Tuesday, July 15, 2008

New Yorker

everyone is agog with the new New Yorker cover page.

 Jokes about the New Yorker's cartoons are a cliche...remember the Seinfeld episode when Elaine writes a New Yorker cartoon that no one understands, because it actually has a punch line? (Seinfeld- that's a whole another post). The cartoons are funny but never obvious - there's a particular New Yorker sensibility to them. I've always been a fan but this cover has given me pause. As a friend of mine asked, ' was this really necessary?'

Not only is the cartoon really not very funny but what's more amusing is the New Yorker's convoluted explanation for it. Their belief that the cover will expose the stereotypes about the Obama's is a combination of being too clever for their own good and  being so far removed from the pulse of average American pop discourse and culture that you're left shaking your head. In today's 5 second sound byte (I'm sure it's down from 8 seconds by now), TMZ,  SMS spelling saturated enviornment, all the cover does immediately is reinforce stereotypes. Few people have the time to mull over the deep complexities and hidden meanings of the cover's purported message. Of course, those are also not the people who are likely to relax with the New Yorker but who knows? 

This will die down soon- the latest in the mini-scandalous news stories that political news seems to revolve around but you have to wonder- can Obama catch a break from the left? It's the 'liberal media' (going all O' Reilly on you now) that has really been the thorn in his side so far. With friends like these....you know how it goes. 

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