Yeah, that’s right… I have been accused of being a racist… sort of… in a really offhand way. You know that children’s book I did? The one called: I Like Monkeys. It is over there in my sidebar.
I have been getting rave reviews from children and adults. Kids love that book. I told you how a teacher friend of ours brought it to his school and let a bunch of classrooms borrow it. They all loved it. Willie loves the copy I gave him for his birthday.
I got a letter from my mom. She sent me a card one of her friends had sent her. Her friend has a granddaughter and in the card she says that every time she drives her granddaughter anywhere, the girl brings the book and reads it in her car seat while she makes monkey noises.
So I called my mom, to tell her to thank her friend for the nice card. And during this conversation, my mom mentioned that she had gotten a little negative feedback. It turns out that a couple of people have said that the book might not be ‘politically correct’.
Wait… what???
Well, it all boils down to this one picture…
The text that goes with this picture just says: ‘My daddy looks like a monkey’.
That is an actual quote from an actual little girl. For those of you that do not know, the premise of the book is based on quotes from little kids. For years I have been telling kids that, “I like monkeys”. I just like to hear what they have to say. And I used a bunch of these quotes in the book.
When I was doing the artwork for the book, the first image that popped into my head when I thought of a dad who looks like a monkey, was that of a friendly gorilla. So that is what I did.
My mom asked me why the daddy was black… remember, she is asking on behalf of other people… my mom knows I am not a racist.
I did the character that color because that is the color that gorillas are. It is not a representation of an African-American father. It is a gorilla.
But now I can’t stop wondering if people might construe the picture as being racist.
Am I overreacting? Is this just a case of Berkeley liberal guilt… both from myself for doubting my artistic choice and from the people who thought the picture might be racist?
Does my intention count for more than people’s perception?
I guess when it comes down to it, we each need to decide on our own what is offensive. But it is a kid’s book. I don’t need controversy. I have always raised my kids to never judge people based on race or religion or anything but how they treat other people.
But I have also raised my kids to never do anything hurtful.
And if people can perceive my picture as hurtful, that makes me sad.
On top of that, I am now worried that I might offend religious people who will be angered because the images in the book might be taken to be coming down on the side of evolution.
No… I am just kidding about that last part… I never want to be considered a racist… but I am okay with being called an evolutionist.
Tell me what you think.
Pouring My Art Out 
UGH It was a wonderful….IS a wonderful book and I think if someone doesn’t understand and gets offended then they are battling their own demons. This should NOT concern you. You are an amazing guy… screw them and let them eat fish heads.
Then they will call me a fishist… ha! And thanks.
Oh jeez. This is what really irritates me about the whole racism thing… The people who turn something so innocent and fun into something so far – fetched and ridiculous just for the sake of causing drama. Which is all this is. I guarantee that whoever made that comment to your mother intentionally seeks out opportunities like this to throw the racism card out there. This person probably also feeds off drama and has to have it in his/her life… no matter what race they are.
It is people like this who are keeping us in past times instead of moving on, causing more harm than anything…
Don’t give it another thought! People like that are always going to find something to be displeased about and consider this: who is the one who is truly being racist in this situation?
That is very good advice, thanks.
Since this is how gorillas in real life look, I think you’re OK. If you had done something like draw a real father’s face & colored it black with some hair it might be interpreted as rascist, but not a drawing of a gorilla that is the actual color or real gorillas.
that is what I thought
I think them thinking your drawings are racist says more about them than it does about you. People see what they want to see…
I am not saying everybody thinks it… but how many people need to think it before it is wrong?
Here I will always go back to intent… you didn’t draw it to be racist, so no matter how many people think it is, it isn’t and you don’t need to worry about it.
I guess if it is hurting sales, then you could consider changing it, but not because it is racist, you would then be changing it because you are greedy and want more money… 😉
I can live with being greedy
My bank acount would mind a bit of greediness…
it would?
If it was your greediness and my account, yes.
Oh… I am working on that… HA!
When is a monkey more than a just a monkey? When people make more out of something than what is truly there. Problem is, there always seems to be people out there “looking” for things to be offended by.
And it sounds like it’s the adults getting all worked up and not the kids. What happens to us as we get older???
Hey… long time no see… and yes, people can be crazy, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some people who might be offended legitimately. If I make white people uncomfortable, it is a learning experience for them… if I make other people uncomfortable, it is one for me.
of course it’s not racist but the fashion police should certainly be on your back, teaming those shorts with socks and shoes. We’ll have to send Queer Eye round to makeover the gorilla.
hang on, have I just been homophobic now? Assuming gay men know about dress sense? Of course it’s not true, I’m gay and I look like I stole my clothes from a hobo
But do you wear the hobo clothes ironically?
