Double Standards?

Go right now. Do a Google search for George W. Bush Chimp.

I’ll wait.

Pages upon pages upon pages of results including a site devoted to it.

For the most part, I’ve heard very little outrage about it over the years; it’s just become part of the day to day discussion. Our President looks like a chimp. It’s funny. Have a sense of humor. We’re all supposed to laugh at it!

But what happens when you say another simean immitator bears a striking resemblance to a primate?

Well, as typically expected, you’re called a racist.

Marietta tavern owner Mike Norman says the T-shirts he’s peddling, featuring cartoon chimp Curious George peeling a banana, with “Obama in ’08″ scrolled underneath, are “cute.” But to a coalition of critics, the shirts are an insulting exploitation of racial stereotypes from generations past.

“It’s time to put an end to this,” said Rich Pellegrino, a Mableton resident and director of the Cobb-Cherokee Immigrant Alliance. He was among about 15 people who protested outside Mulligan’s Bar and Grill Tuesday afternoon against the sale of the “racist and highly offensive” shirts.

“There’s no place for these views, not in this day and age,” he said.

Now, let’s put aside his narrow head and gigantic ears and protruding jaw for a moment. Is there anything racist about calling someone who looks like a chimp a chimp?

And if so, why has it been okay for 8 years?

And if you’re planning on making the race argument, don’t bother. We’re talking strictly because he looks like one not because poor oppressed black people have been called apes for years and years by evil unrelenting racist white slave owners.

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  • http://www.robertkbrown.com/ RKB

    Hmm. Following that same logic, people shouldn’t be upset if I wear nothing but a Speedo to the office, since it’s okay if I wear one to the beach.

    My bible study group shouldn’t be offended when I tell them a great joke about a rabbi, a nun, and a talking cucumber — it cracked everybody up at bowling the other night.

    And I don’t know why my Mom gets pissed off when I ask “how’s my bitch?” even though that’s how my best buddy and I talk to each other all the time.

    Double standards, all of ‘em.

  • http://www.robertkbrown.com/ RKB

    Hmm. Following that same logic, people shouldn’t be upset if I wear nothing but a Speedo to the office, since it’s okay if I wear one to the beach.

    My bible study group shouldn’t be offended when I tell them a great joke about a rabbi, a nun, and a talking cucumber — it cracked everybody up at bowling the other night.

    And I don’t know why my Mom gets pissed off when I ask “how’s my bitch?” even though that’s how my best buddy and I talk to each other all the time.

    Double standards, all of ‘em.

  • http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/ Vinny

    Sorry, so is your point that we can’t call a black man that looks like a chimp a chimp because he’s a black man?

    Basically, a black man can never look like a primate, but a white man can?

  • http://www.insignificantthoughts.com Vinny

    Sorry, so is your point that we can’t call a black man that looks like a chimp a chimp because he’s a black man?

    Basically, a black man can never look like a primate, but a white man can?

  • The Masked Rye

    Isn’t he part white as well? See, then if it was a monkey on a cracker, maybe that would be ok.

    He does look like one, based on the head and ears, and not on race… I’ll give you that. But people can’t let go of old perceptions. Hell, whitey is still holding people down, and if I’m low on cash at anytime in particular, it’s because I’m a “cheap jew”. Life is just that way… people can’t let go of stereotypes, either using them or being offended by them.

    Now wait RKB… I want to hear that joke now. And so does my bitch. And in conclusion… it’s NEVER ok to wear a speedo… at the office OR at the beach. Unless you’re from another country… then it’s still horrible, but we offer foreigners more leeway, since they know not of civilized culture.

  • The Masked Rye

    Isn’t he part white as well? See, then if it was a monkey on a cracker, maybe that would be ok.

    He does look like one, based on the head and ears, and not on race… I’ll give you that. But people can’t let go of old perceptions. Hell, whitey is still holding people down, and if I’m low on cash at anytime in particular, it’s because I’m a “cheap jew”. Life is just that way… people can’t let go of stereotypes, either using them or being offended by them.

    Now wait RKB… I want to hear that joke now. And so does my bitch. And in conclusion… it’s NEVER ok to wear a speedo… at the office OR at the beach. Unless you’re from another country… then it’s still horrible, but we offer foreigners more leeway, since they know not of civilized culture.

  • Hax0r Jim Duggin

    I believe what you are neglecting to realize is that for many years black people have been called things like Apes, Monkeys and Gorillas for many years. It was not meant in a cute way it was a negative annotation. So when you say hey he looks like a monkey. Even though your intentions might have been innocent, because of Americas racists precursors it makes it difficult to say such things. It’s best to steer clear of it because its most likely to open old wounds. If racists never made such comments this topic wouldn’t even be here. Unfortunately Americas racist past isn’t completely extirpated. We share 98% of DNA from out primate compatriots. I wonder what the other 2% is that’s missing in theirs. Its probably racism.

  • Hax0r Jim Duggin

    I believe what you are neglecting to realize is that for many years black people have been called things like Apes, Monkeys and Gorillas for many years. It was not meant in a cute way it was a negative annotation. So when you say hey he looks like a monkey. Even though your intentions might have been innocent, because of Americas racists precursors it makes it difficult to say such things. It’s best to steer clear of it because its most likely to open old wounds. If racists never made such comments this topic wouldn’t even be here. Unfortunately Americas racist past isn’t completely extirpated. We share 98% of DNA from out primate compatriots. I wonder what the other 2% is that’s missing in theirs. Its probably racism.