Obama as Joker Draws Speculation & Confusion

by lisa ~ August 10, 2009

Aug. 10, 2009 - A caricature of Pres. Obama designed to make him look like Heath Ledger’s version of The Joker from “The Dark Knight” - and emblazoned with the word “SOCIALISM” - are the talk of Los Angeles. Posters with the image are appearing on freeway underpasses and other out-of-the-way spots.

It’s clear to me that the anonymous designer forgot to use a focus group. The posters have generated a fair amount of confusion among the more educated as well as allegations of racism. There’s much discussion now of Obama’s supposed socialist leanings but the connection between socialism and The Joker are apparently too obscure for me to grasp.

Associated Content, in an article titled “Obama Joker Poster an Inaccurate Comparison,” points out the flaw in the creator’s logic: “The Joker was many things, but he was hardly a socialist. In fact, the Joker is the polar opposite of a socialist, and anyone who watched The Dark Knight would know that. Socialism is the result of an all-powerful central government that runs every aspect of life - but the Joker subscribes to anarchy, one of socialism’s polar opposites.”

Philip Kennicott, the Washington Post’s cultural critic, offered a clearer explanation of the poster’s meaning in a question-and-answer session with readers. “I don’t think the Obama as Joker poster works very well because it doesn’t characterize (in a simple, graphically obvious way) the real worries about Obama among his detractors. But many people have embraced the image because they hope it is a sign of the president growing in unpopularity. Not because it is the best image for the job.”

Because no one has claimed credit - or taken the blame - for producing this image, it’s fair to say that public relations was not the creator’s goal. Rather, the goal was obviously to stimulate public dialogue about the Pres. Obama’s actions. He or she has succeeded.

Lisa Tibbitts is a corporate communications professional with an MBA in marketing. Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FinancialPR.

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