Racist Cartoon in the Australian

funkyfreo

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#51
Leper said:
Bottom line as I see it is most people will always be racist to some degree, it's just that at the moment it's not PC to admit it.
I digress, since Pauline Hanson it has been very PC to voice such prejudices. So PC it has won elections.
 

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afc9798

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#52
CharlieG said:
Where do I fire my e-mail off to?

I'm not a regular reader of The Australian, but they deserve to be punished for publishing that.

Welcome back Funky. Don't disappear.
CharlieG and anyone else who finds it offensive, you can e-mail a complaint to complaints@presscouncil.org.au. I have sent mine today. I will also send them one about Janet Albrechtsen being allowed to express any opinion in the company of children. I've told my kids that if they see her, do not stop and run directly home or get a dog to bite you to take the edge off the pain. The Australian is sinking lower and lower by the day. Maybe by the end of the year, they will declare their hand and rename it to the White Australian.
 

feher

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#53
afc9798 said:
CharlieG and anyone else who finds it offensive, you can e-mail a complaint to complaints@presscouncil.org.au. I have sent mine today. I will also send them one about Janet Albrechtsen being allowed to express any opinion in the company of children. I've told my kids that if they see her, do not stop and run directly home or get a dog to bite you to take the edge off the pain. The Australian is sinking lower and lower by the day. Maybe by the end of the year, they will declare their hand and rename it to the White Australian.
If they were both white, would you even have bothered? What the hell is happening to this country? you can't have any negative opinion about anyone other then a white person?

People are making a bigger deal out of it then it is.

I don't have a problem with people not liking it, hey I don't like it either, but not because of some weird way its racist.
 

MightyFighting

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Thread starter #54
feher said:
If they were both white, would you even have bothered? What the hell is happening to this country? you can't have any negative opinion about anyone other then a white person?

People are making a bigger deal out of it then it is.

I don't have a problem with people not liking it, hey I don't like it either, but not because of some weird way its racist.
Feher, once again... The two people in that cartoon are meant to represent all aboriginal people. That is why it is racist.

If if was just meant to represent Jeff Farmer and his wife, then it wouldn't be racist, just defamatory.
 

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#56
MightyFighting said:
The Murdoch Press have had their anti-aborigine agenda going for a while, and yet I didn't expect to see this:


It's playing on the idea that aboriginal men like to beat up their wives.


Has this sort of thing suddenly become acceptable? Will tomorrow's cartoon depict them as having tails and hanging from trees?
Saw this exact scenario (not words) at Perth Train Station yesterday.
 

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Thread starter #57
feher said:
Can you back up that claim?
Simple.

Do they look like anyone in particular?

If they are just supposed to represent a generic wife-basher and victim, then why are they black (a distinguishing feature)?

If the cartoon isn't about aboriginees being wife-bashers, then what point is it trying to make? (I can tell you that it isn't supposed to be a random event involving two unknown people who happen to be black.)
 

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#58
MightyFighting said:
Simple.

Do they look like anyone in particular?
Okay i'll give you that, BUT if their white, does it look like anyone in particular? it is an Aus paper, I think you can make the same conclusion if you really want to, the problem is people don't want to.

If they are just supposed to represent a generic wife-basher and victim, then why are they black (a distinguishing feature)?
What color should they be? I have asked this before, the only color it can be is say red, blue etc, hardly going to have the same effect as choosing a color, it tries to put a more serious talking point to the cartoon.

If the cartoon isn't about aboriginees being wife-bashers, then what point is it trying to make? (I can tell you that it isn't supposed to be a random event involving two unknown people who happen to be black.)
Depends how you want to look at it, I see it as men not wanting to be emotional due to the text, but put in a bad way or men are bashers, that again is descrimination against men, but other then maybe two of us that have posted, no one has commented on that. And of course their is the way that some aboriginals are bashers, not all, I don't know why people are coming up with this.

Perhaps people are too inscure with themselves and must see a reason to pick it too pieces.
 

