When satire fails

You’ve probably already seen it in the course of your morning blog reading, but this is the cover of this week’s New Yorker:

The artist, Barry Blitt, explained it this way:

I think the idea that the Obamas are branded as unpatriotic [let alone as terrorists] in certain sectors is preposterous. It seemed to me that depicting the concept would show it as the fear-mongering ridiculousness that it is.

That may be true among the New Yorker‘s lefty and elite readership. But in large swathes of the country, it’s certainly not a given that this image of Obama is “preposterous.” In fact, is is a perfect visual summary of what Fox News spews and what right-wing emails allege every day. As Ta-Nehisi puts it, “Expect that image to be on tee-shirts within two weeks.”
More at Racialicious, Michelle Obama Watch, What About Our Daughters, Jack and Jill Politics, and Feministe.
UPDATE: Verchiel has contact info for the editors:

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