Respectable journalism

November 12, 2004 2:24 PM

Respectable journalism. Funny or cruel?
posted by zelphi (58 comments total)

Hey, she's making a cool $20/mil a year while, you know, the Palestinians will continue to suffer.

Quite a fitting legacy for old Yasser.
posted by xmutex at 2:26 PM on November 12, 2004

She is at least half as sympathetic a character as Imelda Marcos.
posted by kablam at 2:31 PM on November 12, 2004

That's pretty disrespectful.
posted by davehat at 2:33 PM on November 12, 2004

Its disrespectful but I have to admit that I laughed out loud. I guess I should hang my head in shame.
posted by fenriq at 2:35 PM on November 12, 2004

I can't wait to piss on Rupert Murdoch's grave. *zip*
posted by fungible at 2:36 PM on November 12, 2004

HA HA YOUR HUSBAND IS DEAD AND YOU ARE FAT.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:38 PM on November 12, 2004

I'm shocked that such a respectible, sober paper as The Post would have this on its front page.
posted by Doug at 2:39 PM on November 12, 2004

Cruel. And yet funny, in a cruel way. Also, what Doug said.
posted by Sidhedevil at 2:40 PM on November 12, 2004

Funny or cruel?


Both?
posted by CunningLinguist at 2:40 PM on November 12, 2004

I'm shocked that such a respectable, sober weblog as Metafilter would have this on its front page.
posted by majcher at 2:48 PM on November 12, 2004

Better to be right and cruel than wrong and stupid.
I guess.
posted by PrinceValium at 2:48 PM on November 12, 2004

Yeah, being widowed. High-larious.
posted by merlinmann at 2:53 PM on November 12, 2004

Hey, I'd be cracking similar jokes if Bush slipped into a coma, so I guess I can't be the voice on high.
posted by The God Complex at 2:58 PM on November 12, 2004

Or Sharon, for that matter. Fuck 'em all, I say.

I might not make fun of their families after though.
posted by The God Complex at 2:59 PM on November 12, 2004

The likelihood that the widow Arafat will ever see the front page of the Post is pretty minuscule.
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:00 PM on November 12, 2004

I have no respect for the post anyway, and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't run a similar photo if Sharon died.

But I can deal with one tawdry cover in the post since I got that glorious one in The Daily Mirror after the American election. Fair is fair in the war between slop-filled newspapers right? Nobody reads the post except as a lark, right?

Right?
posted by The God Complex at 3:01 PM on November 12, 2004

the boys at the Post have been trying for 21 years as of now to beat their old "Headless Body in Topless Bar" headline. they just can't do it.

making fun of Suha Arafat's weight? well, it's almost as funny as Fox"News"'s famous "the Shiites Have Hit the Fan!" crack
posted by matteo at 3:04 PM on November 12, 2004

Wait until tomorrow when they have some Scott Peterson guilty headline. I can only imagine.
posted by GaelFC at 3:06 PM on November 12, 2004

Making fun of fat people has been funny since time immemorial.

Deal with it.
posted by xmutex at 3:07 PM on November 12, 2004

making fun of Suha Arafat's weight? well, it's almost as funny as Fox"News"'s famous "the Shiites Have Hit the Fan!" crack

Well, there is that, too. The joke itself is pretty far down the "fucking lame" scale. If I was cracking jokes about Bush you can rest assured some of you would be laughing.
posted by The God Complex at 3:08 PM on November 12, 2004

Someone else's pain is not my humor. Doesn't shock me this paper would run such a thing; they can now deal with the ramifications of people being upset with this. I am talking about the ones who wept hard over his death. Ya know it's coming...
posted by fluffycreature at 3:32 PM on November 12, 2004

I think it's wrong. Unless of course you are the sort of person who would not take offense at someone making this sort of joke about your mom, dad or siblings. Didn't we (as a society) used to try to stay above this level of discourse?

If I was cracking jokes about Bush you can rest assured some of you would be laughing.

If they were Laura Bush jokes at his funeral, than no, I wouldn't be laughing.
If they were of the "he looks stupid in his unearned flightsuit" variety then sure, that might be funny.
posted by milovoo at 3:33 PM on November 12, 2004

Definitely both. Part of the funny comes from the power of taboo violation, so any indignation expressed in this thread just makes it... funnier.

And yes, it's the post, but damn! I still can't believe they printed it. I could imagine that being a fun place to work. Also - I could see myself laughing if the place got bombed. And I have laughed at the photoshop of a TV news screen after the towers collapsed, with the tagline replaced with "Seconds ago: cannabis legalized in New York."

I guess my sense of humor is altogether wicked. :(
posted by kavasa at 3:35 PM on November 12, 2004

I think it's wrong. Unless of course you are the sort of person who would not take offense at someone making this sort of joke about your mom, dad or siblings. Didn't we (as a society) used to try to stay above this level of discourse?