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#59
feher said:
Can you back up that claim?
I think you just have to face up to it feher, racism is anything anyone decides it is. Thats part of the problem. Personally I think the cartoon is in poor taste but I agree with what your saying its nearly impossible to make any reference to Aboriginals without someone considering it racist. That is of course unless you spewing out the same "blame blame stollen this stollen that gimme" that we've all heard thousands of times.
I don't look at that cartoon & suddenly think all Aboriginals are wife bashers. I looked at it & wondered what the story was about & I dare say the cartoonist editor would probably say thats what it's supposed to do.

I totally agree with the sentiment behind people's objections - no race should be streotyped as anything but I think people these days are simply looking for racism rather than understanding what it really is & the different forms it can take.

Without reading the article that it was reffering to I can't really judge its relevence but I think the ridiculous defensiveness of ultra left actually does the problem more harm than good.
 

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#61
feher said:
Well said OB1, better then I could ever sum it up.

I guess this means I'll now be stereotyped by some here as a redneck racist :confused:

It amazes me how decriminatory those who profess to be fighting against bigotry can be. Double standards at its best.
 

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#63
feher said:
OB1 since croc hasn't being on here, I haven't been called a racist since, amazing how the maturity level went up ;)
That bloke has some serious stability problems. It scares me to think someone thought he was appropriate to offer children a balanced view. Come to think of it though he wasn't that dissimilar to some of the teachers I had at high school. OOPS! is that a generalisation? Can we say that these days?

Keep up the good fight feher :)
 

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#65
Erm guys, you guys are fighting the bad fight??

It is just when I read your posts I generally get that you are looking to niggle, and stand behind pseudo-reasonable comments like some smarmy kid in the playground, when we all actually know what you really think?

I agree with almost all that you have said about indigenous issues here, except for the fact that that Cartoon, no matter how well intentioned an explanation the cartoonist could give, comes across as a cheap racist jibe designed to sway public opinion against blacks. If he has a deep message, well he missed getting that point across by a mile.

Just explain how it can be in poor taste but not racially so? That is WHY it is in poor taste. It either is or it isn't. Because of this, it will be viewed by racist people with smug self satisfation because even the newspaper agrees with them.
 

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#66
funkyfreo said:
Just explain how it can be in poor taste but not racially so? That is WHY it is in poor taste. It either is or it isn't. Because of this, it will be viewed by racist people with smug self satisfation because even the newspaper agrees with them.
Simple it's in poor taste because it shows MEN as being bashers, but not the other way around. Would it have being that hard to make that an issue?

Now answer me how if they were both white it can't be seen as racial? and won't be mind you.

Erm guys, you guys are fighting the bad fight??

It is just when I read your posts I generally get that you are looking to niggle, and stand behind pseudo-reasonable comments like some smarmy kid in the playground, when we all actually know what you really think?
Niggle us? why can't it be people that are looking at making it racist that are niggling?


Try again:

Either the pic is racist both ways, whether it has white people in it or black, or neither is racist, you can not have it both ways.
 

funkyfreo

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#67
feher said:
Simple it's in poor taste because it shows MEN as being bashers, but not the other way around. Would it have being that hard to make that an issue?

Now answer me how if they were both white it can't be seen as racial? and won't be mind you.
Feher - if you can put your hand on your heart and swear on your mothers grave that you honestly believe that the people in the cartoon are coincidentally black and the cartoon is not a comment on black people, then I can honestly say that you are the kind of person who lies on your mothers grave and has no integrity.

If they were both white I would not consider it racial because there is no social issue at the moment in the headlines about whites and touchy feely and issues that have arisen because of said touchy feely policies. Wheras the cartoon clearly refers to the ALP deputy president or whatever saying that the ALP's policies may have done damage to indig. Australians be being too touchy feely, or words to that effect.

Like it or not, the use of a generic "white" person in a cartoon just represents an average Australian from any racial background. The person would need a symbol like a KKK hat, and swastica, or some other identifier I think to try and just identify White Australians in a negative racial light.
 

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#68
This context issue is something that those who are on the feher et al side fail to see sometimes, in my opinion.

The IDENTICAL cartoon could have appeared in National Blackfellahs Magazine and it would not have been racist or even had racial overtones, but would have been valid and confrontational and intelligent social comment.
 

