The Guardian has apologised after a cartoon depicting BBC chairman Richard Sharp was criticised as antisemitic.

I hope SueDonim that you will convey to your D-I-L that most on this thread are equally offended and horrified by the cartoon, and definitely don't share those views.

I saw the cartoon before I saw the outcry - and I immediately saw what I didn't want to see, without even giving it any thought.

Surely, Rowson can't be that bigoted - or stupid? Is what I thought.

Most of his caricatures are grotesque - I'm a huge critic of Boris Johnson but he's frequently made to look so repulsive in Rowson's cartoons that even I blanch. He, Rowson, always goes for the lips and eyes, exaggerating them beyond parody.

I'd like to believe that he was simply doing what he does so awfully (in the true sense of the word) well. But, it did hit me straight away (and I know nothing about squids or octopi) and made me feel like others, hugely uncomfortable.

So, either he's so engrossed in his own 'style' that he didn't see it; saw it and thought "what the hell anyway"; or he's antisemitic.

???

I do think that Johnson's calls for resignation though are faintly ludicrous... coming from one who talked of watermelon smiles and the infamous letterboxes. I think he's attempting to detract from his part in the whole affair.

I had a Jewish step-mother, I was very fond of her. And I have a half-brother who is half-Jewish. He's also a fan of Rowson. It will be interesting to hear what he thinks. I don't know what to think. Yet.

growstuff

I can't imagine what the cartoonist or Guardian was doing.

There's enough sleaze surrounding Sharp's appointment without having to introduce anti-semiticism. I had no idea he's Jewish and I don't really see that it has anything to do with the loan, cronyism, attempt to influence the BBC politically or whatever.

Well, that's the other point, growstuff

This offensive cartoon has taken the emphasis away from why Richard Sharp resigned and turned him into a figure deserving of sympathy.

"This offensive cartoon has taken the emphasis away from why Richard Sharp resigned and turned him into a figure deserving of sympathy."

Indeed. We've enough anti-semitism in the far right in the UK and a general rise of it in Europe (look at Putin's portrayal of Zelinsky) without the far left. but generally the Guardian isnt far left - I am totally bewildered by this turn of affairs.

To understand feelings in the far left we have to understand wha's happening in Palestine of course and this is very, very complex and actually many different POV's within feelings about Palestineand complicated story since the end of WW2.

Its is different from far right anti-semitism that we've known for years and years.

I support neither!

Still not getting the antisemitism inherent in a squid though...

Look it up then!

The whole idea of the squid or octopus – to represent the power of Jewish financiers can be traced back to 1894. An attack on the Rothschild banking dynasty was orchestrated by the antisemitic polemicist ‘Coin Harvey.’ He displayed a cartoon of a giant Octopus, with its tentacles reaching to every corner of a map of the world – then named Rothschild at the core – under the title ‘The Octopus: It Feeds on Nothing but Gold.’

Quote from Article by Alex Brummer in Jewish News

I thought the title of the cartoon - The Copros Touch - very clever. Summed Johnson's premiership up.

I thought all three men had hideously cariacatured features.

I didn't know about octopuses, I just thought it was an odd box of things to carry.

Appalled by this cartoon, whoever agreed to the printing of it, and the cartoonist who drew it should both be sacked. Appalling behaviour. Guess being the self righteous Guardian , a slap on the wrist is all they'll get.

I thought this cartoon was about corruption and greed. I didn’t even know Richard Sharp was Jewish.

The octopus image is often used in cartoons to depict Jewish people like with Marc Zuckerberg about 10 {?} years ago.
The idea is to portray them as greedy monsters.

It is surprising that people who are so familiar with the internet have not noticed this.

Mark Zuckerberg

People who are familiar with the internet, and indeed with politics, will know that the octopus image in political cartoons is commonly used to portray greed regardless of race or religion Shanie?

