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Creators of Obama monkey shift gears

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SLC'er | 12:28 a.m. June 17, 2008

This is so disgusting! I'm embarrassed that someone in our fine state would create such an item. I know most people find this to be a tasteless and hateful product, one that brings back memories to many of a time when African-Americans were poorly portrayed by many Caucasians in our nation, but I hope that those that defend this product and think about purchasing something like this will take a moment and wonder how it would feel if the shoe was on the other foot, if you were African-American and found this offensive. For that sole reason, just don't buy it. Lets stop finding ways to portray those of different races in a negative light, regardless of the color, Black, White, Brown, etc. Feel free to criticize Mr. Obama all you want for his policies or character, but I hope that us Utahns can stop portraying other races in a negative light, whether it be through common stereotypes, or through a stupid sock puppet.

Alex Trebek | 12:46 a.m. June 17, 2008

I'm happy to hear that they are shelving this horrible, horrible idea. It was ill-conceived in the first place. Leave it to backwards Utahns to be so naive as to not understand our history with slaves and the Jim Crow era. Get out of your bubble, Utahns. Learn about the grim realities of this country's racist past. Learn about how that is still perpetrated today. Learn about something more than lime jello, scrapbooking, and being the next American Idol.

JohnP | 3:45 a.m. June 17, 2008

If these people were going to vote obama08, I'm wondering if they're still thinking along those party lines.
These people didn't seem to mean anything bad in their intentions. Since they have received threats of all kinds, it's probably wise to shelve the product.
nobama '08

Comments continue below

RE: Alex Trebek | 4:07 a.m. June 17, 2008

Please don't assume that all Utahns, or even many Utahns, are racist or oblivious. You will find people like this anywhere.

Also, why make fun of the things that Utahns choose to do instead of going out and getting drunk? No one criticizes your hobbies, so don't criticize theirs.

MHP | 5:44 a.m. June 17, 2008

I'm happy its gone also Alex. A characterised doll of the Senator is one thing, but a monkey is another. I hope the world won't see Utahns as backward. We don't need any more bad publicity.

New Yorker | 6:21 a.m. June 17, 2008

Relax. How embarrassed are you when they depict George Bush...our President as a monkey? As a New Yorker with Utah ties, Utah as a whole isn't backwards, just some you that write in to the D-News.
Chill out. There is a whole lot more of that kind of humor going around back here.

They don't get it | 6:33 a.m. June 17, 2008

Dear Lawsons: the problem is that your toy does NOT look like Obama!

So after all this time, you have not LOOKED at Obama and noticed he does not have the big red lips your toy does? He's not the piccaninny caricature you see when you see ALL blacks? OK, we got it now.

So now, you have a "new opportunity"? Let's see - same toy, but teamed up with some right-wing news site?

--
Laytonian
(thinking so far, no one's fully read the article)

sob | 6:36 a.m. June 17, 2008

saying that this toy was not meant to offend is either
disingenuous or the height of inconsiderate insensitivity reflective of the lack of awareness of anything outside of the limited social network many from utah have. we have people complaining about international studies in our high schools, so that our youth can learn that although we in america have one of the greatest societies in the world, we are a minority whose world view is not the only one, and then they wonder why utah is seen as america's northern ozarks when this kind of thing is considered "a temptest in a tea pot" by so many.

Timj | 6:57 a.m. June 17, 2008

A monkey can represent multiple things. Historically, people have used monkeys to represent African Americans; bigots want people to see African Americans as a lower race. It's racism, pure and simple.
A monkey can also represent stupidity (hence its use for depicting George W. Bush or local Utah politicians).

Bot | 7:07 a.m. June 17, 2008

Why is it O.K. to make a monkey caricature of George Walker Bush, but not Barack Hussein Obama?

Zac | 7:09 a.m. June 17, 2008

You know what? If you don't vote for Obama, then you are racist. Right?

Dave | 7:13 a.m. June 17, 2008

O boy, anything anybody says or does makes them a racist.

Anonymous | 7:21 a.m. June 17, 2008

Racism in Utah?
Nawwwww!

Christy | 7:28 a.m. June 17, 2008

Here's a great idea for Dave and Liz: Create a McCain monkey and market it alongside the Omama monkey. Equal opportunity (or equal offense) toward all!

