Video: The obligatory “idiot selling Obama/Curious George t-shirts” post
posted at 8:28 pm on May 15, 2008 by Allahpundit
I held off on posting this for two days, but suddenly I’m desperate for content and too depressed by the fact that I’m being linked approvingly at Salon for my gay marriage post to go rustle up anything interesting. Here’s the bottom line: Even if the guy’s intentions are innocent and he means no racist connotation, is the Curious George joke so funny that it’s worth (a) hurting people’s feelings and (b) giving the media an easy two-minute segment on How All Conservatives Are Racist by selling it? If this guy wants to sell shirts, I’ve got a much more lucrative proposition for him: A screencap of O’Reilly’s face from this video, mid-grimace, below the words, “F*CK IT — WE’LL DO IT LIVE.” Damn the copyright considerations. Full speed ahead.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Is there really any difference between this and all the damn similarities we saw for seven years between Dubya and a monkey? I’m sorry but I really don’t see a difference.
Defector01 on May 15, 2008 at 8:30 PM
The difference is supposed to be that they stoop to it and we don’t.
I’d take a rubber hose to this jackass.
MadisonConservative on May 15, 2008 at 8:31 PM
Except, Texans have not been historically denegrated as sub-human apes (except in my house)
Squid Shark on May 15, 2008 at 8:31 PM
No worse then the asshats who use the names of fallen soldiers on T-Shirts to protest “Bush’s War”
P.S. He coulda gone with Dumbo and side-stepped the whole racial thing.
VolMagic on May 15, 2008 at 8:33 PM
He also owns a bar where he had a sign outside that said something like “I wish Hillary had married OJ” last year. Yes, same guy.
Typhonsentra on May 15, 2008 at 8:34 PM
A little humpbot action would make us all feel better.
lorien1973 on May 15, 2008 at 8:34 PM
Haha when I saw the Curious George pic and Obama o8′, I thought they were making fun of George Bush.
crabtree on May 15, 2008 at 8:34 PM
Sigh, first post has to be “moderated”, oh well.
No worse then the _sshats who use the names of fallen soldiers to protest “Bush’s War”
Shoulda used Dumbo and side-stepped the whole racial thing, imo.
VolMagic on May 15, 2008 at 8:34 PM
Yeah, I haven’t seen one since Ed joined the HA staff ( or for a good period before that )
Are you getting all grown-up on us AP?
VolMagic on May 15, 2008 at 8:36 PM
ahem
gumble on May 15, 2008 at 8:37 PM
Exactly.
jaime on May 15, 2008 at 8:37 PM
Curious George always struck me as more of a Mike Gravel voter.
Seriously, though, the shirt is dumb.
Slublog on May 15, 2008 at 8:39 PM
So when do we get the “obligatory” post that discusses McCain’s speech in Columbus today? He told us that he intends to reach out to liberal Democrats and stuff loads of them in his inner circle. The man wouldn’t cross the street to spit were a conservative Republican on fire so his clear signal that he plans on hiring all the folks who lose out if Obama doesn’t win seems significant to me!
Let’s make this clear. I don’t want Wesley Clark as SECDEF. I don’t want Jamie Gorelick as AG. I don’t want a protogee of Maddie Albright in charge of the State Department. If McCain is going to seek his votes from the left, he owes it to conservative Republicans to explain just how far he intends to ignore us in the upcoming years. How about helping out your pal and starting that dialogue?
highhopes on May 15, 2008 at 8:39 PM
It’s in your face stupid, but please note that the Left has been comparing Bush to Curious George and calling him “The Chimperor” for years and he doesn’t have prominent ears.
BTW, Allah, if you’re looking for material, did you catch the two women on O’Reilly who say they will leave the Democrat Party if Hillary isn’t the nominee? It was one of the funniest bits I’ve seen in a longggggg time.
Buy Danish on May 15, 2008 at 8:41 PM
Sure there is. If the left drew cartoons of Bush with a hook nose it’d be fine; it they drew one of Joe Lieberman, it wouldn’t. Gotta stay away from ancient stereotypes.
Allahpundit on May 15, 2008 at 8:41 PM
Nice crop on Curious George. More hoo-hoo jokes today, huh?
lorien1973 on May 15, 2008 at 8:42 PM
Somebody needs to explain to me how the shirt is racist. I asked the same question when the movie King Kong was deemed racist because the ape was involved with a white chick. I also asked the same question when that lawsuit was going on where a (white) college student was accused of racism for describing a gaggle of wide-bottomed (black) girls as water buffalos.
