On the heels of the NY Post issuing an apology over this cartoon many called racist, R&B crooner John Legend sent this open letter over to the paper to express his thoughts on the scandal:
Dear Editor:
I’m trying to understand what possible motivation you may have had for publishing that vile cartoon depicting the shooting of the chimpanzee that went crazy. I guess you thought it would be funny to suggest that whomever was responsible for writing the Economic Recovery legislation must have the intelligence and judgment of a deranged, violent chimpanzee, and should be shot to protect the larger community. Really? Did it occur to you that this suggestion would imply a connection between President Barack Obama and the deranged chimpanzee? Did it occur to you that our President has been receiving death threats since early in his candidacy? Did it occur to you that blacks have historically been compared to various apes as a way of racist insult and mockery? Did you intend to invoke these painful themes when you printed the cartoon?
If that’s not what you intended, then it was stupid and willfully ignorant of you not to connect these easily connectable dots. If it is what you intended, then you obviously wanted to be grossly provocative, racist and offensive to the sensibilities of most reasonable Americans. Either way, you should not have printed this cartoon, and the fact that you did is truly reprehensible. I can’t imagine what possible justification you have for this. I’ve read your lame statement in response to the outrage you provoked. Shame on you for dodging the real issue and then using the letter as an opportunity to attack Rev. Sharpton. This is not about Rev. Sharpton. It’s about the cartoon being blatantly racist and offensive.
I believe in freedom of speech, and you have every right to print what you want. But freedom of speech still comes with responsibilities and consequences. You are responsible for printing this cartoon, and I hope you experience some real consequences for it. I’m personally boycotting your paper and won’t do any interviews with any of your reporters, and I encourage all of my colleagues in the entertainment business to do so as well. I implore your advertisers to seriously reconsider their business relationships with you as well.
You should print an apology in your paper acknowledging that this cartoon was ignorant, offensive and racist and should not have been printed.
I’m well aware of our country’s history of racism and violence, but I truly believe we are better than this filth. As we attempt to rise above our difficult past and look toward a better future, we don’t need the New York Post to resurrect the images of Jim Crow to deride the new administration and put black folks in our place. Please feel free to criticize and honestly evaluate our new President, but do so without the incendiary images and rhetoric.
Sincerely,
John Legend
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Keepinit singin*GIMMIE THA GREEN LIGHT,GIMMIE JUS ONE NIGHT*………I LUV HIM EVEN MORE NOW!!! VERY WELL PUT AND HE DID NOT ONCE DEGRADE OR PUT N E ONE DOWN!! GREAT REPRESENTATION OF ALL OF “US”
Good on you John, although u should consider living like a saint after this cos they will come after u. Am with u bro fuck erm.
…he fell off anyways. They won’t be requesting for his ass anytime soon.
Black people need to stop taking everything so personal. I’ve seen the cartoon hella times. It didn’t seem offensive to me. They weren’t even talking about Obama.
If I were a white person I’d boycott BET.
FRESH……..u ignorant piece of shit…..no pun intended.
What the New York Post did was wrong and i whole-heartedy agree with John Legend’s sentiments.
John, I just fell in love with you…will you marry me? What a well written letter. Let’s see how many entertainers follow and boycott the NY Post…I’m not a celebrity but they won’t see a red cent of mine!
FRESH…as a BLACK person I’M boycotting BET and have been since 1995.
I understand where they say they are coming from with the cartoon…and I also understand that they are equally as crass in cartoons that ridicule other politicians…HOWEVER, those other politicians were not brought to America as victims of slavery or ever legally recognized as property nor were they considered 1/2 human or ridiculed as apes and monkeys.
It was deliberately irresponsible.
Granted, black people are sensitive. With good reason. Please believe racism is alive and well and not just in Mississipi or Alabama or West Virginia.
People are ignorant all over.
It’s not OK for a Corporation or Media Entity to be rude and offensive to an entire race of people. It’s not ok to perpetuate ignorance. Intended or not, just on the off chance this backlash would occur, it was irresponsible to print the cartoon.