Lawsons & tigers & bears, oh my! | 7:33 a.m. June 17, 2008

Never to be deterred in their quest to become the most ridiculed and ridiculous people in America, even now the Lawsons are determined to convert their hare-brained racist idea to treasure . . .

Wake up, Lawsons! You are an embarrassment to Utah and (most) Utahns!

It would probably be pointless to tell you to quit while you are ahead, since you are so far behind (the times, the 8-ball, etc.)

Thomas Pain | 7:39 a.m. June 17, 2008

The toy was NOT and more hateful than toys, bumper stickers, and jokes describing President Bush. But he's white, so, of course, none of the this is concidered racist. But wait, isn't this a double standard. Face it! The puppet may be of poor taste but it was not racist. COMMON SENSE!

Grow Up | 7:44 a.m. June 17, 2008

I am shocked that there is some much sensitivity about this issue. The monkey also has sexual connotations however no one is talking about that issue. Grow up. It is so easy to take offense when no offense is intended. Calling Utahanï¿½s backwards is projection. You are the ones that need an education. I suppose that if Obama becomes president the late night talk show monologs won't be able to poke fun at him as they have with the Clinton's and Bush's because he's black. Please. BTW I am not a European American I am an American. So is everyone else who is a citizen of this country regardless of race or ethnicity. No hyphens please. Letï¿½s form a ï¿½more perfect union.ï¿½

Anonymous | 7:53 a.m. June 17, 2008

The lack of common decency and judgement in this country is astounding.

NameCalling | 7:56 a.m. June 17, 2008

Only a bigot would think that all or even most Utahns are racists.

here we go | 7:57 a.m. June 17, 2008

The same kind of toy has certainly been made of Bush, but my race is not offended. A caricature of a white person--no matter how generalized--is funny. Hilarious even. A caricature of a black person is always racist. Not to say there aren't some racist stinkers in Utah, but this is ridiculous. Oversensitivity just further drives racism. We need to get over it.

Just more of what we have to look forward to--don't criticize President Obama, that is racist, just like its unamerican to criticize the Bush administration.

Get a life yall | 8:00 a.m. June 17, 2008

Common people, this is pretty stupid. Lets just agree it was a dumb idea. They didn't mean it that way, but after people had a cow, they realized the mistake. You can choose to be offended, or not to be offended....its ALWAYS your choice. I choose not to be offended when people make remarks about my religion, or other things. You too can choose not to be offended by this.

Also, where are Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson? I would have expected them to be protesting on these poor folks front lawn by now....

Cathy R. | 8:03 a.m. June 17, 2008

If you cannot see the racial overtones in this toy then YOU have a problem. It is 2008, not 1958.

PookyBear | 8:04 a.m. June 17, 2008

Jeanetta Williams of the NAACP says this is an example of "pure racism at its extreme." Really? What about killing or beating people because of their race? What about cross burning? If you call everything extreme, pretty soon people stop listening to you.

noclue2@frontiernet.net | 8:13 a.m. June 17, 2008

If the monkey had been of McCain nothing would have been said. The ones who are racists are the blacks.

Ernest T. Bass | 8:20 a.m. June 17, 2008

republican bigots claim it's not racists but anyone with an objective thought are able to see that it is in fact racist.

Anonymous | 8:30 a.m. June 17, 2008

This eagerness on the part of blacks (and their apologists)to take offense, and our worry about being politically correct towards them, should remind us once again why we do not want a black president.

Anonymous | 8:33 a.m. June 17, 2008

And one again, we see a double standard. We don't knokw anything about the Lawson's except that they created a politiclly inspired toy. We have heard their reasoning and an explanation and yet you people continue to conduct a cyber-lynching. I can understand that many people found this offensive, but many did not, and now the civil rights AND SAFETY of the Lawsons has been threatened. When are all of you self-righteous,freedom loving people going to come to their defense and allow them the right to enjoy the freedoms that we all should enjoy? If you don't like the sock doll, don't buy it. You can keep your wallets closed. And maybe, just maybe, can someone out there try to believe them? David and Elizabeth, as a fellow resident of West Jordan, I'm a bit embarrassed--not at what you did--but at what our fellow Utahns and Americans are saying.

