks Obama is ignorant, then he is correct, right? OR MAYBE MY SCREEN NAME IS STUPIDUrrrrrrrrrrrr
          • notoneofus, on 05/15/2008, -1/+3@Stupidurrrrrr: If mstoneburner thinks Obama is ignorant, he could call him ignorant, rather than using a loaded word that will be taken as an insult regardless of intent. There's no reason not to use a direct word (ignorant) and instead use an insult unless your purpose is to insult someone.
          • Stupidumb, on 05/15/2008, -2/+1Just a WILD guess here, but I think that the purpose IS to insult.
            Rarely has anyone called another person ignorant with the humble hope of enlightening that person. Just a wild guesrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...
        • 5urr3al5am, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2naggers
      • halleyscomet, on 05/15/2008, -1/+15I've noticed most the folks who whine and complain about things like not being able to talk about "White Pride" without being called racist are Skinheads, KKK members and the like. It's not worth arguing the point. They want to be willfully ignorant of the history of US race relations because they get to paint themselves as victims of "Race Traitors."

        This isn't about a t-shirt, this is about racists looking for more excuses to hate people.
        • FoolishMortal, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2While I dont support any sort of 'White Pride' movement or any such thing, any objective observer has to see that there is a double standard here. 'Black Pride' or 'African American Pride' are perfectly acceptable terms. BET - Black Entertainment Television is an appropriate name for a TV station while a TV station called White Entertainment Television would be demonized.

          Also, incase anyone mistunderstands. I am by no means defending the actions of this store owner, which I do believe have racist intent.
          Im just responding to the above comment.
      • masterm1nd, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Except the N word refers to those of African decent, monkey does not.
      • masterm1nd, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1And if people called Bush the N word it would not be OK. Horribly inaccurate metaphor.
    • therightside, on 05/15/2008, -18/+32But its ok to make fun of white males. Didnt you read the rules to digg? Only minorities deserve respect.
      • Stupidumb, on 05/15/2008, -19/+2***** WHITE-ASS CRACKERS. RICH WHITE PIECES OF *****.
      • seraph582, on 05/15/2008, -11/+1GOD I ***** HATE WHITE ASS WHITEBREAD CRACKER ***** CRACKER PIECES OF ***** TOO.

        ***** WHITE PEOPLE. I SWEAR!
      • therightside, on 05/15/2008, -3/+4Whaa whaaa let me go cry to jesse jackson my feelers are hurt
      • apetrie, on 05/15/2008, -3/+4Bush, nor any other white male politician, has not be made fun of on digg largely because of their race. Do you actually believe the ***** ***** you are spewing or are you just willing to say anything to defend this kind of ignorance? Your mom must be real proud.
      • nmnnotmyname, on 05/15/2008, -3/+1Here are the real rules, right or not: It's okay to make fun of anyone as long as you're not making fun of them for things that they were born with. Obama: Born Black. G.W.Bush: Not born mentally ill. So, you can call G.W.Bush an idiot without making fun of mentally retarded people, but not Obama for being black. And to add to this, Racism gets looked down upon more so than making fun of the mentally ill because of the past. Whether that's right or not I surely question, It isn't like Obama was enslaved at any point in his life, but it's definitely hard to take in all of the harsh things that happened in the near-past, probably much more so for whom it targeted.
        • 5urr3al5am, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1Doesn't that make 'being black' the white elephant in the room? Like someone born without a nose --"oh my gosh!!! he's black.. (how terrible), we can't mention that?!" Why not poked fun of everyone equally? -Sadly, it's -your- logic that's flawed.
      • FF9999, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2Just watch the pattern yourself to see the rules, only whites can be criticized, almost any time a black is criticized, it is considered racist.
        • apetrie, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1What a bunch of crap. Its only wrong to criticize a black person for BEING BLACK!
    • picciano, on 05/15/2008, -12/+14No, racism is only directed toward blacks. White people are never victims of racism.
      • B1663r, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3Yeah, its just a statement of fact when you refer to the people of WV and KY and ignorant uneducated crackers.
        • seraph582, on 05/15/2008, -0/+5not racist AT ALL
          /sarcasm
          • B1663r, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Wow, being a cracker, am I allowed to use the word cracker?
          • nmnnotmyname, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1As white people, most of us don't take as much offense to racism. It doesn't mean we won't hurt other people by being racist. I think you should be able to find some sort of sympathy...

