The cover of the most recent issue of The New Yorker included a cartoon image of Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle called "The Politics of Fear." While reps from The New Yorker claims the cartoon was a joke (see for yourself below), Obama and much of the country was highly offended by it. There is a fine line between humor and distasteful, and The New Yorker crossed it in the eyes of public opinion.
People are talking about this everywhere and the media is eating it up, probably making it into a bigger issue than it would have been otherwise, as per usual. However, The New Yorker's PR machine is backpedalling quickly and trying to make light of the situation and do damage control to their magazine and brand. The question is - is it too late? Is the damage already done. Many consumers are claiming they've canceled their subscriptions to The New Yorker and will never buy it again. Can The New Yorker repair its damaged brand? Will sales suffer over the long term or is this a bump in the road that The New Yorker will pass soon enough coming out relatively unaffected in the long run?
What do you think? Take the poll below and share your opinion on the long term fate of The New Yorker after this highly publicized blunder.
I would subscribe to The New Yorker just to unsubscribe. That fist to fist greeting is common all over the world. The folks in Africa did it 20 years ago. Polynesian people do it today, including the police and military.
Posted by: Cindy King | July 15, 2008 10:04 AM | Permalink to Comment