Obama "Joker" Artist Revealed

Image from source, LA Times

I've written a couple of posts about conservative humor, and their appropriation of a (formerly) anonymous artist's rendition of President Obama as the Heath Ledger version of Batman nemesis, The Joker. Usually, the image is shown without the Time magazine cover, and coupled with the word "SOCIALISM."

I've criticized the work as creepy, though well done. I didn't label it racist, though for some reason it does lend itself to that description, perhaps because of the reverse-black face, anti-Al Jolson imagery. Most of all, my problem with it was that I don't get the joke. I love humor, political humor especially, even if it is directed at my own ideology. But the key is, it's got to be funny. I posted a link last week to a treasure-trove of conservative digital "humor," which included variations of the "Obama Joker," and the key element linking them was that they weren't particularly funny. Some were very clever artistically, but where's the joke?

I'll give you an example. I got an email at work that was a picture of an unknown person in some sort of tribal dress. Obama's head was superimposed on the body, with a bone through his nose. The caption was "ObamaCare," and I get the joke--as distasteful as it is--that Obama is some sort of witch doctor. Stupid, yes, but there is a joke there. But it is muddied by the fact that the "C" in ObamaCare is a hammer and sickle. He's a communist witch doctor? Hunh? One step too far (at least).

Now we know who the artist of the Joker image is. With this revelation, charges of racism, or meanie conservatives are seemingly deflated. Except that the image has been co-opted in ways that certainly have a different agenda than the artist intended. Worst of all? Still not funny.

[Excerpt]

Obama Joker artist unmasked: A fellow Chicagoan

When cryptic posters portraying President Obama as the Joker from "Batman" began popping up around Los Angeles and other cities, the question many asked was, Who is behind the image?

Was it an ultra-conservative grassroots group or a disgruntled street artist going against the grain?

Nope, it turns out, just a 20-year-old college student from Chicago. . .

Read more at: Los Angeles Times

Incidentally, the artist talks about a "Bush as Vampire" image by Spencer Fairey. I could be wrong about this, but the image I'm most familiar with with that theme was actually by Alex Ross, famed painter of DC super heroes. Fairey may have done one, but I can't find it. The Ross image, however, does contain (dark) humor, and works as political commentary. That's what seems to be missing lately.

Image from Publisher's Weekly