            In other ways, though, it's still offensive to say cracker. I don't think it's right that you could in a serious situation without getting the same sort of flack you would for other sorts of racism. It's kind of like calling a mentally ill patient a retard... Some people look down, some people don't give a *****.
      • FF9999, on 05/15/2008, -1/+3According to liberals, whites = evil, blacks = good, which makes them evil too of course, the white liberals anyway.
        • 5urr3al5am, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1or non-white males = good, white males = bad.. the liberals basically extort power from these groups by 'sticking up for them'
    • clemenza, on 05/15/2008, -12/+18I literally cannot believe there is any debate WHATSOEVER that depicting a black man as a monkey is racist. This is just willful ignorance. What is with the people on this site who are so far removed from reality that they actually think people are overreacting because of political correctness to something that is absolutely blatantly offensive to African Americans. HOW BIG OF AN ***** CAN YOU BE?
      • B1663r, on 05/15/2008, -3/+2Yeah, I would have more sympathy if it wasn't for the blatant misogyny directed at hillary and the nutroots was silent on that. So this is a double standard. If you are gonna accept some hate speech, you have to accept it all.
        • notoneofus, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2No, you don't. You accept the hate speech that's not insulting in your opinion. Everyone on this site (and worldwide) has differing opinions as to what defines hate speech. And those opinions change over time. Otherwise, this wouldn't have come up in debate at all.
    • Chassit, on 05/15/2008, -2/+2Apples and oranges, but your US hating ass already knows that.
  • gypsi, on 05/15/2008, -60/+382rush limbaugh does the same thing. he plays innocent on the one hand, and holds a noose in the other. he knows it's racist, we know it's racist, and then he plays dumb
    • quomen, on 05/15/2008, -17/+36Why don't we all just drop it. If we all ignored the image then it would've been frowned upon and only seen by several offended people. We just gave the creators of it more attention by exposing MILLIONS of people, as opposed to a few hundred. It works the other way around, should I say that people with "BUSH IS A TERRORIST" bumper stickers are treasonous? No, just let dumb asses be dumb asses. Racism or not, the only way we can eliminate it is to IGNORE it, not PUBLICIZE it. The media has helped people like Hitler come to power. Why? Because he knows how to manipulate it. So again, just forget about it. Focus on what really matters.
      • Kizilbash, on 05/15/2008, -10/+25Are you trying to imply Bush is not a terrorist? Where did you get that idea?
        • SuperWinner, on 05/15/2008, -7/+15Thats pretty insensitive to the world outside the US to insinuate that Bush is not a terrorist...
      • userperson, on 05/15/2008, -3/+1No a verdict must be given, we must control how people feel if it's wrong they should be punished. /s
      • purzzzell, on 05/15/2008, -3/+3don't feed the troll?
      • bonhoeffer, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2If the store owner is the business man he seems to be, he probably paid those "protesters" $25 each.
      • altgeeky1, on 05/15/2008, -2/+2Factually, your statement is in-correct, basically that '"someone who accuses the President of terrorism [or other crimes]" should themselves stand accused of Treason'.

