Moonhowlings

Actually, on the bright side, this today from NPR:

Oil Prices Continue Downward Trend
Oil prices resumed their downward trend on Tuesday falling to a seven-week low.

Futures traders continued to focus more on falling demand than on potential supply disruptions. including militant attacks on Nigerian oil facilities and tensions with Iran over the country’s nuclear program. Those kinds of forces drove oil inexorably higher until early July, but they took a back seat to a pair of government reports showing a sharp drop in usage of oil and its distillates.

The Transportation Department said U.S. motorists drove 3.7 percent fewer miles in May than they did a year ago. A stronger dollar added selling pressure.

U.S. light sweet crude fell more than $4 a barrel at one point before closing down $2.54 at $122.19 — $25 below its peak.

Also, according to the International Herald Tribune today, “The dollar rose against major currencies Tuesday as new data showed U.S. consumer confidence coming in slightly higher than expected.”

and:

“The Conference Board’s index of U.S. consumer confidence rose to 51.9 in July from 51 in June — better than economists’ prediction of a drop to 50 and reversing a six-month slide”

So all is not gloom and doom. Trust me, they’re still jumping the border.

Did anyone else besides me find the first cartoon a little racist?

I noted the stereotyping…sombreros, mustaches, traditional clothing.

It might be racist but it’s harmless.

But this kind of racism will ruin your life:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_n3_v28/ai_18116297

There’s such a thing as “harmless” racism?

Who is Joseph C. Kennedy? When you click on his name, the link just brings you back to the article, Mackie.

What if they were wearing a komono and traditional japanese clothing and were discussing the yen? Would that be stereotyping?

I don’t think any of the pictures were unflattering. Why is depicting people dressed in traditional garb considered racist?

Emma, thanks for spreading some good news. The stock market was also back up some today. It’s about time.

Ok, I got horribly sidetracked tonight and didn’t hit send. There are several more posts since I started the one above. So I am curious why some of the readers feel the cartoon is racist. Let’s discuss it.

It’s not really, but some people may read that into it.

Even if it is racist, it doesn’t amount to much to worry about. It’s nothing really.

This is the kind of thing we should be talking about. This is the racism that really matters. Police racism is not a few bad apples. It is systematic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msp7ZKiMcWY

Who cares about some trivial cartoon when minorities are being tazed to death by the police.

Political cartoons often use exaggeration and stereotyping to get a point across. I do not see racism, but I do see that the cartoonist stereotyped Mexicans in the cartoon. I do not know why. Perhaps he didn’t want to confuse his readers into thinking that the men depicted in the cartoon were standing in Canada. Who knows. Why do cartoonists exaggerate George Bush’s ear size? Obviously the cartoonist is knocking our economy and govt. He just chose to depict Mexicans wearing sombreros.

Here’s the kind of racism that really leaves an impact upon people:

http://policewatch.us/system/page.php?id=339&ratings=1

DB,

I have to agree. Good point about the Canadians. I don’t think it was necessarily bad stereotyping. I guess I would say it helped me understand the cartoon. It was important to the point of the cartoon that the 2 outside the USA were Mexican rather than say Cubans or Canadians.

Actually, it was pretty brutal commentary on several issues. Good selection to generate some discussion.

I fail to see the logic of blaming McCain for Bush/Cheney’s economy. Does McCain own stock in Halliburton? Is McCain an oil man? He’s the same candidate he was in 2000 only in the mean time Bush has screwed up the nation, the economy, and the party. The man next to the elephant should be Bush.

So there’s a cartoon with a couple more or less normal looking Mexicans along with a very distorted sketch of our president, and you’re upset over how the Mexicans were presented? You folks are concerned way too much about matters south of the border!

Segundo Alamo,

Actually, I thought President Shrub was very accurately portrayed.

Look at whats happening in Freemont, Nebraska. It’s deja vu.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXyGpYdMwIE

I never looked closely at the Republican with the suited elephant. So it is President Bush or Is it John McCain? SA, I think guests were upset. Perhaps upset is too strong of a word. Perhaps it was just something to talk about. Nothing horribly serious.

I think it might be a distorted sketch of McCain. Not sure.

But…since you brought it up…do you think that Republicans should bear any of the responsibility for the current economy, SA? Or is this just a normal economic downturn?

Mackie,

It is exactly the same script! FAIR has done a good job of getting out the fear mongering. I suppose they are using PW Co. has a model. How embarrassing.

