Google in Obama race picture row

[Kymmy]

Originally Posted by punky

Its nice to know Google likes to decide what we can and can't see.

Actually the original site removed the image, as google removes cache requests based on site owners requests it probably would have been gone soon anyway..

[punky]

Originally Posted by Chris

It's not the monkey per se, but what the use of monkey means in each case that makes one offensive but the other not.

Michelle Obama's picture draws on a particularly nasty racial stereotype that suggests black people are less advanced/intelligent because they are more like apes than people. Bush's picture woudn't be understood by anyone to make a statement about white people as a race, it simply suggests Bush is a bit thick.

And he looks like a chimp.

[nomadking]

A comment elsewhere has indicated that there is a site called 'Celebrity Apes', where famous people(mostly white) are portrayed as apes. If it is being suggested that people who happen to be black shouldn't be portrayed in that manner, then surely that is being racist. To exclude them from the same treatment as white people is by definition, racist.

Originally Posted by nomadking

A comment elsewhere has indicated that there is a site called 'Celebrity Apes', where famous people(mostly white) are portrayed as apes. If it is being suggested that people who happen to be black shouldn't be portrayed in that manner, then surely that is being racist. To exclude them from the same treatment as white people is by definition, racist.

Was this image created for that site? No. What's more white people being portrayed as apes is not considered a racial slur, it's not part of racist imagery.

[downquark1]

These things are not racist in of themselves but are reminiscent of recent history. Now I personally believe that there has to come a time that you move on and "forgive and forget". Especially since the new generations haven't even seen such prejudice (at least on a large scale).

There are far worse pictures of obama on the internet and stupider things that google has thrown up. This is just cheap controversy spinning.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Damien

Was this image created for that site? No. What's more white people being portrayed as apes is not considered a racial slur, it's not part of racist imagery.

this racism lark has some double standards, if depicting white people as monkeys is ok, but depict a black person and its an outrage ,just how far can someone go in respect of insulting white people before it becomes a racial slur ?

Originally Posted by papa smurf

this racism lark has some double standards, if depicting white people as monkeys is ok, but depict a black person and its an outrage ,just how far can someone go in respect of insulting white people before it becomes a racial slur ?

Well as part of the white people whom have had an upper hand over most of the rest of the other races for sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooo
long I can hardly be offended when someone has a go back..

It's an utterly pointless insult and so dated and old fashioned.It's time we all grew up.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Well as part of the white people whom have had an upper hand over most of the rest of the other races for sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooo
long I can hardly be offended when someone has a go back..

It's an utterly pointless insult and so dated and old fashioned.It's time we all grew up.

that's interesting ,how did you get this power over other races?

I've always considered all races equal , and as a white person have never tried to dominate another race ,or even an individual person .

i agree its a pointless insult but surely its equally insulting to any race /person to be labeled a monkey by another human being .

[Flyboy]

My God you lot must either heave seriously guilty consciences, or you just can't read and have very wild imaginations.

I still fail to see how my incredulity that someone finds the absurd image of a black woman depicted as an ape and then equates that to the Labour government's stance on multiculturalism. At no point whatsoever did I suggest that the poster was racist, a Nazi, or of any other right wing opinion. At no point did I even mention race. My issue was, why did it have anything at all to do with the party political structure here in the UK, particularly how it relates to Labour party policy? But you lot can continue to see me as the bogeyman as much as you like. Those guilty consciences will do the rest.

Originally Posted by papa smurf

that's interesting ,how did you get this power over other races?

I've always considered all races equal , and as a white person have never tried to dominate another race ,or even an individual person .

i agree its a pointless insult but surely its equally insulting to any race /person to be labeled a monkey by another human being .

I didn't, it's that old colonial/missionary crap from yesteryear which some of our compatriots here in the UK and the rest of western democracy finds it hard to leave behind..as you very well know if you have any historical knowledge so I'm surprised you are surprised that I know it...

I am myself unaffected by being called a monkey but as I'm white I guess it doesn't have the same connotation for me.

---------- Post added at 22:06 ---------- Previous post was at 22:05 ----------

Originally Posted by Flyboy

My God you lot must either heave seriously guilty consciences, or you just can't read and have very wild imaginations.

I still fail to see how my incredulity that someone finds the absurd image of a black woman depicted as an ape and then equates that to the Labour government's stance on multiculturalism. At no point whatsoever did I suggest that the poster was racist, a Nazi, or of any other right wing opinion. At no point did I even mention race. My issue was, why did it have anything at all to do with the party political structure here in the UK, particularly how it relates to Labour party policy? But you lot can continue to see me as the bogeyman as much as you like. Those guilty consciences will do the rest.

I have to say I fail to see what it has to do with the Labour party either..

Punky was making a joke. It was unconnected. Move on and Leave it alone.

Originally Posted by Damien

Punky was making a joke. It was unconnected. Move on and Leave it alone.

You are probably right but it does seem like a lot of topics have been randomly attributed to the labour party recently on CF..

[Hiroki]

Originally Posted by Damien

To the people who did say it was funny. It was playing on the racist notion of black people being apes. It is a racist image.

I can see the likeness when I look at her.

Still I don't think this was really news worthy

Originally Posted by Flyboy

Those guilty consciences will do the rest.

Flyboy. I have many, many things in my life I feel guilty about, but hating people because of their skin colour is not one of them. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, nor the most sane and stable of people on these forums.... But.... I certainly don't suffer from what I consider the mental illness of race hate.

So do yourself, and the rest of us who do notice your snide attititude, and stuff it up your jacksie....

Please let's be polite over this issue and not resort to name calling...or any other sort of insult.