I am not even sure if the publication of this cartoon in a student newspaper @ UVA, a huge academic institution outweighs the apology that followed, in levels of preposterous prejudice…

it’s curious what is ‘funny’ about this image? the food fight without food? offending about this cartoon…the loin cloths? the thin bald bodies?

news story

“We apologize to the entire University community for the poor editorial judgment exercised in running a comic that is so clearly inappropriate and hurtful. Understandably, the comic upset and offended members of the community who thought it unfairly depicted victims of horrible tragedy as savage and violent — reducing starving people to a punch line...

The Cavalier Daily’s policy regarding censorship was published in the lead editorial of April 24, 2006 after a different comic sparked similar discussions. The editorial read: “First, does the author truthfully depict a verifiable historical or contemporary situation? If not, and the context of the work is creative, we ask two more questions. Does the author make a serious, intentional point, the censoring of which would constitute viewpoint discrimination? Also, does the author criticize or make light of a group of people for any reason other than their own opinions or actions?“

The comic in question clearly violates the third criterion. That is, it criticizes people for circumstances they cannot change.”

Did the Cav Daily apology “Worth 1000 words” not address the equation Ethiopian people = starving…? and am I the only one hearing the helplessness in the critiqued people’s inability to change circumstances… or is it just my cynicism reading too much into it? really…? Please humor me because I have no idea!

Cartoonists’ statement:

“This was by no means intended to negatively portray Ethiopia or its people,” Woolard wrote. “[T]he term ‘food fight’ was not meant to imply that the figures were fighting for food, but rather with food, as the common usage of the term suggests. In the most extreme cases of famine in many parts of the world, people have had to resort to eating what would otherwise be considered inedible in order to survive…. This surrealistic hypothetical situation invites the reader to realize that what initially appears to be a joke reflects a sobering reality.”

Paulos put it this way: “The University of Virginia unfortunately has a history stained with dark memories. The level of ignorance and racism prevalent on these grounds cannot be sufficiently expressed in a few sentences. The comic strip is indeed indicative of the larger racial climate existent on this campus. It is suggestive of a broader question of black marginalization; whether it’s the treatment of black staff or the hiring and retention of black faculty, students of color continue to feel excluded from the larger community as a whole. As long as these larger issues are not addressed and resolved, smaller institutions such as the Daily will remain ignorant to the concerns of minority students at the University of Virginia.””