New Yorker, I Got Your Satire Right Here

David Knowles reported earlier that the Obama campaign was not amused by The New Yorker's satirical cover, saying:

The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree.

The McCain campaign thought so, too. I say, grow a pair!

The New Yorker is known for its edgy, satirical covers. In fact, I don't think this one went far enough. Why not have Hillary Clinton, dressed in a French maid outfit, dusting the china? Why aren't the Obamas flanked by Nation of Islam bodyguards? And I knew they were wussing out when they didn't put Obama in Eldridge Cleaver pants and a giant, purple fedora to match the Soul Plane parked out back as a replacement for Air Force One.

It's not like this is the first time they have run one of these. You don't remember the cover where they satirized Americans' views of Japanese people while they were being rounded up into internment camps? Courageous stuff.





As luck would have it, I have a friend over at The New Yorker, who has given me a sneak peak at the first August cover. Is that satire, or just plain mean?





See, everyone knows that effective satire will be despised by some on either side of an argument. But when your satire becomes your target's recruiting poster, maybe you missed an impportant element. And maybe, if you're going to throw Osama Bin Laden's face into your cartoon, it had better be to get a big laugh, or to make a big point.