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#69
afc9798 said:
If it is as blatant as it appears, it's a sure sign that the re-election of Howard has already started to show its' effects, with the press feeling that it is free to print this type of tripe and that the public sentiment will defend their right to do so.
Howard's fault? Riiiight. Although I don't get the joke from the cartoon I agree it looks racist, but blaming Howard is a bit rich.
 

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#71
bunsen burner said:
Nothing wrong with stereotyping a group of people. Stereotyping individuals is however wrong.
I thought it was the other way round? I don't care if people stereotype me.
 

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#72
feher said:
Hmmm, okay, so how exactly could the artist work it so it doesn't discriminate against one race?
Simple. A vast majority of Australian people would see that picture and make two associations: domestic violence and Aborigines. If you don't want to make that association with race, then you wouldn't use a depiction of a minority group. If you use a generic picture that could represent a minority, by default you imply that you are talking about a characteristic of that minority.

If you want to make a point about a particular issue and you don't want to obscure it by race, you would use depictions of the majority racial group in a country especially where the majority is as pronounced as Australia. By clearly drawing a minority racial group there is no way that cartoon can be mistaken for being about generic domestic violence.

If the article was somehow linked to a particular Aboriginal person then it would be appropriate to draw that person in the cartoon - that's why I asked about whether there was a related article in the paper. If there wasn't then the cartoon clearly has racist overtones.
 

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#73
funkyfreo said:
Feher - if you can put your hand on your heart and swear on your mothers grave that you honestly believe that the people in the cartoon are coincidentally black and the cartoon is not a comment on black people, then I can honestly say that you are the kind of person who lies on your mothers grave and has no integrity.

If they were both white I would not consider it racial because there is no social issue at the moment in the headlines about whites and touchy feely and issues that have arisen because of said touchy feely policies. Wheras the cartoon clearly refers to the ALP deputy president or whatever saying that the ALP's policies may have done damage to indig. Australians be being too touchy feely, or words to that effect.

Like it or not, the use of a generic "white" person in a cartoon just represents an average Australian from any racial background. The person would need a symbol like a KKK hat, and swastica, or some other identifier I think to try and just identify White Australians in a negative racial light.
Feher I think Funky does have a point here.

What I don't understand is why we have to pretend we are not racist. I for one would feel totally uncomfortable walking into the Uppacombukta West pub if it was full of black fellas and they all looked up at me funny when I walked in.

I could have a beef about all the handouts they get (eg Abstudy) but at the end of the day I couldnt give a stuff - there'll always be people getting / wanting handouts, whether they be Aboriginals or single mothers who didn't know better than to have kids at 16 or lazy a$$ white freeloaders who think the Gov't should solve their problems.
 

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#74
funkyfreo said:
Feher - if you can put your hand on your heart and swear on your mothers grave that you honestly believe that the people in the cartoon are coincidentally black and the cartoon is not a comment on black people, then I can honestly say that you are the kind of person who lies on your mothers grave and has no integrity.
No I can't but I think you have judge the person without giving him a fair go. I can certainly see why people see it as racist, but I don't get why it doesn't work both ways. I am trying to understand why people are seeing it that way and don't want to or can't see it our/my way.

If they were both white I would not consider it racial because there is no social issue at the moment in the headlines about whites and touchy feely and issues that have arisen because of said touchy feely policies. Wheras the cartoon clearly refers to the ALP deputy president or whatever saying that the ALP's policies may have done damage to indig. Australians be being too touchy feely, or words to that effect.
So if in 20 years time, and lets say their is only a little bit of racism to worry about, would you still think the same? Why don't we start now? I am not into politics as much as you would be, I have no doubt about that. So I would have never got that meaning from the cartoon.

Like it or not, the use of a generic "white" person in a cartoon just represents an average Australian from any racial background. The person would need a symbol like a KKK hat, and swastica, or some other identifier I think to try and just identify White Australians in a negative racial light.
I don't have a problem with using white people to rep. an issue, I have a problem when its done the other way and people want to call the person racist, but fail to see that if done the other way they wouldn't even bother with it ... or at least not on the issue of race.
 
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