Politics | 07/22/2008 2:00 pm

Vanity Fair Fans the Kerfuffle at The New Yorker

By The Staff of wowOwow

Illustration by Tim Bower, source: www.vanityfair.com

In the spirit of "affectionate rivalry" with their corporate sister at Condé Nast, Vanity Fair magazine has posted a fun-poking version of The New Yorker’s controversial Obama cover from last week.

As to Vanity Fair’s view of their colleagues downstairs at The New Yorker, the post states, "We play softball every year, compete for some of the same stories and share an elevator bank. (You can tell the ones who are headed to the 20th floor by their Brooklyn pallor and dog-eared paperbacks.")

Here for comparison, is the original Obama cover from The New Yorker.

obama cover_1.jpg

Read more about: Cartoons, John McCain, News, Obama, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair

95 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

I will add that to my reading list. Thanks!

By Elizabeth Bennett on 07/22/2008 3:10 pm

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Me too, and you’re welcome Elizabeth.

By Frank Peterson on 07/22/2008 3:13 pm

Constitution in the fireplace, Bush in the portrait (or a more recognizable Bush), and McCain wearing an old uniform that no longer fits. Maybe a burka for Cindy, because she tries to stay out of the limelight when she is not campaigning. Patton might make a portrait alternative.

By Zera Lee on 07/23/2008 1:35 pm

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I agree… this is definitely a softball version. Although, to be fair, the McCain’s are not being subjected to a smear campaign like the Obamas so there is not as much to work with. But I see the point, they’re lampooning the New Yorker, while The New Yorker was attempting to satire the Right Wing Smear Campaingn, but seemed to be satiring the Obamas themselves… I’m so confused………..

By DeBúrca obj on 07/22/2008 1:16 pm

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Campaign <—- typo correction

By DeBúrca obj on 07/22/2008 1:17 pm

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You’ve said this before about McCain not being subjected to what you call a “smear campaign”–––which by the way I would not call what the New Yorker did a smear anything–––and I alerted you to Frank Rich’s column in Sunday’s Times on McCain and countless other pieces of news lately that are making McCain look downright foolish. The fact that the man doesn’t know which country borders which is enough to make one pause. It’s one thing for you or I not to know that Afghanistan borders Pakistan and not Iraq, but when someone is running for President of the United States and makes that mistake––well, then. Of course, I guess, I shouldn’t be too certain about this because if you remember Bush didn’t know squat and he got elected twice.

By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 07/22/2008 1:37 pm

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Phyllis the New Yorker did not smear the Obamas, they were attempting to SATIRE the right wing smear campaign which is mostly being run through the internet via e-mails, but is also being helped along by FOX, which has been trying to depict the Obamas in the manner in which they were in the cover, ie, Muslim, anti-American,etc. You’re right about McCain looking foolish, but that will be dropped by the media within a day. Had Obama made the same gaffes as McCain it would be looping on FOX for months.

By DeBúrca obj on 07/22/2008 1:48 pm

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Why are you telling me about what the New Yorker did or didn’t do. I was the one who defended the cover and defended Remnick. Sorry, I guess you just didn’t read my posts–don’t mean to jump on you. And don’t be so sure anyone is going to drop McCain’s gaffes–they just seem to get bigger and bigger.

By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 07/22/2008 1:56 pm

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Phyllis: you said “what you call a “smear campaign”–––which by the way I would not call what the New Yorker did a smear anything––” and I was responding to that. I NEVER said the New Yorker was smearing Obama. The smear campaign is being waged through the internet and FOX, trying to spread misinformation about Obama. As far as the New Yorker cover goes, all I’ve been saying is that it was a failed satire.

By DeBúrca obj on 07/22/2008 5:42 pm

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Right Wing Smear Campaign? Capped—like the name of a band or something? Seriously? I have had 13 letters published against Sen Obama—and I am a lifelong Dem until now. This sounds kind of ludicrous. You don’t have to be right wing to be uncomfortable with these people.

By Star Lawrence on 07/22/2008 4:43 pm

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Star, it is what the New Yorker was satirizing. The e-mails going around saying Obama is a Muslim, etc. FOX news keeps calling him “Osama” even implying that the fist bump might be a “terrorist fist bump”. This is a fact, it’s going on. It’s why the New Yorker did their cover in the first place, they were making a statement AGAINST the smear campaign’s attempts to show the Obamas the way they were depicted on the cover.

By DeBúrca obj on 07/22/2008 5:45 pm