I just see stupidity here, not racism.
highhopes on May 15, 2008 at 8:43 PM
However,
RushBaby on May 15, 2008 at 8:44 PM
Here’s some content for ya, Allah! MOST ETHICAL CONGRESS EVAH! ?????
SouthernGent on May 15, 2008 at 8:47 PM
Dude, if you’re gonna buy a Curious George shirt, buy this one.
(I actually own one.)
ReubenJCogburn on May 15, 2008 at 8:47 PM
Thats going to ge a hit song!
Chakra Hammer on May 15, 2008 at 8:48 PM
These people should definitely be in McCain’s administration, just not in the roles you imagine. Gorelick will be in charge of building the wall on the border. Albright will head DARPA’s black project involving flying monkeys, and Wes Clark will be making contingency plans in case the French locate their testicles and start fighting with their allies for their part in a Military alliance.
trubble on May 15, 2008 at 8:49 PM
Metallica’s Next album and Tour..
“F*CK IT — WE’LL DO IT LIVE.”!!!! >:D
Chakra Hammer on May 15, 2008 at 8:49 PM
Outstanding. Curious George is a favorite of my daughter, so that t-shirt has…appeal.
Slublog on May 15, 2008 at 8:50 PM
yes
Onager on May 15, 2008 at 8:51 PM
Here’s a better version, Slublog. If I recall correctly (this is from childhood, which was a day or three ago), the ether incident took place when CG visited the doctor’s office.
ReubenJCogburn on May 15, 2008 at 8:53 PM
Why does comparing Bush to a monkey mean that Bush is stupid, but comparing Obama to a monkey means all black people are monkeys?
And, isn’t there some truth to those ancient stereotypes? We’re all descended from monkeys after all, right? White people, black people, all people.
Oops. I’m expecting liberals to be consistent. My mistake.
misterpeasea on May 15, 2008 at 8:54 PM
Dude, I live and work like ten minutes from Mulligan’s and that guy is banana’s! His sign usually says things like “Border Patrol Eat Free” or “White History Month”. His restaurant sucks though the food is terrible and his beer is always flat.
sburg57 on May 15, 2008 at 8:54 PM
None of that crap is even remotely true, you know Gates is going to stay in the McCain admin.
Squid Shark on May 15, 2008 at 8:55 PM
Can’t Curious George support Obama? What’s wrong with that?
AZCON on May 15, 2008 at 8:55 PM
Only problem with your comments is that Wes Clark thinks the US military needs to be more like the French. All talk, parades, and medals without doing any of that “fighting stuff.”
On one port visit to France I ended up in a French Naval museum. I had to leave after about 15 minutes before I started rolling around LMAO. The text for virtually every display discussed some French Naval ship and the name of the foreign ship that sunk the French one!
highhopes on May 15, 2008 at 8:55 PM
Is anyone else having issues with Gmail?
doubleplusundead on May 15, 2008 at 8:56 PM
Your a sailor? Ok, it does not make me respect you but I dislike you less :)
Squid Shark on May 15, 2008 at 8:57 PM
I don’t know that. McCain was irrationally hostile about Rumsfeld because he cancelled too many pet projects of McCain. I suspect that McCain would find a SECDEF who seeks to send even more of our military contracts overseas- or did you miss the fact that McCain is the one responsible for getting the AF tankers built in Europe at the cost of some American jobs! We are likely to get the Pakistanis to build our next nuclear carrier and the Chinese to build our next submarine under a McCain administration.
highhopes on May 15, 2008 at 8:59 PM
Like i was saying yesterday the party needs to be “purged” again of certain “kooks”, like William F. Buckley, Jr. did long ago.
Chakra Hammer on May 15, 2008 at 9:01 PM
Thats is such BS, nobody bid on it..
Chakra Hammer on May 15, 2008 at 9:02 PM
Newt Gingrich is making Alan Colmes and the democrats look like total boobs. It’s not hard, mind you.
SouthernGent on May 15, 2008 at 9:05 PM
There is nothing irrationally hostile about dissaproving of Runsfeld. And the Airbus contract was a pretty good plan when you consider that Lockheed and Boeing have been producing lower quality for higher price every year.