Whoa, hold the soul train, friend. My parents aren't responsible for tens of thousands of deaths or any of that nonsense.

If they were Laura Bush jokes at his funeral, than no, I wouldn't be laughing.

Yeah, like I said, I doubt I'd be making fun of their families.
posted by The God Complex at 3:44 PM on November 12, 2004

Seeing that the New York Post is a Jewish owned newspaper this should have been expected...If anything it's not only shameful, but in bad taste...The editors over at the Post need to seriouswly consider what they should have first off had in the forefronts of thier minds.."Do not laugh at the calamity of what befalls another man, what might come upon you may be worse"...and they turned and did this to the man's widow? Sounds like the editors are in for a double whammy!
posted by Epitath at 3:58 PM on November 12, 2004

Aw you people are just so Ethical and Good and Righteous.
posted by xmutex at 4:00 PM on November 12, 2004

That's a classy headline.

Nothing, however, will beat the majesty of The Sun's football report of underdog Caledonian Thistle's beating champions Celtic - "Super Cally go Ballistic, Celtic are Atrocious". Flashes of genius like that don't come along often.
posted by influx at 4:02 PM on November 12, 2004

Whoa, hold the soul train, friend. My parents aren't responsible for tens of thousands of deaths or any of that nonsense.

prove it.

... nah, just kidding, they probably aren't. But the whole point is that this woman isn't really responsible for those deaths either, maybe she encouraged peace in some way ... who knows, maybe she was slightly pro-Israel compared to Mr. Arafat, and saved thousands with rational pillow talk. She just lost her husband, who was by all accounts a human being, give some thought to the compassionate option.
posted by milovoo at 4:02 PM on November 12, 2004

Epitath, you are aware that making your comment all bolded up like that just means that many people will just skip right over it, right?

milovoo, I understand the sentiment you're trying to express and I think its an honorable one. However, its not only possible its very likely to make bad jokes in bad situations. She may not find it funny or she may thinks its the funniest thing of all time. The point is that people resort to humor when they are grieving just as often as they turn to a half gallon bottle of Jack Daniels.

I can remember feeling horribly guilty when I found myself laughing at my father's wake a couple of years ago. But knowing that he would have laughed too helped me feel an awful lot better at his loss.
posted by fenriq at 4:06 PM on November 12, 2004

However, its not only possible its very likely to make bad jokes in bad situations.

Yup, I understand that, but putting questionable puns on the front page seems too much, spoken words are cheap by comparison. The front page seems like something they might want to have put a bit more thought into, will it still seem like a good idea in the morning?

I'm sure we'll get to see some truly inspired headlines from the right when Carter, Clinton or Michael Moore dies. I've already seen some ugly stuff about Mrs. Edwards, so it's not like anyone is really going to hold back.
posted by milovoo at 4:15 PM on November 12, 2004

WWJD?
posted by muckster at 4:27 PM on November 12, 2004

The New York Post is owned by News Corp, which is owned by the Christian Rupert Murdoch. However they count in their audience a large group of conservative Jews. Also, Arafat is almost universally hated outside of Arab and Muslim homes in New York, so they're playing on that to sell papers. Business as usual.
posted by cell divide at 4:35 PM on November 12, 2004

WWJCD?

Alternatively, WWCD?
posted by loquacious at 4:35 PM on November 12, 2004

When Arafat married I think it was the NY Post that ran the headline "Yassir That's My Baby!"
posted by Seth_Messinger at 4:43 PM on November 12, 2004

Jerusalem Post:

Yasser Arafat's widow, Suha, is expected to receive a sum of $22 million a year out of the Palestinian Authority budget, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere De La Serra.

...

It said Abbas personally promised Suha that she would receive $22 million a year to cover her expenses in Paris. The paper noted that in July Arafat transferred to his wife $11 million to cover her living costs for the first six months of the year.

Meanwhile Palestinians live in squalor....
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 4:55 PM on November 12, 2004

Rent in Paris is high.
posted by The God Complex at 4:58 PM on November 12, 2004

"Someone else's pain is not my humor."

"When I cut my finger, that's tragedy. When you fall down a manhole and die, that's comedy."
posted by mr_crash_davis at 5:00 PM on November 12, 2004

Bush provides a tax cut to the richest Americans.
Meanwhile Americans live in squalor....

Do you not believe that Mrs. Arafat's wealth will trickle down?
posted by milovoo at 5:02 PM on November 12, 2004

Do you not believe that Mrs. Arafat's wealth will trickle down?

I'm sure she'll provide a great number of French persons and businesses with income and employment!
posted by kavasa at 5:08 PM on November 12, 2004

Judging from that picture, and the video of her recent press conference, la veuve Arafat needs to work harder to get those trickles down to France's hardworking hairdressers/facialists/personal trainers (not to mention the makeup and couture industries).