Cry me a river! | 8:33 a.m. June 17, 2008

I think the doll is cute. I bet my daughters would love to each have one for Christmas. I better order them now, as I am sure they will be a real hit. A six month back-order is to be expected. Get in line now people. Something this special hasn't been seen since the Tickle-Me-Elmo. It's no wonder Utah is a thriving business frontier!

If the Lawsons did it to be racist, who cares, get over it! No crime was committed. They are free to make racist puppets if they want. If it's truly that racist then nobody will buy it and the Lawsons will realize it was a lousy idea, right? You all sound like the Muslims when they got up in arms about the Danish cartoons. Cry me a freakin river!

MrMugoo | 8:34 a.m. June 17, 2008

I find it interesting (and telling) that on the same e-page that this story is printed on there is a cross-eyed caracature of the President of The United States of America dancing around like an idiot with the implication that he has a below standard IQ. Do we have to wait until after Obama is this nation's president before we can start "monkey-izing" him??? Or will it still be innappropriate then as well???

Forgiveness? | 8:35 a.m. June 17, 2008

Some people just love to find racism in everything. Nobody is allowed the benefit of just innocently offending without intent of such. Even old cliches (which should die) pop out at times and we should be able to forgive such mistakes, especially when the person has apologized, explained and done what they could to make restitution. It's time the NAACP also learns forgiveness rather than harboring hatred for anyone who has ever slipped up.

Politicians always get the brunt of insults and jokes. For some reason it's acceptable when it's aimed at a Caucasian politician and we joke around the water cooler. It's okay for Rocky to bash the President of the United States with total disregard for the respect his office should demand. Who is looking out for that kind of slander and hatred?

Not everything that is said in a negative light about a black person (although Obama is as much Caucasian as he is black) is meant to be harmful. Give people the benefit of the doubt, point out where it might be viewed as offensive, forgive and move on. I am sick of hearing for years later that someone slipped up and are continually crucified.

spencers mom | 8:36 a.m. June 17, 2008

"By the time Hitler imbibed racism in early twentieth-century Austria and Germany, most racial thinkers were thoroughly Darwinian in their interpretation of racism. Lower races had supposedly not evolved as far from the apes as the higher races had."

Nazi propaganda repeatedly used the comparison of Jews to "ape people" in both writings and cartoons. Hitler called blacks "born half-ape"

Racism hurts. Racism kills. Enough said.

PEACE

oddity | 8:39 a.m. June 17, 2008

yet we can publish all kinds of articles claiming that we all evolved from monkies and nobody cares???

Anonymous | 8:41 a.m. June 17, 2008

Utah has once again claimed notoriety.
This time for its callous racism.

lamonte | 8:44 a.m. June 17, 2008

Bot 7:07 It is NOT OK to make a monkey caricature of GW Bush anymore than it is OK to make one of Barack Obama. But there is a difference in the two. If you don't know that difference then I'm afraid you've been asleep for the past 60 years.

Observer | 8:43 a.m. June 17, 2008

People who claim that this isn't racist can try and rationalize all they want. But the fact of the matter is that it is racist, they know it, and are just too dishonest to admit it in public. However, I would guess that if you talked to most of the posters in private who do defend this, you'd find out exactly what they think. We've all seen it. Seen it in the workplace, etc. So look, we all know what's going on, don't insult anyone's intelligence. Have the spine to admit that you're racist instead of hiding behind lame explanations that don't hold water.

Ken Goddard | 8:48 a.m. June 17, 2008

David and Liz. Get hold of me. I am an investor.

Sock Man | 8:48 a.m. June 17, 2008

I think "Get a life yall" makes more sense than many of those who have posted here. These people meant no harm. As I recall they are Obama supporters, right? I guess I should be offended because these sock monkeys actually look a lot like me, a sock man, but I'll let it slide. As the saying goes, "If I am offended when offense was not intended, I am a fool. If I am offended when offense was intended, I am a bigger fool.
Racism in Utah? Like it doesn't exist anywhere else. I understand the Jim Crow thing, and the implications here. The sock monkey was a bad idea, but death threats? When did we get so hyper-sensitive and militant about every little offense? That is what is really sick.

2 Wrongs /= Right | 8:48 a.m. June 17, 2008

For those still struggling with the concept that two wrongs (or three, or four) don't make a right.