Here’s a potted history. It’s actually quite fascinating.
neverwasmag.com/2017/08/the-octopus-in-political-cartoons/

Casdon

People who are familiar with the internet, and indeed with politics, will know that the octopus image in political cartoons is commonly used to portray greed regardless of race or religion Shanie?

I'd only been aware of it in the Jewish context, but it appears you're right Casdon. It's been used to symbolise Britain, Russia, France and the US (amongst others).

Hmmm ...

I found this link too ...

rmc.library.cornell.edu/latitude/metaphor.php

Thank you Casdon. That was my understanding.

Interesting. Had no idea it was so commonly used and not exclusively to do with wealth.

Rosie51

I hope SueDonim that you will convey to your D-I-L that most on this thread are equally offended and horrified by the cartoon, and definitely don't share those views.

Thank you, Rosie. ❤️

When my son and dil married in the US, they did so in a country club. They chose that venue because her father, a lawyer and a judge, had not been allowed across its threshold when he was a young man, due to being Jewish.

The link shows no doubt about it.

There is also no doubt it was intended to reference Boris Johnson's "buying" MrSharp since the whole cartoon references him/money/sharp.

However, what is so obvious to most of us here is how bewilderingly blind the Guardian was to metaphors in this cartoon.

this
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/18/antisemitism-britain-anti-jewish-hate-incidents
is the sort of article I've generally read in the Guardian on anti-semitism.

There is a whole page of articles showing GB news too has had its anti-semitic moments if you google GB news anti-semitism.
www.thejc.com/news/news/mps-and-board-of-deputies-slam-antisemitic-conspiracy-theories-on-gbnews-7034XOJGx29iU82NfNSPfq
But I expect no different from the far right GB news.

Having read how common the octopus symbol/metaphor has been, I'm not so sure now Wyllow.

I don't really pay much attention to political cartoons such as that one. I saw the words coming out of Johnson's mouth and I scrolled down. I didn't look at Sharp's box. It didn't even cross my mind that Sharp had been given "Jewish" features.

I knew about the Nazis' use of the octopus trope. Hitler called Jews "Tintenfische" (plural of octopus), but I wasn't aware of the other contexts. It's possible that the cartoonist is as naive as I seem to have been.

I still think it's a shame because there are some very serious issues surrounding Sharp's appointment and this is a distraction.

This is what the cartoonist thought he was portraying (I posted the link way above) - still think he got it terribly wrong!

"
The main focus of the cartoon was Boris Johnson sitting naked on top of a dungheap holding bags full of dollars, with various wheeliebins around its base, labelled “Patrons”, “Friends”, “Families” and so on. Johnson was saying to Sharp, as the latter was leaving the dilapidated and clearly fire damaged room they were in, “Cheer up, matey! I put you down for a peerage in my Resignation Honours List!”

Wyllow I'm not sure what point you're making with the link to the Guardian. I think it makes sense.

Wyllow3

This is what the cartoonist thought he was portraying (I posted the link way above) - still think he got it terribly wrong!

"
The main focus of the cartoon was Boris Johnson sitting naked on top of a dungheap holding bags full of dollars, with various wheeliebins around its base, labelled “Patrons”, “Friends”, “Families” and so on. Johnson was saying to Sharp, as the latter was leaving the dilapidated and clearly fire damaged room they were in, “Cheer up, matey! I put you down for a peerage in my Resignation Honours List!”

Well, yes. Personally, these kind of cartoons aren't my taste, but the cartoonist wasn't wrong about the intended message.

He wasn’t wrong in the intended message about Johnson/Tory sleaze.
He was absolutely wrong not to realise -if we accept that ridiculous excuse - that it was also anti semitic

growstuff

Wyllow I'm not sure what point you're making with the link to the Guardian. I think it makes sense.

Just showing Guardians usual viewpoint - ie a racist cartoon is not within normal range. I looked for an article that addressed anti-semitism directly.

I didn’t see it as antisemitic. Just anti sleaze with Johnson the main focus.