Squid Shark on May 15, 2008 at 9:12 PM
Nothing like a fresh dose of your paranoid hyperbole.
Squid Shark on May 15, 2008 at 9:13 PM
23 years and counting (retirement this time next year). Why disrespect or dislike at all? I’m still waiting for the poster who provides REASONS for me not to oppose John McCain. All I get here is demands I become a McCain cheerleader or vague allegations Obama would be worse. I refuse to do the former and the latter is no reason to vote for McCain.
I respect McCain’s military service but there is little in his political record that compels me to support him. I’d love to here somebody at HA give me a few legitimate reasons beyond the fact he won the GOP nomination and he isn’t Clinton or Obama. None of that matters if McCain is wrong for America- which I think he is.
highhopes on May 15, 2008 at 9:14 PM
Are you sure this is an anti Obama clip?
Could just as easy be an effort at a liberal pump up the votes scheme.
Speakup on May 15, 2008 at 9:15 PM
Relying on European conglomerates for spare parts and proprietary software? Yeah that really trumps “buying American” when it comes to military equipment.
As to Rumsfeld, my beef with McCain is not his disapproval but the very public way he attacked the SECDEF. It was the typical low class move that is typical McCain when his dander is up. How are we to know he will be more civilized when some foreign nation pisses him off?
highhopes on May 15, 2008 at 9:18 PM
You and I share different qualities we want in our president, the reasons I have for supporting McCain would simply renew the namecalling.
Squid Shark on May 15, 2008 at 9:24 PM
So what was the motivation for using the Curious George picture if not race? What does Obama have in common with this particular monkey that makes sense in a non-racist context?
Yes, some have gone too far in trying crying racism in response to every real or percieved slight against a minority person or group. However this one seems pretty clear cut as having racist intent.
Hollowpoint on May 15, 2008 at 9:25 PM
Wasn’t that neat the way the news media hung this affair on conservatives? According to them, the owner of the store was “known” to be a conservative. Really? I guess if the media says it, it must be true.
What if it turned out that this store owner was actually a Democrat, would it still be newsworthy? I doubt it.
Maxx on May 15, 2008 at 9:27 PM
How can we EVER buy American, Lockheed has plants in places like Turkey…
I would rather have quality parts from our allies rather than getting overcharged for gear that is subpar.
Squid Shark on May 15, 2008 at 9:28 PM
yep
funky chicken on May 15, 2008 at 9:29 PM
I understand all of the high dudgeon over the Curious George t shirt, but hey, it Ol’ Curious and Obama do happen to look a lot alike. That’s not racist. Put a picture of them side by side in like pose, and you’ll see it.
Buford Gooch on May 15, 2008 at 9:30 PM
He does sort of look like CG. However it comes down to the same crap as “It’s just his Middle Name!”
Squid Shark on May 15, 2008 at 9:30 PM
off and on for the last month or so
funky chicken on May 15, 2008 at 9:31 PM
Nah, I only starting having issues this evening.
doubleplusundead on May 15, 2008 at 9:34 PM
Hmmm. I just got in to read mine but didn’t try sending anything.
funky chicken on May 15, 2008 at 9:39 PM
McCain criticized Rumsfeld for lots of good reasons, primarily among them the “hearts and minds” plan in Iraq that was getting lots of our troops killed and maimed and getting us farther from victory.
The fact is that the DOD and congress didn’t increase troop levels or increase funding for repair of our exhausted aircraft….my husband came home from a briefing by the AF chief of staff in spring 2006 that was all about how the AF had to cut 40,000 active duty troops that fiscal year. My husband’s plane is crumbling around the guys as we speak….
Gates has been much, much better. Rumsfeld er, “clung” to his “transformation” template until the bitter end even though we were in a very conventional kind of battle, which had terrible effects on all branches of our military.
And the Northrup Grumman/Airbus tanker deal is a good one. We hear lots of radio ads about it here in GA and AL….Northrup has big facilities in GA and Airbus is gonna build a factory in Mobile. It’s a great plane, and will do a great job.
Boeing was using fraud to try to sell us old stuff that isn’t as good and isn’t as flexible in design, for more money!