As I said on an earlier thread, who is surprised to hear that Arafat has been lining his pockets out of the Palestinian Authority's budget? Surely not people who have been following the Sharon bribery case.
posted by Sidhedevil at 5:19 PM on November 12, 2004

"The point is that people resort to humor when they are grieving just as often as they turn to a half gallon bottle of Jack Daniels."

Yes, the Post is clearly just trying to deal with its uncontrollable grief over the death of Arafat.
posted by Doug at 5:42 PM on November 12, 2004

Meanwhile Palestinians live in squalor....

Yeah.

And you live in unimaginable wealth and luxury while most to the world lives in squalor. Are there any conclusions you wish us to draw about you from that bit of information?
posted by five fresh fish at 5:45 PM on November 12, 2004

Meanwhile Palestinians live in squalor....

Meanwhile millions of Americans live in squalor. Perhaps the several billion dollars we give Israel could help with that.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 5:58 PM on November 12, 2004

Actually, Doug, I wasn't really thinking of Arafat's death in that instance. And I really don't care one way or the other that he's dead. Although if peace is a more likely prospect with him gone then that's a good thing.

milovoo, this probably is going a bit far for a newspaper front page but in New York, they gotta get the attention of those savvy New Yorkers anyway they can. Doesn't make it right but its business. They knew they'd sell a whole mess of papers with that cover.

XQUZYPHYR , weren't those the millions that re-elected Bush?
posted by fenriq at 6:28 PM on November 12, 2004

Meanwhile Palestinians live in squalor....

do they?
they clearly need a tax cut, then!

glad to see you finally noticed the sorry state occupied Palestine is in, Steve.
posted by matteo at 6:49 PM on November 12, 2004

I know one thing for sure: Arafat did more for the Palestinians than I ever have...
posted by five fresh fish at 6:54 PM on November 12, 2004

I think that Palestine, should have already been a nation, long ago. I think that the death of Arafat is a sad thing, and for better or worse, he stood by his people, and was a champion of his people, right to the end. I think it a gross omission, that high level diplomats did not attend his funeral, as if her were a beloved head of state. I think it skanky to attack any widow, especially before the casket is in the ground, or during interment. I think we as a nation should do unto others as we would have them do unto us. I don't like it when the big players, set us up like they are doing. I didn't buy a ticket for the Jingo-Wagon ride.
posted by Oyéah at 6:55 PM on November 12, 2004

What Oyéah said.
posted by dejah420 at 7:21 PM on November 12, 2004

Do you not believe that Mrs. Arafat's wealth will trickle down?

Zing! Good one!
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:56 PM on November 12, 2004

Since The Post's cover yesterday was "ARAFAT DEAD and he wont be missed," it is pretty specious to claim that this is tabloid business-as-usual, or an acidental slip across the line of good taste. It is hateful, and divisive, and cruel.

FYI, a Village Voice article about The Daily News's and The Post's coverage of Arafat's illness & death.
posted by armchairsocialist at 9:11 PM on November 12, 2004

Bunch of panties put in wad by Post headline. Mission accomplished.
posted by Space Coyote at 11:05 PM on November 12, 2004

The editors over at the Post need to seriously consider what they should have first off had in the forefronts of thier minds.."Do not laugh at the calamity of what befalls another man, what might come upon you may be worse"

This doesn't turn up in a search, but it sounds like New Testament stuff.
posted by bingo at 2:15 AM on November 13, 2004

As if the Post wouldn't have a field day if they managed to piss off some palestinians...
posted by Space Coyote at 3:51 AM on November 13, 2004

"Super Cally go Ballistic, Celtic are Atrocious"

influx ... i am in awe of that
posted by pyramid termite at 6:16 AM on November 13, 2004

Wait until tomorrow when they have some Scott Peterson guilty headline. I can only imagine.



Imagine no more.
posted by fredosan at 8:17 AM on November 13, 2004

My god. They're not merely in the gutter: they're excavating a deeper gutter.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:06 AM on November 13, 2004

This, for those who still care, is why the rest of the world holds America in contempt.

That and the second term for Bush, and the war in Iraq, and not ratifying Kyoto, and all the rest of it.
posted by Hogshead at 4:09 PM on November 14, 2004

READ ALL ABOUT IT: CABAL BELIEVING TERRORIST LOVERS' NEST AT METAFILTER.

The post, as always, despicable. People, this is a British owned conservative tabloid run by Rupert Murdoch who is Christian conservative. I don't believe Jews make up its base readership (I think it's drunks). This paper's headlines are just about this controversial every day.

For what it's worth. I don't believe Arafat did anything to help his people. He worked for money and power for himself. He turned down every peace accord offered him (through Clinton he was offered the West Bank). Good riddance.
posted by xammerboy at 6:10 AM on November 15, 2004