Ironic22…I agree with you! Fresh what planet are you from that you didn’t find this degrading to African Americans? This cartoon was just as offensive as Little Black Sambo and minstrel shows and its A SICK JOKE IF YOU ASK ME! No disrespect but you should think before you talk, in this case post comments.
Hold on Fish…I thought about it. No, I’m black and I didn’t;t find it to be degrading.I find it more degrading that Black people would like-in their selves to a monkey, and just assume white people are being racist. Maybe they are, maybe they aren’t. I’m not a Monkey or a ‘Little Black Sambo’ so I don’t take offense by none of that foolishness. I won’t let someone or something have that type of power over me.
I’m sorry, slavery was many years ago, we need to step out the box. sitting here crying about a cartoon is not doing anything. I’m not even an Obama supporter, but look at what he did. He became the 1st ‘partially’ African American President. He took action. Boycotting a publication over a
silly cartoon is childish to me. How about an Africian American aspire to be the publisher of the New York times, they they’d have say in what goes into the paper.
Kristel- I’m glad you boycott BET. I don’t watch them either. I don’t agree with all this division and segregation. Our people fought too hard for this.
pffft! Viacom owns BET….Boycott that. feh
Straight to BET from this huh? I…what about…feh..I said
A very well constructed and lyrical waste of words. Listen, folks, the air of white privilege and white supremacy is thick and prevelant in this country. It is an institution that permiates every State including the mental state of Black folk here AND abroad.
We have power in unity. We don’t like our treatment keep our money in our pockets. This is a violent and capitalist society that understands violence and capital. Consider the fact that we have convicted terrorists who’ve done harm to this country sitting in prison getting 3 hots and a cot, yet taxpaying Black citizens get shot dead in the street – simply because they are Black. We don’t use our power.
This is NOT going to change, not for another hundred years; it’s embedded in the psyche of this country’s citizens. Any changes to be made WE have to make. The first one being, everything “white” aint always right. And PLEASE let’s not use the Obama argument. There were plenty of Black politicians in key positions after the Civil War but that did nothing to stop them from being run out of town, killed, or other Blacks suffering from the horrors of Jim Crow.
Study Your History!
Good for J. Legend! FINALLY a black celeb STANDING UP for what’s right for his RACE!!!!!!!
Fresh, I think you need to sit back and realize that no one is “crying” about this cartoon. everyone is entitled to their opinion, including the creator of this comic. Some may be offended and some may not, but this is an OBVIOUS and CLEAR disrespect towards our current president.
*FRESH* kill urself for that ‘partially’ black comment…
Young
Louie- Yes, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but to Boycott a publication for an opinion is fake to me.
Presidents have always faced opposition. People Hated Bush, people loved Bush. People hated and loved Clinton, Nixon ect.. Don’t try and single Obama out, like he cannot have any one talk bad about him or its blasphemy. And at the end of the day, I really don’t feel like the comic was even directed towards him. Black people see a monkey and get hyper sensitive.
Young- Kill your self for being an Idiot.
^^ was posted by me.
That was a well written statement! I agree 100% with John…. We have such a long way to go before racism will be wiped off the face of this earth
Fresh I wouldn’t say that I am or others for that matter who found this cartoon offensive are crying about it…I just don’t sit back and eat shit and let things slide by that shouldn’t. This is out of control and wrong…that’s just the bottom line. I have a zero tolerance level for stupid shit like this.
Fresh, I hate to join the band wagon, but I really can’t see where you don’t see the derogatory tones in the cartoon sketch. Yes, every president is open to ridicule and scrutiny, but to depict him as a monkey is derogatory and takes on a whole different message. Whether you’re black, partially black, or other, it’s common knowledge that monkeys have been used as a derogatory depiction of African Americans. To try to connect the wild chimp shooting in MA. to the “author of the stimulus bill” is outlandish….one has nothing to do with the other. The artist could have chosen any other phrase for the text bubble, but he deliberately chose to make a political comment that had no correlation to a dead chimp. Anyone in their right mind would make the same conclusion that it was a stab at our President. It’s not “black people taking things personal”…it’s PEOPLE commenting on what history has taught us to believe.
John Legend did go to Upenn.. Go head boy!