Controversial Cover

This New Yorker magazine cover is perhaps one of the most controversial New Yorker covers of all time. It depicts Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, dressed in clothing often associated with Al-Queda, holding guns, and fist pumping in front of the American flag burning in a fire. The historical time period, or Kairos, of the cover is during the 2008 presidential election when Obama was running to be president. While he was running, many false rumors surfaced on how Obama was supportive of terrorists, that he wasn’t fit to be president and that he even hated America. Further, the artist uses a pathos strategy of humor to make an appeal to the viewers emotions through comedy. The cover is depicting the theme in an exaggerated and parody manner that by taking it to the extreme actually mocks these very rumors. In particular, the artist draws a portrait of Osama Bin Laden in the Oval office- a humorous exaggeration on the belief the Obamas are supportive of him. Additionally, the artist makes an appeal to Ethos by the tone and style he depicts the Obamas. The picture is drawn in a cartoon fashion where many features, such as the size of their faces, are greatly exaggerated. This expresses to the views not to take the picture too seriously and that rather it is a comedy cartoon. If I were in charge, I would have chosen to publish this image because it provokes thought and puts an emphasis on the claims Americans had against the Obamas. By depicting the Obamas this way, the picture aims to challenge these ideas and misconceived rumors. I think there would have been immense public backlash because people would be offended by the depiction, but it would spark a conversation about how serious and outrageous many political claims can be.