NAACP will protest Obama banner at Velvet
The NAACP will hold a press conference today at noon at 15th and Main St. outside Club Velvet to protest its banner of President Obama depicted as The Joker. The VCU and VUU chapters of the organization will address the community’s reaction and ongoing racial hostility. [via]
*Photo of protest courtesy of MaryFramer’s photostream.
A defaced picture of the US President outside a strip club run by a pedophile drug-dealer who wanted to open another strip club across the street from a children’s museum. Perspective is required to engage in this debate…
This reminds me of an old quote from an on the street interview that was in “The Onion” (America’s finest news source):
Without freedom of speech, how would we know who the assholes are?
Interesting, it seems that after the time the first picture was taken in the original post and before the second picture (above) was taken, Mr. Moore (or someone else) choose to elevate the banner to a more highly visible spot on his building.
Isn’t it true that the local radio station Y101 runs some of their operations out of Club Velvet based on some of their advertisements (Club Velvet Studios)? Can anyone confirm or deny this? If it’s true, then I, for one, plan to boycott Y101 if they continue to run some of their operations out of his building.
My apologies. It’s NOT Y101, but it IS 102.1 The X.
Hi!
I believe in freedom of speech – that makes me a racist.
Bye!
Velvet knows how to get publicity. Can’t deny that. I had no idea, when I first saw the Velvet’s Obama pic, that it was the joker. I haven’t kept up with pop culture. Clearly, it is meant to be shocking and draw attention to the Velvet. I, for one, support the Velvet’s right to Freedom of speech even if I don’t care for what is being said. It will be an opportunity to teach my children and, of course, recognize the asshats!
Anon: I LOVE that Onion quote.
[...] story of the NAACP protest of the Obama/Joke/Socialist image hung on Club Velvet has gone national with mentions in Phoenix, [...]
What do politcal views/opinions have to do with racism? The white community didnt complain when the Richmond Free Press published negative views about George Bush. I think the NAACP has no ligitimate causes left and they have too much time on their hands.
[...] River District News’s follow-up post concerning the NAACP protest [...]
I too love that Onion quote!
Who would have guessed that Mr. Club Velvet wouldn’t be fond of the idea of helping to pay for health care for his employees?
When I saw it the other day it inspired me to look up where the heck that image came from and what it is supposed to mean. There has been all kinds of pontification about its artistic merit, effectiveness as a scary political image, and racist undertones. Turns out it was created by a Palestinian-American student who was just messing around with a new computer effect he had learned in class. He grabbed an easily-accessible full face photo from the cover of Time magazine. He had no political or social commentary in mind when he did it.
Why not paint it on ?
Who reads racist in this? I don’t think it has anything to do with racism. Are you kidding me?? It’s focused on a political statement.
The “ongoing racial hostility” is only provoked by folks like the NAACP. There is no racial hostility in this.
I would think, NAACP, that this is more about equality. I mean,we slander and poke fun at anyone in this country and our president just happens to be of mixed race. You should be honored that, along with all the rest of us, he’s considered worthy of being the focus of public attention. Racism……give me a flippin break.
“What do politcal views/opinions have to do with racism? The white community didnt complain when the Richmond Free Press published negative views about George Bush. I think the NAACP has no ligitimate causes left and they have too much time on their hands.”
thank you marilyn. what does the naacp need to be out there protesting for? maybe people who see this as a rasicst statement are actually racist since they are focusing on the fact that obama is black/white instead of focusing on how he is a (-black) man who is ruining our country.
can someone please explain how this image has rascist overtones? im hispanic, what if i did something like this to a picture of bush. would that make me a rasicst?
furhtermore, liberals sure do love throwing out the ” i have freedom of speech” qoute whenever it’s them protesting something. but when its a republican of a libretarian all of a sudden that right tends to get ignored. why is this? whenever they are at abortion clinics trying to stop christians from protesting whats the first thing that comes out of their mouthes? “i have free speech!”
thanks you. freedom of speech is a two way street. both sides have the right to say w.e as long as its not a threat. so maybe all of you should relize this. you are all expressing yr opions on this site are you not? what if someone who didnt agree with you tried to get yr comments deleted? would you think thats fair? no it wouldnt be. so why should he take his sign down just becuase you dont agree with it.
i am in no way shape or form a fan of this guy. he is a sleezeball pedophile. but he DOES have the right to post w.e he wants on his building. i think more people should be protesting whats going on inside then a silly old picture of obama.
Why didn’t the NAACP protest when they depicted Obama with a Hitler moustache, do they somehow find the Joker to be more frightening?
[...] uncredited response to Sam Moore’s recent exercising of his free speech rights. Like someone commented: “Without freedom of speech, how would we know who the assholes are?” Posted by john m [...]
Whiteface. Vaudeville. Look it up. And there is more history to back up a poster of Moore with the word “rapist” and “murderer” underneath than there is to back up the label “socialist” being placed upon the current administration. The New Deal (would we have come out of the Depression without it? Talk amongst yourselves). McCarthyism (a wonderful way to use manufactured propaganda to keep yourself in power and destroy others without any hard evidence, instead playing upon inflated cultural fears).
They should have written f*ck or some other obscene word. Then it would be ruled obscene and would have to be taken down.
Of course, he can also put another one up. But, that one might be defaced, too. And on and on.
[...] NAACP will protest Obama banner at Velvet [...]