        The Founding Fathers were mindful "Treason" charges being abused, as you have done here, and the scenarios in which Treason can be used are VERY limited... at least according to the Constitution. Your analogy is way off.
      • sodade, on 05/15/2008, -1/+4No. Make a big deal out of it. Get it all over the media. Let it be the next big thing since beanie babies. Please, if you feel that racism like this should be OK then buy one of these shirts and wear it out in public. Better be careful where you go wearing it unless you like getting your ass kicked.
        • userperson, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1There is tolerance and there is endorsement.
          By others' dichotomous logic we should burn down his tavern to prove we're not racist, or join the Klan.
      • Demener, on 05/15/2008, -2/+1I need to get me one of those BUSH IS A TERRORIST bumper stickers.
        And an Obama 08 one, but not with a chimp on it.
      • bobartig, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Treason is betraying or attempting to overthrow the state, or a sovereign.

        Disagreeing with the president? Downright patriotic. Accusing the President of crimes against humanity? Our civic duty as citizens.
    • NPodhoretz14, on 05/15/2008, -17/+9You saw Rush Limbaugh holding a noose?
      • bicyclethief, on 05/15/2008, -2/+18http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphor
      • Meowbiusfox, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2That wasn't a noose,It was a Cheeseburger to stuff into his fat-headed pie hole.
      • goomba323, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3Pills....massive amount of prescription pills..
      • userperson, on 05/15/2008, -3/+3I enjoy the fact that there's a 'racist knot',
        apparently blacks have the only ones who have ever been hung.
        Does that make anyone who has ever tied a noose a hate-criminal?
        What if it's a variation on a slip-knot that looks like a noose?
        • goomba323, on 05/15/2008, -1/+3It was used as a tool to intimidate blacks...it's not only because blacks were frequently lynched and hung out in the open to instill fear within the community, but also as a way to scare blacks into believing that if they step out of line, they will be hung.

          Even as recently as last year, with the Jeneva 6 (or whatever its called), there were cases where nooses were hung on black people's doors to intimidate them.

          So don't play stupid. My Indian friend used to always laugh at the swatsticka, because in his culture, it was a symbol that means life, but living in America, we know that it has other, more controversial meanings.

          You have to understand this. I'm not one to yell "racism" at every corner, but things like comparing blacks to monkeys and holding up nooses is 100% racist, even in my mind.
        • userperson, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1Does that make anyone who has ever tied a noose a hate-criminal?
          What if it's a variation on a slip-knot or some other knot that sort of looks like a noose?

          So things can have different meanings? but if anyone finds them offensive they should be intimidated into not using such things, because others find them intimidating? They should also be vigorously corrected for using said inert sign or symbol in any given context.

          How many black people have been hung recently? That's murder, and it's wrong. I'm against it and think it should be stopped.

          Obama is being compared to a monkey. Obama is only half African, Bush who has Caucasian roots, has routinely been compared to a monkey, and worse, but that's different.
    • whaleyboy69, on 05/15/2008, -18/+16How has Rush Limbaugh been "racist" in your opinion? He might be annoying (or funny) depending on your political bent but racist, not from what I have heard.
      • halleyscomet, on 05/15/2008, -7/+16So you don't see anything racist in his referring to Obama as a "Halfrican American"?
        • truthhammer, on 05/15/2008, -14/+3It's an accurate description. Why is it racist?
          • halleyscomet, on 05/15/2008, -1/+7*sigh*

            Are you really this ignorant or are you just a troll?
        • B1663r, on 05/15/2008, -11/+8A full 80% of Diggers and 50% of Obama supporters have refered to Hillary as a "*****" sooooo

          yeah, you have a massive double standard going here....
          • DephexTwin, on 05/15/2008, -1/+7[citation needed]
          • B1663r, on 05/15/2008, -2/+1***** you, you are blind if you don't see the many daily offensive to women in general things said about Hillary ALL THE ***** TIME by Obama supporters and in particular here on Digg. Go read any thread with the word HILLARY in the title for the last month.
          • notoneofus, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2Made-up statistics, but you're correct. Those comments are insulting to women. But two wrongs don't make a right.
          • B1663r, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1I didn't say it made it right, I said it made it a double standard.
          • goomba323, on 05/15/2008, -1/+3There are no women on Digg, so I don't see who we'd be offended.

