Is this painting offensive?

[anotheoldgit]

Would a white artist have been allowed to get away with this, if the subject matter had happened to be a black person?

http://i.dailymail.co...005DC-455_634x785.jpg

[RATTER15]

Of course its offensive, it was painted to be offensive!!

[FredPuli43]

It wouldn't be offensive if it showed Obama, aog.

[anotheoldgit]

FredPuli43

/// It wouldn't be offensive if it showed Obama, aog. ///

Then you superimpose the face of Obama over the face of Cameron, and then stand back for the outbursts.

[hc4361]

Once again AOG is being provocative.

The reference is not that Cameron looks like a monkey, or implies that he should go back to the jungle. It is a very clear reference to the three wise monkeys in a political context. This has already been pointed out to you, AOG.

In this painting it would not be offensive if any political leader was the subject. Take the three wise monkeys out if it and it changes the context entirely and would be offensive to anyone.

[emmie]

i am not sure it's offensive, just vile.

[DTCwordfan]

crude - and not a very good picture.

[askyourgran]

Crude.... juvenile.

[emmie]

askyourgran, good word, juvenile.

[hc4361]

In its context, satirising Cameron in the Leveson enquiry, it is quite clever and to the point, in my opinion.
Cameron is more or less claiming to have seen nothing, heard nothing or said nothing.

[venator]

there are more and more people in all cultures and countries who are on the lookout for anything to take offence at.

They get publicity and a feeling of power out of it.

As a result, Cultural or racial sensitivity has become a watchword taking over from the rather passe Political correctness.

Cameron cannot complain because he has to be inclusive and not sensitive.

If it was an ayatollah or a Sikh leader, there would be rioting on the streets.

Get real, chaps!

[emmie]

venator, he wouldn't have done it presumably if it had been an Ayatollah or sikh leader.

[hc4361]

He did it because Cameron is the PM in relation to the Leveson enquiry.

If he felt strongly enough about any other leader, who knows what he'd paint?

[hc4361]

This is how the artist potrayed Obama
http://www.kayamar.co.uk/page5.htm

[sp1814]

AOG

Funny you should mention President Barack. He has already been characterised as an ape, but have a look at the difference in intent:

http://themoderatevoi...d-has-racist-cartoon/

With the Cameron cartoon, the inference is to the three wise monkeys. It's perfectly valid.

Now compare that to the message behind the picture of Barack Obama. Nothing to do with him as a politician - everything to do with him as a black man.

My guess is the reason why the Barack picture is shocking is that it is crude and without wit. It's quite clearly...errr...let's not say it out loud. Let's call it 'the R word'.

[emmie]

don't like either.

[joko]

its not offensive... but it is badly drawn...in places

weirdly long arm, weird twisted bum, 2 left feet ... which is a shame because there are also some bits of it that are pretty well done... like the face etc

it looks like the work of someone who has never seen a monkey before...

[karenmac60]

A person has painted a picture (not a great picture, admittedly) of some monkeys and a couple of corrupt, prominent people. What colour any of those people are is completely irrelevant. Why are you so obsessed with colour AOG? When someone relates a story to you, do you have to know the colour of all the people involved?

[hc4361]

I agree with you entirely, sp.

According to some comments on this thread British tv could never show Achmed the Suicide Bomber because there would be rioting in the streets.

I very much enjoy seeing Achmed on the tv.

[FredPuli43]

aog, others have explained to you when and in what context this image, or any image is , or would be, racially offensive. Do you agree with them? If not , why and how is your experience and knowledge of racism better than theirs? It may be that you don't, or didn't, understand why making monkey noises at a black footballer, or calling him a monkey, during a game, is offensive as racist.What is your present understanding of that? On reading past replies you may see why replacing Cameron's image with Obama's image in the cartoon would not be offensive. If you think it would be, what are your grounds for that opinion ?

Your conjecture to me is that there would be outbursts if that were done. If your conjecture is correct, the outbursts would be from those who did not know the reference to the three wise monkeys, would it not? They would be in error through ignorance. What answer is it to the statement that it would not be offensive, to say that those conjectured people would create outbursts? Or do you define 'offensive' as 'tending to offend ther ignorant' ?

[venator]

Em - going back to your post, I meant that the cartoon would be offensive if the subject was an ayatollah or a Sikh.

Were you serious in suggesting that the said ayatollah or Sikh would draw cartoons, or are you being intentionally obtuse?