Any way you look at it, Obama's going down!

[Ayatollahgondola]

Originally Posted by DerailAmnesty.com

Oh, please.

The entire gist/humor behind the picture is that the President is in a subservient position to Sarah Palin.

it's not a rembrandt or Picasso, and this isn't an art class or museum tour. You are allowed to interpret it in any manner you see fit. I chose not to give racial connotation a priority here. Toss out the race card and it may take on a different meaning to you.
I used to have a standing reply to some of my male employees back in the day, after they came crawling back to ask for work after having voluntarily deserted their posts without a word for some short term higher paying gig that didn't pan out.
I'd say: "I'm glad you're back; I can always use a faithful man servant to hand my undergarments to before my shower".
It was humorously demeaning, but never racially motivated. That's the way I saw this photo.

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Originally Posted by Ayatollahgondola

it's not a rembrandt or Picasso, and this isn't an art class or museum tour. You are allowed to interpret it in any manner you see fit. I chose not to give racial connotation a priority here. Toss out the race card and it may take on a different meaning to you.
I used to have a standing reply to some of my male employees back in the day, after they came crawling back to ask for work after having voluntarily deserted their posts without a word for some short term higher paying gig that didn't pan out.
I'd say: "I'm glad you're back; I can always use a faithful man servant to hand my undergarments to before my shower".
It was humorously demeaning, but never racially motivated. That's the way I saw this photo.

I didn't see it as racial either. Like I said, my brother shined shoes. Some of us grew up totally different and race was never a factor. I've mentioned that I grew up in a racially mixed society many times on this and the old board, and as a result I didn't see racial undertones in that picture. What I saw was someone preforming a service for someone else. It didn't have much of an impact on me. Maybe, and obviously, I just don't get racial humor. I don't find many things funny at someone elses' expense. But that doesn't mean others won't find it humorous. And finding that someone perceives honest work respectable is not irrelevant, because it allowed me to view that photoshop photo as nothing more than it was, that being someone preforming a service for someone else. The only humor I might get out of it was that Obama looks like he lost his job, which wouldn't be a bad thing. You see I don't think there are any jobs that are below what Americans will do.

[LAPhil]

I look at it this way: Am I personally offended by something which might be construed as racist? There are some things which I find racially offensive and some which I do not. My gut reaction to the picture was obviously a positive one, and since there is nothing in it I find offensive it would be hypocritical for me to label it as racist.

[DerailAmnesty.com]

From my perspective, you guys are denying what's plainly in front of you. Your lack-of-racial-undertone suggestions defy reality. If there isn't a play to the stereotype about blacks shining shoes, the picture isn't "funny." If it isn't about him being black in a stereotypical uneducated African-American position, what's the joke? Obama lost his job and is now doing this? He hasn't lost his job, Jean. He hasn't come close. There's nothing that has happened in the real world to make that the tie-in to the attempt at humor.

For those who have had little exposure to ethnic stereotypes, let me clue you in (I grew up with ethnic humor. My parents, who are from the East Coast, had children late and are closer to two generations older than me, than one):

Poles and Italians - Stupid, a step in "class" only above blacks. The latter are notorious for being involved with organized crime. The former work mostly in coal mines.

Irish - Commonly drunk, work as policemen and have a hardcore devotion to the Pope.

Jews - Completely dishonest, particularly in financial dealings.

Germans - Makers of lousy food and no senses of humor. Anal retentive and devoted to detail to the Nth degree.

Chinese - Found in two places: Chinese restaurants and laundries.

Japanese - Scheming backstabbers.

Blacks - The lowest rung in American society. Only fit for positions that entail physical labor (domestics, drivers, servants, laborers ... and certainly shoe shine boys, which were commonplace in large American cities during the first half of the 20th Century).

Are these dated stereotypes? Sure. But to deny them and their place in American culture is pointless. Particularly in view of the fact that the picture in question doesn't make any "humorous" sense otherwise. Whether you perceive it or not, the person who made the Obama/Palin pic intended it, because there's no other quickly understood "funny" reason to have a black president shining shoes.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do I think the pic is a big deal or something for which we all have to immerse ourselves in "sensitivity" courses about, or some other PC nonsense? No, of course not. But when a black woman in her 80's doesn't like it, I completely understand why. It's a cheap shot at the guy. The joke, at least in part, is about his skin color, no question.

OK, end of discussion on my end. You either get it or you don't and this topic really doesn't merit the time we've invested in it. Please excuse me now, I have to go lend money at exorbitant rates of interest.

[Ole Glory]

"Italians - Stupid, a step in "class" only above blacks. The latter are notorious for being involved with organized crime. The former work mostly in coal mines."

Yeah, so, what's your point? Oh, and by the way SZ, for Hanukkah/Chanukah, I got you a cement overcoat with matching shoes. I hope you like them. The outfit will go along with your free toll tokens for the Brooklyn Bridge tour. A car ride down by the river is lovely this time of year. Enjoy.

Trivia: All the roads in New York City end at the river.

Fugheddaboudit, lol.

[Ole Glory]

A Greek and an Italian

A Greek and Italian were sitting in a Starbuck's one day discussing who had the superior culture. Over triple lattes the Greek guy says, "Well, we have the Parthenon."

Arching his eyebrows, the Italian replies, "We have the Coliseum." The Greek retorts, "We Greeks gave birth to advanced mathematics."

The Italian, nodding agreement, says, "But we built the Roman Empire."

And so on and so on until the Greek comes up with what he thinks will end the discussion. With a flourish of finality he says, "We invented sex!"

The Italian replies, "That is true, but it was the Italians who introduced it to women!"

[DerailAmnesty.com]

Originally Posted by Ole Glory

"Italians - Stupid, a step in "class" only above blacks. The latter are notorious for being involved with organized crime. The former work mostly in coal mines."

Yeah, so, what's your point? Oh, and by the way SZ, for Hanukkah/Chanukah, I got you a cement overcoat with matching shoes. I hope you like them. The outfit will go along with your free toll tokens for the Brooklyn Bridge tour. A car ride down by the river is lovely this time of year. Enjoy.

Trivia: All the roads in New York City end at the river.

Fugheddaboudit, lol.

Really? OK, that sounds reasonable on the conditions that you sell it to me at wholesale and there is an extra coat, tossed in gratis, for my Uncle Morty.

Alright, off the top of my head, I can come up with this trio; the last two of which are so bad that if the Christians are right about the existence of Hell, I just reserved myself a seat in the first 20 rows.


Question: Why do Jews have such big noses?

Answer: Because the air is free.


Have you heard about the new German-built microwave currently being marketed to consumers on Fairfax and in Brentwood?

It seats 40.


Question: What is the difference between a pizza and a Jew?

Answer: Pizzas don't scream when you toss them in the oven.

[Ole Glory]

O M G That is really bad, however, that won't stop me.

Can you top this?

Question: How was the Grand Canyon formed?

Answer: A Jew dropped a penny down a gofer hole.


Question: Why does the state of New Jersey have more toxic waste dumps than lawyers?

Answer: They had first choice.


Question: Why are lawyers buried with holes drilled in their coffins?

Answer: So the worms and maggots can crawl out to throw up.