From France: ‘The Obamas as Terrorists – Is Irony Compatible with News?’

It’s creating almost as much controversy as the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad did last year: Does The New Yorker cover – with Barack and Michele Obama dressed like terrorists – go too far?

Pascal Riche of France’s Rue 89 suggests that the episode is a cautionary tale for French newspapers – and whatever the left-wing American weekly was trying to do – it has failed.

Riche writes:

“Irony is a tool that should be used with care. French newspapers Libération and Rue89 had best remember that. … Irony is rarely a good mix with news. Though a majority of readers of any newspaper understand the subtext, many others are terribly narrow-minded. I remember a headline that we wrote for Libération when [former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre] Raffarin was named prime minister: Finally, Raffarin!! Such a reaction over such an uncharismatic character made journalists laugh during the news meeting [when editors decide what to publish]. But readers didn’t completely understand.”

By Pascal Riché

Translated By Kate Davis

July 15, 2008

France – Rue 89 – Original Article (French)

Every week, The New Yorker publishes a drawing that is quirky, poetic, humorous, or a bit strange on its cover. Its long-time subscribers probably weren’t too offended by the weekly’s latest cover that shows the Obamas in the Oval Office in the guise of terrorists.

Barack Obama is in traditional Muslim garb (turban and djellaba ), while his wife Michelle, sporting an “Afro” hairdo, is in combat fatigues with a Kalashnikov slung across her shoulder. The American flag burns in the fireplace and a portrait of Osama bin Laden adorns the wall.

The image pushed to the point of absurdity certain remarks that are heard here and there about Barack Obama: he’s not tough about confronting terrorism; his middle name Hussein betrays his Muslim roots, and so on.

Even McCain, the Republican candidate, once described him as the “candidate of Hamas” According to a poll recently published in Newsweek , 25 percent of Americans believe Obama was raised a Muslim and 12 percent that he took the oath of office on the Koran when he became a senator!

Irony is a tool that should be used with care. [French newspapers] Libération and Rue89 had best remember that.

READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing translated foreign press coverage of the U.S. election.