Notre Dame Student Newspaper The Observer Apologizes For Publishing Dangerous Anti-Gay Cartoon
January 14, 2010
On Wednesday, 13 January, The Observer, the student newspaper at Notre Dame University ran an incredibly troubling cartoon that promotes violence against the LGBT community.
The cartoon depicted a conversation between two figures. The conversation read,
"The Mobile Party" from The Observer January 13, 2010
“What’s the easiest way to turn a fruit into a vegetable?”
“No idea.”
“A baseball bat.”
As many people know, “fruit” is often used as a derogatory term for members of the LGBT community.
This type of advocacy of anti-LGBT violence must stop. It isn’t funny. What’s more, it promotes hate crimes, which are all too prevalent in society today.
The cartoonist had posted on his blog – though it’s since been removed – his original version of the cartoon. In the original version, it shows that the punchline read, “AIDS” instead of “A baseball bat.” The paper, he reported, preferred “not to make light of fatal diseases.”
The Observer made a dangerously misguided decision that promoting violence was somehow superior to making fun of HIV/AIDS. Both versions of the cartoon were abhorrent.
GLAAD contacted The Observer immediately upon seeing this cartoon. The Editor in Chief Jenn Metz relayed a tearful and what appeared to be heartfelt apology by phone. She explained that she was not present when the decision to run this cartoon was made, and that she was incredibly upset that others on staff had made that decision.
Metz plans to run what she describes as a “full retraction and apology,” in Friday’s edition of The Observer. GLAAD will watch for that retraction and apology. Additionally, GLAAD asked Metz to ensure that the staff responsible for running this cartoon – both the cartoonist and editor who decided it was fit for print – be reprimanded.
GLAAD has also reached out to the office of the President of Notre Dame University, and called upon that office to issue a statement condemning violence and this cartoon that promotes violence. We await response from the University on how they plan to address this type of violent dialogue from continuing to be advanced on campus.
We’ll update this post when we receive Metz’s written apology and when we hear back from the University.
Update: Today The Observer published an apology for the cartoon. It read, in part, “The editors of The Observer would like to publicly apologize for the publication of “The Mobile Party” in the Jan. 13 edition. The burden of responsibility ultimately lies on us for allowing it to go to print. There is no excuse that can be given and nothing that can be said to reverse the damage that has already been done by this egregious error in judgment.”
Related Posts:Delonas Controversy Is A Symptom Of A Larger Problem At The Post
February 25, 2009
Last week, the controversy surrounding a cartoon by Sean Delonas, the New York Post editorial cartoonist, vaulted the New York City-based tabloid into the national spotlight. As we’ve written about here and here, the cartoon from Wednesday, February 18, depicted police officers having shot and killed a chimpanzee and made an implied reference to President Obama, saying, “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.”
Soon after the edition of the Post with Delonas’ racist cartoon hit newsstands, a chorus of voices began questioning and condemning both Sean Delonas and the leadership at the New York Post, focusing on Col Allan, the Post’s editor-in-chief.
The Reverend Al Sharpton and his National Action Network, the NAACP, ColorOfChange.org, New York Governor David Patterson, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and many other local and state officials were some of the first voices in a loud and growing outcry over the Post’s ugly defamation.
GLAAD was also one of the voices joining in this chorus. We put together a slideshow of Delonas’ defamatory and anti-LGBT cartoons and issued a national Call to Action, asking supporters to contact the Post and its parent company, News Corp. As part of our mission and ongoing work, we felt it was important that continuing conversations about Delonas’ latest offense be put in the context of his long history of defamatory attacks, including those against LGBT people
It is also critical to note, however, that Delonas’ work is just a symptom of a larger problem at the New York Post. After all, activists formed GLAAD in 1985 as a direct result of the Post’s deplorable and defamatory coverage of the AIDS epidemic during the 1980’s.
Through the years, the Post has continued to engage in exploitative tabloid sensationalism of LGBT issues. Just since 2000, when Col Allan began his tenure as editor in chief, if you picked up a New York Post you could find headlines such as, “Tranny Heaven,” “Free to be He-She,” “Attack of the Killer Lesbians,” and many more (see the slideshow with more headlines below). In response, GLAAD issued numerous Calls to Action and the Post has made the “Worst” list on our “Best and Worst of National News” multiple times.
We’ve repeatedly had our supporters – our community and our allies – rise up and call for a change in the way the Post covers LGBT issues. Unfortunately, a majority of the time the calls and the letters and the protests have fallen on deaf ears.
Yesterday, news came that Rupert Murdoch, Chairman of the New York Post, had decided to publish a statement on the recent controversial Sean Delonas cartoon:
“As the Chairman of the New York Post, I am ultimately responsible for what is printed in its pages. The buck stops with me.
Last week, we made a mistake. We ran a cartoon that offended many people. Today I want to personally apologize to any reader who felt offended, and even insulted.
Over the past couple of days, I have spoken to a number of people and I now better understand the hurt this cartoon has caused. At the same time, I have had conversations with Post editors about the situation and I can assure you – without a doubt – that the only intent of that cartoon was to mock a badly written piece of legislation. It was not meant to be racist, but unfortunately, it was interpreted by many as such.
We all hold the readers of the New York Post in high regard and I promise you that we will seek to be more attuned to the sensitivities of our community.”