            /s...?
        • truthhammer, on 05/15/2008, -4/+6Seriously? He's not black, he's not white, he's both. Mulatto is the term for that I believe, but Halfrican American IS accurate. ThoughMulatto has less syllables, and is easier to say. Easier than African American in fact. However, for some reason people don't use that term when referring to Obama. Interesting....
          • B1663r, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Um, I think in terms of racial power words, the M word you said is right up there with the N word in over all impact....
          • goomba323, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3So blacks aren't Americans?? Do you know how retarded you sound?? He was born in Hawaii (ok, now that's more of the issue...a HAWAIIN president?), but he is 100% American. Mulatto's aren't somehow a half-breed just because one half is black, just like I'm not a half-breed because I'm one half Irish.

            But thanks for your ignorant comments, they are almost funny (but at the same time frightening) that people think the same way as you do.
        • notoneofus, on 05/15/2008, -0/+5@truthhammer: It's not a term I've heard, but I guess it's used. My biggest problem with that term, hearing it now, is it sounds like Limbaugh is insinuating that Obama is only half an American, which is *****.
          • truthhammer, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1I'm not saying he's half American at all. Far from it. Half African (half black) American is the way I understood the term. Obama is as American as any other American in my opinion.
          • d3dm, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2If that were truly the case, he would have said, "African Halfmerican".
      • jkoski, on 05/15/2008, -0/+8Plus, he said that the only reason Lano Calrissian got the administrator job in Cloud City was because of Affirmative Action
        • goomba323, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1hahaha...u win.
        • wolfofwar, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Hey, he didn't get it because of Affirmative Action, He won it in a high stakes card game.

