The New Yorker magazine is drawing both buzz and condemnation for its cover illustration depicting a turban-clad Sen. Barack Obama in the Oval Office. The image also shows Obama's wife, Michelle, armed with a machine gun. A portrait of Osama bin Laden hangs in the background.
A spokesman for the Democratic presidential candidate rebuked The New Yorker for publishing the illustration, describing it as "offensive" and "distasteful." Strong reaction is also reverberating beyond party lines. John McCain, Obama's main opponent in the White House race, joined the resounding outcry and called the drawing "inappropriate."
The cover is also triggering an aggressive debate among journalists about the fine line between satiric and offensive media. New Yorker Editor David Remnick and Barry Blitt, who drew the cartoon, defend the illustration as satire, mocking allegations that the Obamas are unpatriotic.
Media blogger Richard Prince and columnist George Curry, former editor of Emerge magazine, discuss the reaction to the magazine cover and what, if anything, should be off-limits for satire.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.