But looking through the catalog of anti-LGBT Sean Delonas cartoons and reflecting on the Post’s long history of hurtful and defamatory coverage, it is clear that real, substantive change needs to be made at the New York Post, and that change needs to come from the top.
Therefore, we at GLAAD are calling on Rupert Murdoch to take real and appropriate measures to stop the defamation at the New York Post.
Rupert Murdoch
Chairman and Chief Executive
News Corporation
1211 Avenue of Americas
8th Floor
NY, NY 10036
Phone: 212-852-7000 (Ask for Mr. Murdoch’s office)
E-Mail: rmurdoch@newscorp.com
You can also CC the News Corp Press Contacts on your email:
Teri Everett, Senior Vice President
Corporate Affairs & Communications
Phone: 212-852-7070
E-Mail: teverett@newscorp.com
Jack Horner, Director
Corporate Affairs & Communications
Phone: 212-852-7952
E-Mail: jhorner@newscorp.com
Why Rupert Murdoch? Well, in Murdoch’s own words, “The buck stops with me.” As Chairman of the Post and owner of News Corp, which own the Post along with Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, the responsibility ultimately lies at his feet.
And after all, it’s clear that his editor in chief, Col Allan, won’t be a credible agent of change here.
Look through some of the Post’s coverage below and stand with GLAAD and its allies by calling on Rupert Murdoch to take real and appropriate measures to stop the New York Post from continuing its hurtful, inaccurate, and defamatory depictions and portrayals.
You can click here to view the individual images.
Sample of New York Post Stories:
- December 2008 – ‘60s By Cher
- December 2008 – Woman to Claim ‘Tranny Defense’ in Murder Trial
- September 2008 – Ye-She-Va
- March 2008 – Tranny Heaven
- February 2008 – Axis of She-Vil
- January 2008 – EVIL LESBIAN MOM LEFT TODDLER TO DIE SLOW DEATH: DA
- December 2007 – Lesbian ‘Killer’s’ Bitter Truth
- November 2007 – Lesbian ‘Killer’s’ Mental Woe
- April 2007 – Attack of the Killer Lesbians
- February 2007 – Free to Be He-She
- March 2005 – HE-SHE FUMES OVER DOOR DISS
- May 2001 – SCHOOL KILLS MOTHER’S DAY
Sean Delonas Cartoons:
- Click here for a slideshow of defamatory and anti-LGBT cartoons.
GLAAD Actions:
- December 2008 – New York Post Continues to Denigrate the Transgender Community
- June 2008 – New York Post Cartoon Takes an Immature Swing at Gay Couples
- June 2008 – Call To Action: New York Post Publishes Juvenile Cartoon Swipe at Gay Couples
- February 2008 – New York Post Prints Two Dehumanizing Headlines About LGBT People
- January 2008 – NY POST ARTICLE FEATURES GRATUITOUS AND SENSATIONAL HEADLINE
- November 2007 – The New York Post Continues to Defame the Transgender Community
- October 2007 – GLAAD Condemns Dehumanizing New York Post Column
- July 2007 – NY POST PUBLISHES YET ANOTHER GRATUITOUS VULGAR ANTI-GAY CARTOON
- June 2001 – New York Post’s Homophobia, AIDS-phobia Continue
- May 2001 – Homophobia and the New York Post
CALL TO ACTION: Sean Delonas & The New York Post
February 20, 2009
From Good As You to Pam’s House Blend to Joe.My.God to Gawker to The Huffington Post and almost everywhere else on the intertubes, you can read about the brewing controversy surrounding Sean Delonas’ recent cartoon in the New York Post. The cartoon depicts police having shot and killed a chimpanzee while making reference to President Obama’s recently passed economic stimulus bill.
The cartoon has sparked widespread anger and outrage, and community leaders have coordinated ongoing protests of the New York Post.
GLAAD’s President had this to say about the controversy:
Sean Delonas has a history of defamatory work and we stand with those who decry this recent cartoon as unacceptable and a vicious portrayal that neither enlightens nor entertains. It’s unacceptable that the New York Post continues to provide a platform for such instances of hateful defamation.
Below is a slideshow (images available here) of Delonas’ defamatory and anti-LGBT cartoons.
As we mentioned yesterday, Delonas has been the subject of three separate GLAAD Action Alerts for his continued juvenile and defamatory treatments of LGBT issues as well as making the “Worst” on the “Best and Worst” list on several occasions. This year he was named to GLAAD’s “Worst Defamation of 2008” list.
Today, GLAAD has issued a Call to Action for members and an Eye on the Media to raise awareness for Delonas’ history of anti-LGBT cartoons.
From today’s Call to Action:
GLAAD is calling on our community members and allies to stand up and join those who are speaking out against the New York Post and News Corp.’s continuing promotion of Sean Delonas’ hateful defamation. Demand that News Corp. hold the New York Post and Delonas accountable for their defamatory representations, and that the Post stop providing a platform for such vile, abusive attacks.
Contact:
Mr. Col Allan
Editor In Chief
New York Post
Phone : 212-930-8272
Email: col.allan@nypost.com
Teri Everett, Senior Vice President
Corporate Affairs & Communications
News Corporation
Phone: 212-852-7070
E-Mail: teverett@newscorp.com
Jack Horner, Director
Corporate Affairs & Communications
News Corporation
Phone: 212-852-7952
E-Mail: jhorner@newscorp.com
We urge you to please contact the Post today.
