Last week Shamus posted the above NY Post cartoon on scatterplot, which the editor of the Post claimed “is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington’s efforts to revive the economy” but I argued was “a clear parody of two unrelated things, which we tie together with racial subtext.” This has been discussed everywhere, but for another sociological take you can check out the racism review. The same day, Penny Arcade posted the following comic:
The above comic is referring to the depiction of African villagers in the upcoming Resident Evil 5 video game, which is also discussed here. Connecting these topics is the notion that one’s interpretation of each is affected by the history of racism in the United States and, likely, one’s racial experience. It seems that a broader portrayal of African Americans in the popular culture would be a good way to begin weakening these associations.
