Boston Herald: Sorry If We Offended With Obama-Watermelon Cartoon

[DonViejo]

By AHIZA GARCIA Published OCTOBER 1, 2014, 10:25 AM EDT

The editors of The Boston Herald issued an apology of sorts Wednesday, saying they "sincerely regret if we inadvertently offended anyone" with a political cartoon that trafficked in racial stereotypes, according to a tweet from a news anchor at WBZ.

The cartoon by renowned cartoonist Jerry Holbert and printed in Wednesday's newspaper was accompanied by the caption: "White House Invader Got Farther Than Originally Thought." It showed President Obama brushing his teeth while the uninvited guest sat in the tub over his shoulder. As the intruder sudsed up, he asked Obama whether he'd "tried the new watermelon flavored toothpaste."

Here's the tweet via WBZ's Joe Mathieu about the paper's apology:

Joe Mathieu @JoeMathieuWBZ

Editors @bostonherald: "We sincerely regret if we inadvertently offended anyone" with today's Holbert cartoon. #wbz

9:24 AM - 1 Oct 2014

The Boston herald did not immiedately return calls seeking comment.

###

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/boston-herald-obama-intruder-racist

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

1. ...that's not an apology.

We're sorry if you were offended. Puts the onus on the person who was offended.

[riqster]

2. It was inadvertent offense. Not their fault, huh? It was accidental use of racism, huh?

Bullshit. You are right, that should not be called an apology.

"Ooopsie, I inadvertently blew up my pipe bomb."

"Yikes, I inadvertently started a riot."

"Inadvertently" means never having to say you're sorry.

[DonViejo]

3. The Herald is Boston's wing-nut publication...

formerly owned by Murdoch; now owned by one of his former(?) flunkies

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

4. Makes sense.

They're not big on apologies.

[yeoman6987]

9. What a very weird cartoon

Doesn't make sense. They could have had the cartoon without that phrase and could have been funny. How absolutely dumb. If you are going to insult, make it make sense. The whole cartoon is an epic fail.

[haele]

24. Weird, but highlights the general disrespect for Pres. Obama.

The intruder is the one making a casual racial slur after walking in the president's house and doing whatever he wanted to do.
It appears that the cartoonist was attempting to add a racial-based complicantcy to the whole breakdown of the Whitehouse security situation - as in the RW poutrage over the "black man in the white house" and that there may be members of the White House security that isn't taking the job seriously because they think the same thing. That's what I got from it. And since he is a conservative cartoonist, I'm more than inclined that he's down with that attitude himself and this was pretty much a dog-whistle.

Haele

[brush]

25. I like your post but what is "complicantcy"? nt

[haele]

28. Didn't Speel check.

Complicitcy or being complicit with. Sometimes the fingers move too quickly.

Haele

[brush]

29. I like the title of your response

Nice quality to be able to laugh at oneself.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. I think this is mine - well for today

Please share your "you don't think we're like that" story
http://www.democraticunderground.com/11879115


Uh - yes. Yes I do.

[Marrah_G]

6. The Herald is a right wing rag- this is low even for them.

[JaneyVee]

7. And then the rightwing is mystified when they're accused of racism.

[justhanginon]

8. Sincerely? I seriously doubt it after reading your so called apology.

Regret it? If you truly regretted it you would have offered a real apology.
Inadvertently? Really, no one in your organization could pick up on the racist tone of that cartoon?
Offended anyone? It should offend everyone of your readers.
Disgusting!

[aikoaiko]

10. Isnt the cartoon's text an implied accusation of racism of the intruder

and, therefore more generally, an accusation of people who would do harm to the President?

[lame54]

12. they are the only ones to bring race into this issue...

it doesn't work and should have been stopped or changed for that reason

[herding cats]

15. About Jerry Holbert

About Jerry Holbert

Staff cartoonist for the Boston Herald since 1986, Holbert serves up solid conservative commentary, delivered with a smile.

I looked him up because I wanted to know who he was. This is from go comics. Check out the comic they have there, the toothpaste is raspberry flavored NOT watermelon. This was interned as racist. Period!

http://www.gocomics.com/jerryholbert

[n2doc]

16. Very interesting

I wonder if Holbert modified that toon at their request, or realized what he had done and changed it for the go comics site.

I saw the one at go comics, it wasn't particularly good or original (many others have riffed on a similar theme before today), but without the changed reference it wasn't particularly offensive. The Herald one is offensive.

[herding cats]

18. The thought they may have requested the change crossed my mind as well.

I wouldn't be surprised if they did request one less offensive, but I wouldn't be surprised if he made two versions just in case the obviously racist one was rejected, either.

[n2doc]

19. I have seen some pretty offensive toons at go comics by others

So I don't think they would have requested a change. I could be wrong.

[sheshe2]

11. Once again...

The Boston Herald moves to the head of the " CRASS".

[Blue_Adept]

13. Shoulda said pumpkin spice

That would at least have made sense.

[CentralMass]

14. It's a great paper, for lining hamster cages.

[herding cats]

17. I just saw the go comics version. It says rasberry flavored NOT watermelon.

Isn't that nice? He made two versions. One for the racist rag and one for the archives at go comics.

http://www.gocomics.com/jerryholbert

[progressoid]

20. More likely it was changed after this business with the Boston Herald.

[Behind the Aegis]

21. Typical non-apology.

They did exactly what they wanted to do knowing they could. Yet one more example of how this is not even remotely close to a "post-racial" society.

"inadvertently"

[F4lconF16]

22. Apparently the watermelon flavor was entirely accidental.

From the Washington Post:

“I feel awful about the perception that it was racist, but it was nothing of the sort,” Holbert tells The Post’s Comic Riffs. “I wanted another flavor of toothpaste for the cartoon, and we had a bottle of Colgate kids’ toothpaste that was watermelon-flavored … watermelon seems to be a big flavor these days, so…I went with it.”

“It was a completely innocent attempt at humor, but it did not come across that way to some people,” Holbert continues. “I have said I am sorry for offending anyone — I never intended to do that. I never even thought about the racial element. I wish I had, but I did not. A bit dumb on my part — I should have thought it through more.”

Holbert says his aim was only to skewer the lax security surrounding President Obama. “Now it has all blown up around racism,” Holbert tells The Post’s Comic Riffs, “which is something I detest. I never make racist humor.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/10/01/obama-watermelon-toothpaste-controversy-apologetic-boston-herald-cartoonist-says-i-detest-racist-humor/

[tabasco]

23. Sorry if I never buy your shit paper, assholes. n/t

[Gothmog]

26. That was a crappy apology

[still_one]

27. That is no apology, but will be the most disturbing is there will be a large percentage of the

populous who won't see anything is wrong, and that underlies and even greater problem

[Jamaal510]

30. No, they're just sorry they didn't get away with this. nt