Here is one of the print links:
http://www.kolnkgin.com/news/headlines/26083454.html

What about the elephant? Will no one stand up against pachyderm bashing? I have it on good authority that elephants wouldn’t be caught dead in such banal glasses.

Seriously SA, you object to the depiction of Bush? There isn’t a political cartoonist in this country (right to left on the spectrum) who doesn’t draw a distorted Bush. This guy draws him as a junior, tiny in stature (in all that word’s meanings) and exaggerates his ears. How terrible!

As for the Mexicans, I personally think the sombreros and serape were overkill. I also think they look middle aged, pudgy, and thus oddly prosperous. I think just the big mustaches would have been signal enough. But I enjoyed the writing (joke) of the cartoon.

Moon-howler,

Thanks for the link to the article about Fremont. We should have all rented a bus and gone down there to testify about what this stuff did to prince william county. It would have been pretty powerful.

Anyone know if FAIR is also behind the fremont ordnance?

Mackie,

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it is probably a duck. If I had closed my eyes I would have thought I was in Prince William County. Sounds identical.

Moon-howler, 29. July 2008, 22:25
So I am curious why some of the readers feel the cartoon is racist. Let’s discuss.

Moonhowler, I grew up in the ’70s with the Frito Bandito, among other weird major advertising symbols. Sometime in that decade we were told that that depiction was racist. My grade school banned the Frito Bandito pencil-top erasers that used to come in the assortment packs.

For those of you old enough to remember: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWhjl5NaLq4

Emma,

The Frito Bandito commercials are definitely racist. Not even any doubt.

And the guys in the cartoon look like him. Hence the connection.

Ayiee, yie-yie-yieeee,
I am dee Frito Bandito.
I love Frito’s Corn Chips,
I love dem I do.
I love Frito’s Corn Chips,
I take dem from you.

Emma, I had forgotten all about Frito Bandito. Thanks. Makes sense why you would think it is racist if you had been told that as a kid.

I am not sure I think it is racist. Is Frito being made fun of? Is he being shown in a demeaning manner? Mackie, why do you think Frito Bandito is racist?

I am not arguing with you all and saying it isn’t….I am just discussing. No real opinion here. Convince me.

Personally, I don’t like the stereotype of the serape and sombrero wearing Mexicans although they definitely exist in real life. It’s a throwback to an image of laid-back siesta-taking not in tune with modern Mexico or the men and women who are fit enough to undertake many of our dirty,difficult, and physically laborious tasks.

I’m a collector of costume jewelry, and ethnic jewelry with its stereotypical symbols (for African Americans as well as Hispanics) was popular in the 40s and 50s. I definitely wouldn’t wear my sombrero-wearing-Mexican-leaning-against-a-cactus sterling silver pin in public. It’s a part of costume jewelry history but not a flattering one.

Moon-howler, Mackie & Emma,

I wanted to chime in too as I would like to hear why you think it is racist? The movie “White Chicks” comes to mind as an example and I didn’t see that as racist but funny. I guess it is all in the INTENT. I like Moon-howler, would like to hear your feedback too

Is there a difference between stero-typing and racist, maybe the fine line like love and hate? Just a question as stupid as it may be

Stereotyping: a preconceived or oversimplified generalization involving negative beliefs about another group
- holding beliefs about people that place them in categories
- habit of attaching an uncomplimentary or generalized label to a person, race, or idea.

Racism: predjudice or discrimination or oppression based upon an individual’s race that can be expressed individually or thru institutional policies or practices
- discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race.

I too like “White Chicks”. It was funny as it sarcastically stereotyped all the girls in high school that I loved to hate.

DB,

Thanks:) I would say the difference is being able to recognize the that not everyone ( i.e soccer mom’s, lol fill in the blanks…) fits into the “stero-type” and racism would be the train of thought that they DO.

You folks are way too sensitive. Lighten up for crying out loud! It’s a cartoon, and where do you think stereotypes come from? Real life, so what’s so wrong about that? Hey, white men can’t jump remember!

Good golly, go figure I ran across this video tonight speaking of stero-typing. LOL
I think the best advice is to be able to laugh at yourself. I know I do-ALL the time

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&vid=07f21675-ee1e-4c00-b5c0-e8e0b67940ac

SA, they also have no rhythm. (not MY opinion of course).

I didn’t think the cartoon was racist, biased or anything else. I haven’t been able to muster up any feelings one way or another. I will just be the blog insensitive cad. wtf.

I think the Mexicans were portrayed as astute economic analysts.