But hey, don’t let facts ruin a good case of MDS.
funky chicken on May 15, 2008 at 9:47 PM
To be fair to Rumsfeld, he was right about lots of things that pissed off the Clinton holdover generals. His message of transformation was a good one if we hadn’t gone to Iraq, or if Bush and the GOP congress had decided to fund both programs (transformation to special ops strike forces, modernized equipment, etc AND the large scale engagement in Iraq). It’s not Rumsfeld’s fault that Bush and the GOP congress failed spectacularly to support the military in deeds as well as words instead of indulging in idiotic porkfest transportation and agriculture bills.
The Walter Reed debacle and the continued crumbling of the VA system happened on Rumsfeld’s watch also…..
funky chicken on May 15, 2008 at 9:52 PM
Did the Reverend seriously say, “deplicted”?
cat-scratch on May 15, 2008 at 10:00 PM
It’s racist.
surrounded on May 15, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Yeah at first I just thought the guy was a complete idiot….but reading that he’s probably a racist as well. All the media attention will probably keep his horrible restaurant open.
crr6 on May 15, 2008 at 10:12 PM
He looks like a parot, how about a green and yellow parot shirt???
allrsn on May 15, 2008 at 10:20 PM
Whatever else we say in the comments for this thread, just don’t mention the HotAir markdown monkey, okay?
My collie says:
Well, actually, Dumbo WOULD fly, but I wouldn’t denigrate elephants that way. After all, Republicans and elephants go together.
My collie says:
Do you suppose that we could get Eddy Murphy to do the voice track?
CyberCipher on May 15, 2008 at 10:32 PM
QFT.
Not bowing to PCism is one thing, but common sence please.
- The Cat
MirCat on May 15, 2008 at 10:36 PM
You do know you’re my hero, right?
- The Cat
MirCat on May 15, 2008 at 10:38 PM
I need an O’Reilly “F–k It! We’ll Do It Live!” t-shirt.
Right. F–king. Now.
ScottMcC on May 15, 2008 at 10:41 PM
But Obama is notoriously Incurious (about Rev. Wright, about Bill Ayers, about Achmadinejihad, about “paradoxical” capital gains tax policies, about thinking Arabic is spoken in Afghanistan, ad absurdum) so this Curious George T-shirt is not only slimy, stupid racist tripe, but worse: it is moronically inapt.
Incurious Barry should have a new critter of his very own for an icon.
A Squinting, Near-sighted Opossum, perhaps? (Borrowed from one in the old “POGO” comic, although with jug-ears added.)
Obumbles always plays possum …when anyone hits at his naivete, gullibility or geopolitical folly.
Mere bigoted, neaderthal crap like this lame monkeyshines drivel deserves to be hooted offstage.
(And covered in thrown primate dung as it flees, metaphorically, at least.)
profitsbeard on May 15, 2008 at 11:31 PM
It is a free country, the guy should be able to make any shirt he wants. If people don’t like it, they can complain and not buy them. I am done with the PC police.
echosyst on May 16, 2008 at 12:01 AM
Allowed to compare Bush to an ape, though.
Nevertheless expect this to show up on T-Shirt Hell.
Reaps on May 16, 2008 at 1:52 AM
Allah the logical conclusion to your reasoning is that almost any PC demand that gets loud enough must be surrendered to. As my very Irish boss used to say, “It’s the thin end of the wedge.”
snaggletoothie on May 16, 2008 at 2:18 AM
you do realize why it’s entirely different to compare Obama to an ape right? I mean you really can’t be that dumb…
crr6 on May 16, 2008 at 2:21 AM
That’s what’s happening. People are complaining and not buying them. Nobody’s arresting the guy. Quit the hysterics.
crr6 on May 16, 2008 at 2:26 AM
If i was Curious George trademark holder i’d sue his arse alright.
Comparing an innocent chimp image to a Vicious Marxist Liar undoubtedly damages the brand name.
Aristotle on May 16, 2008 at 6:09 AM
“Like i was saying yesterday the party needs to be “purged” again of certain “kooks”, like William F. Buckley, Jr. did long ago.
Chakra Hammer on May 15, 2008 at 9:01 PM”
Commissar Chakra. We don’t even know which party this guy supports. The Southern KKKer or just plain raciist is more likely to be Democrat than Republican.