The Obama monkey doll is wrong.
The Bush monkey caricatures are wrong.
A McCain POW monkey doll would be wrong.
Racism is wrong.
Bigotry is wrong.

ALL YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW YOU LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN

*Don't hit people.
*Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Dave | 8:48 a.m. June 17, 2008

These people should have made a Bush sock monkey and everything would have been fine.

Anonymous | 8:58 a.m. June 17, 2008

another fine example of DOUBLE STANDARD

Continuum | 9:01 a.m. June 17, 2008

Yet another reason to avoid Utah.

To "Sock Man" | 9:04 a.m. June 17, 2008

Where did you get the idea that the Lawsons were Obama supporters?

Not from their website or their many disclaimers.
Not from the long justification for their ugly toy.
Not from ANYTHING they've said.

In fact, if they had explained it that way, maybe things could have been understood a bit more as "naivete". But they are obviously not.

monkey | 9:07 a.m. June 17, 2008

we all evolved from monkeys so what is the big deal. We are all members of the monkey family according to evolution so why is this such a big deal? Why is it that blacks can say the N word all they want and it is just fine but a if a white person says it then they are automatically racist. Having dealt with people from all races I can say that from the ones I have met that blacks in general are more racist than whites. It is really sad. And Obama is half white so this really should only be partially racist and partially offensive. This whole thing is a joke. It was poor judgement to make the doll and they meant no harm but in todays society no matter what you do you will always be wrong in someone's eyes. People will justify their opinion all they want but that doesn't make it right or wrong. This whole thing is a complete joke and people are getting excited over nothing. They aren't making the toy so leave it alone. It's over. It's done with. Let it be. Forget about it and move on with your life.

Confused | 9:29 a.m. June 17, 2008

I can see why people were upset with this doll but has anyone even researched Obama's views and political stand points? If you have then you will see that he is one of the most liberal and wishy washy opinion changing democrats that exists. The only reason he has a chance to become president is because he is half black. If he was white then he would have been the first one out of the race. He would be a bigger fiasco as president than Bush has been and I am not saying that because he is black, I am saying it because he has no direction and doesn't stand by anything he says. It would be a mistake to elect this opinion changing candidate. The economy would drop farther than it is now and we would be so much worse off if Obama goes to the White House. Please forget his color and look at his views and you will see a terrible candidate that will hurt America more than he helps it.

Racism at its extreme! | 9:36 a.m. June 17, 2008

It has just come to my attention that President Bush has been depicted as a monkey on several occasions. I am deeply offended by this. Cave drawings dating back thousands of years were discovered in the 1980s depicting caucasian people as albino monkeys. The images portrayed a story of how the African tribes of ancient times were far superior to the unintelligent caucasians they had encountered. It is now known, that because of this mockery and racism, Europeans later returned to "settle the score" resulting in slavery, and a reversal of racism.

To portray Bush as a monkey, insulting his intelligence, is a strong reminder of racism of ancient Africa against caucasians, and it deeply offends me! It is 2008 people, not 2008 B.C., get with the times and stop the racism!

Monkey | 9:43 a.m. June 17, 2008

If it isn't alright to call a black person a monkey then it isn't alright to call a white person a monkey. No double standards please. If black people take offense then white people take offense. I believe in equal rights for all.

Beatrice | 9:43 a.m. June 17, 2008

Won't someone think about the monkeys.............please, just consider how the poor monkeys must feal. It takes a village!

Typical Utah | 9:43 a.m. June 17, 2008

I wonder if these good Utah folks would find it offensive if someone sold lily white polygamy dolls made out of sacred Mormon undergarments?

New Yorker | 9:49 a.m. June 17, 2008

Let's call a truce. It can only be half racist because oBAMA is only half black.....Next!

Joe Blow | 9:48 a.m. June 17, 2008

Stunning amazing left-wing hypocracy!

The internet is littered with George Bush monkey dols, pictures, animations etc.
But if the EXACT SAME THING is done to a member
of the radical socialist left, that`s RACIST !?

Bu-wa-ha-haa !!!

When`s the doll come out? I`m buying 5 of them.

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Creators of Obama monkey shift gears

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Creators of Obama monkey shift gears