          wait...is that much better?
      • thereyago, on 05/15/2008, -0/+6I think the "barack the magic negro" song and his short sports casting carreer where he basicly said that Mcnabb was over rated because he is black. Now just to let you know that that qualifies him as racist because these are critisisms that are not about thier race. Thier politics and skill as a player could all be discussed like people project thier desires onto Barack or McNabb is a mediocre QB. What Rush does is make thier race part of the issue, along with the Halfrican statement. The fact that these racial issues have to do with the discussion of things for him and he then trys to make it a point of contention in our political conversation is racist. It is the kind of dialogue about our country that focuses on racial divisions and doesn't help us at all.
        • d3dm, on 05/15/2008, -1/+3Give me a break. Our government, our employers, our schools, all focus on race. Anytime someone (or some fill-in-the-blank form) asks for your race, that is discrimination. Until we get to the point to where we truly don't care to even ask what a person's race is, then we're still a divided nation.
    • CabesMojo, on 05/15/2008, -15/+5This stuff cracks me up, how is Rush being racist? Is it about the Obama the magic negro song? You know that was a term coined by the dems right? I also find it really amusing that comparing Obama to Curious George is racist, but the hundreds of images comparing Bush to a chimp are just fine and dandy.
      • halleyscomet, on 05/15/2008, -3/+5If there was a long history of a dominant African American culture depicting whites as sub-human chimps, then comparing Bush to a chip would be racist.
      • ClosedCaption, on 05/15/2008, -2/+4Lets ignore history and pretend blacks being called monkey never happened.
        • CabesMojo, on 05/15/2008, -3/+2Oh crazy me I was pretending we were all equal and human, my bad I must be a racist.....
    • wasabimonster, on 05/15/2008, -0/+15I'd love to hear what this guy says about his shirts when he's alone with his peers.
    • sparsely, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2.
    • vade79, on 05/15/2008, -1/+4Rush may know what he's doing, but i'd hardly call it "playing" dumb. It's the real deal.
    • JoeVet, on 05/15/2008, -0/+6Its the Republican way. Feign ignorance when you get called on your bigoted actions.
    • Calcularius, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2"then he plays dumb" - he sure looks the part!
    • Ktnmoo, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3I didn't know who Rush was so I wiki'd him. Then I found out that he made fun of Michael J. Fox's symptoms of parkinson's. That alone solidified my impression of him as a douchebag.
    • Loxahatchee, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Rush is hilarious. You pussies need to get a life and sense of humor.
  • bincoder, on 05/15/2008, -67/+40curious georges skin and features look white to me. A pic of Karl Marx would be more accurate.
    • moffie, on 05/15/2008, -4/+14Karl Marx looks nothing like Barack Obama. Now if we were talking about Frederick Douglas, then I would have to agree with you.
      • JAVandiver, on 05/15/2008, -7/+5I think that it more that Gobama is a Marxist. But I guess you did not know that... Maybe you should educate yourself about who you support instead of jumping on the "Progressive Populist" i.e. "Marxist Socialist" bandwagon.
        • moffie, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1You sure made a nice effort to produce grammatical sentences with enough verbs and properly spelled words. However, it's awfully pretentious of you to assume that I'm supporting "Gobama", or that I would be stupid enough to assume that you knew anything about "Marxism" or Socialism. Maybe you should cool your temper and hop off the "belligerent *****" i.e. "I-hate-everyone-who-appears-to-be-different-from-me" bandwagon, and refrain from attacking a users' polite posts, which say nothing of his political affiliations, with rude, baseless, political propaganda.
      • talonstriker, on 05/15/2008, -1/+6Socialism...***** yeah!
        /prepares to get buried by капиталистические свиньи
        //shows off 9th grade russian skillz
        • roboticrickshaw, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1***** reactionary dogs the revolution goes on
        • moffie, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Страно... тебя не хоронили. Может быть, все свиньи не капиталические..?
      • Diderotten, on 05/15/2008, -3/+1Nor does fredrick douglass look like Obama either. If you ask me, He looks like a mocha iRobot.
    • enki25, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Or a picture of a pyramid with an eye in it! ***** Illuminati conspiracy theory douche.
  • 911ArtStudent, on 05/15/2008, -32/+111and all the while I thought it was vaguely homophobic
    • thereyago, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1yeah that too.
    • kaelyiesta, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Phobic? It seems fairly homoerrotic to me. Just look at his loving gaze for the phallic object he wields with eager anticipation.
    • had3l, on 05/15/2008, -0/+6Bi-curious George?
      • RedRobinRed, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Oh. My. Heck. I actually laughed out loud! I've WRITTEN "lol" so many times without actually laughing out loud that I kind of lost the whole MEANING of lol. and if you THINK about it, lol lol lol is the SOUND Bi-Curious George would be making if that Ber-Nanner was just a LITTLE BIT CLOSER.
    • burnin8r28, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1lol...?
    • RedRobinRed, on 05/16/2008, -0/+0MWAH...!
  • helraizr, on 05/15/2008, -26/+10hook me up
  • roosevans, on 05/15/2008, -39/+317Despite the racist connotations of the tee shirt, the white store owner has the right to make and sell the tee shirts to all his racist patrons. This is America and She still has the virus of racism in Her citizens. This tee shirt is a benign expression of that virus and is not worth getting bent out of shape about ( and I am a black American). God bless America!
    • motafett, on 05/15/2008, -7/+237The store owner did not have permission to use the Curious George image, and the creators of it have already filed a lawsuit.
      • unicronband, on 05/15/2008, -0/+90The Man in the Yellow Hat is gonna be pissed.
        • Nougat, on 05/15/2008, -3/+1Why do you think that hat is yellow?
        • artfiend77, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3Oddly enough the man in the White Hood seems amused.
        • RG13, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1The lady in the yellow jacket is probably fine with it.
      • shadeOfGrey, on 05/15/2008, -0/+37That's when Curious George turned into Furious George.
      • Tomchei, on 05/15/2008, -9/+3The Creators are dead. Do you have proof that the current copyright holders