Don’t worry though, by the time you have finished with him he will be reciting “Barrack Obama is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I’ve ever known in my life”
davod on May 16, 2008 at 8:00 AM
Squid Shark on May 16, 2008 at 8:18 AM
Perhaps someone can explain this to me, for I myself am just a Cave Man and your modern ways confuse and frighten me. How, exactly, can this be considered rascist? Because the monkey is brown? Hahahahaha. Wait. I realize now I’m not supposed to laugh at that. Therefore I will control my laughter. Do you mean to suggest Obama is brown? See, now that is funny. However, I don’t think the cartoon is apt — Obama has larger and much funnier ears than Curious George, and he’s probably not that big on bananas. A cartoonist would have to work in a pineapple if they were going for award-winning oppositeness.
This thin-skinnedness (“Is this Yurp, are these Yurpeans?” cartoon famously depicting Bush as a monkey. And that was just the beginning. Here’s an exercise for you, as a Cave Man I’m especially impressionable to the mystery and to the magic that is the internet, try entering into your favorite browser search parameters : [+cartoons +bush +monkey] and see what happens. You’ll be amazed. There’s no end to it. Buck up. Get used to it, Senator. There’s much much more to follow. Entire careers will be based on making you appear ridiculous should you actually get yourself elected to the most eminently cartoonable lampoonable satireable (
bour3 on May 16, 2008 at 9:31 AM
satireable (
bour3 on May 16, 2008 at 9:33 AM
I’ll concede (b) in that it’s obviously not helping, regardless of the obvious fact that he’s a private person and thus in no shape, form or fashion representative of conservatism as a whole. But we all know how little that means. If the MSM (and you) decide to give that talking point credibility by suggesting that he is, he will be perceived as such.
But as to (a), I can’t remember the last time that I gave a bloody damn about somebody’s “feeewings.” If there are indeed tender-toes out there that get their pwecious feeewings hurt by a damn joke, then they seriously need to institutionalize themselves so that they never need to be confronted with the brutal reality that 99% of mankind are quite comfortable dealing with on a daily basis.
Jeebus H Flipping Christ on a Pogo Stick. Is there any way that this nation can possibly become MORE of a bunch of puling, hypersensitive pussies?
Misha I on May 16, 2008 at 9:35 AM
Hmmm. Cave Man not understand. Editor refuses to print last sentence of message. Tried several times. That’s OK, must move on.
bour3 on May 16, 2008 at 9:35 AM
What a racist scumbag.
Next.
Dave Rywall on May 16, 2008 at 9:45 AM
Sure there is. If the left drew cartoons of Bush with a hook nose it’d be fine; it they drew one of Joe Lieberman, it wouldn’t. Gotta stay away from ancient stereotypes.
Allah, if you tiptoe around these “ancient stereotypes,” you are only perpetuating them. Have you fallen victim to the Any Criticism of Obama Has a Racial Overtone Syndrome?
Beo on May 16, 2008 at 10:10 AM
Oops, sorry. Left out the block quote:
Allah, if you tiptoe around these “ancient stereotypes,” you are only perpetuating them. Have you fallen victim to the Any Criticism of Obama Has a Racial Overtone Syndrome?
Beo on May 16, 2008 at 10:10 AM
I’d call anyone an idiot for wearing a shirt like that.
It reminds me of the type of nastiness behind the Michael Steele in blackface “free speech” bit the Democrats did.
So, instead of throwing Oreo’s will detractors throw banana’s at Obama? Or both?
We shouldn’t be afraid to offend people in situations where someone might be offended. However, some things just cross a line of decency.
DWB on May 16, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Obananos?
James on May 16, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Well, I do appreciate posts like this for their clafifying effect. I see all the rabid McCain Derangement Syndrome folks lining up to defend this T-shirt and its purveyor.
Color me not surprised.
funky chicken on May 16, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Because I believe in the blessings of capitalism, even for folks like this: Sir, if you want to make money on T-shirts, here’s two that will sell like gangbusters among your clientele—JUAN MCSHAMNESTY with a pic of McCain in a serape, and JOHN MCCAIN TRAITOR with a pic of a young McCain in a fancy hotel with Vietnamese hookers.
Commercial gold for you, fella.
funky chicken on May 16, 2008 at 10:52 AM
Cry me a river. How often have I seen the President of the United States of America likened to an idiot, a chimp, Hitler, or all of the above? The t-shirt is distasteful but those protesters should remove the Bushy-Smirky-Shruby McChimpHitler bumper stickers from their own cars before complaining about anyone else’s bad taste.
Mrs. Happy Housewife on May 16, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Is that you, AP?
malan89 on May 16, 2008 at 4:45 PM