No, I just have no style
Maybe you are hobophobic…
HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brilliant!
awww… shucks
HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is an easy leap to assume you are racist. Clearly. You could have used an albino monkey. I agree with Elyse. You should break into homes and make them striped. I know these things because I am a racist too. Polar bears are white and they think Santa’s elves taste like chicken. Have you ever heard anything so racist?!! (true story about a xmas card) Silly old racist me, I just thought it was funny.
I feel bad that I like polar bears more than black bears… this is the power of Berkeley liberal guilt… I even did a joke about BLG in the second sci-fi book.
“I did the character that color because that is the color that gorillas are. It is not a representation of an African-American father. It is a gorilla.” There’s the answer you send back. Congrats on how well the book’s doing!
Well, it isn’t selling a lot, but thanks.
Dude, I don’t see anything wrong there…. some people see things because they are looking for them. This is why, as I’ve said, our kids are going to save us… I think they are smarter and more accepting than we are, and they wouldn’t stand for this type of so-called opinionating on nothing. Peace, brother, don’t let this get you down at all.
The Bay Area is very sensitive to political correctness.
Did the comment come in from someone from the Bay Area?
Yes… hey… I just did a post for you… and I wrote you some poems… HA!!!
Gonna run over there in a bit, it’s bloody bonkers at work, we are getting bought out and today’s the big day for the announcement… gotta make sure everyone stays on target.
I can only imagine what the poems might be…
No you can’t
Yeah, I was expecting rauncy and wrong… but they were sweet and quite moving, and funny, and with beautiful photos.
surprise surprise
A good surprise. A touching one.
no touching
That’s what she said.
I bet… tell your wife I said it was okay for you to touch her if you are very careful…
Hell no! What if I get her pregnant again?
eeeew… don’t touch her with that…
Ohhhhhhh…. THAT’s how that works… wait, what????
I can’t give you the talk about the birds and the beavers… not my place…
But it would be an interesting children’s book… I still haven’t bought your book, by the way, but I will this week. I got a few days off.
the monkey one? It should be right at your reading level… HA!
Oh boy… no, I have a plan for it. It’s going to be the first book my 4-year old reads. My 7-year old and I are going to help her through it. She’s going to be so proud. And so will I. And it’s gonna be your book.
That is so awesome. It should start interesting conversations about things… like racism… ha!
I gotta go to bed.. I went to the gym for the first time in a while.
Wow, I’ve been gone so long Trent’s avatar changed from a random dam to … what is that? A rainbow missing some stripes? You are such a mystery…
Not anymore, unfortunately… I gone went and got exposed. Sigh. I dread to think what Art will do with a photograph. The mind boggles; the rest follows.
New gravatar is kid-inspired; I love the colours.
You’re exposed? Where can I see such a thing??
I figured it was kid inspired, yours? I just had to give you a hard time 🙂
Yah mine. They rock.
Head over to my blog, it’s pretty quick getting there. And horribly embarrassing. I don’t do well with attention! I’m shy!
Hehe. I can’t wait. And you sure didn’t seem shy on Art’s comment post.
Well, Art brings out the best in me…it’s the artist’s soul. I’m pretty guarded about myself, personally. I don’t know why, and today I’m having to reevaluate that… okay back to work. Bonkers nuts around here.
Who is Bonkers and why are you talking about his nuts?
Cause they’re so dang purdy?
oh
he is retiring from being shy… shy and retiring
ha… get used to it
Maybe he drew it himself
I knew it
Was there really any doubt?
no
It looks like maybe a picture one of his kids drew?
Seriously? I don’t see anything wrong with that picture. People can be ignorant.
They can be, but I wish they wouldn’t
Some people are just crazy. But, Art, I think this bogus racism controversy might just be the thing you need to sell more books. I wish I knew how you could use it.
I touch on racism and speciesism in the sci-fi novels… but a kid’s book might not be the place. Maybe it will get people talking. Who knows.
There are always critics in everything good. I would just ignore them. I’m sure the kids aren’t going to notice. Maybe the critics are just jealous.
And maybe this is a chance to open up conversations with your kids about how everybody is not the same… which is what it is supposed to do.
Maybe 🙂
maybe
It is funny and sad to me how often people who claim to me non-racist bring racism to the table–make it a part of the conversation when it was never part of the conversation and has nothing to do the conversation. Who is the racist? If they could hear some of the conversations I have with my darker-skinned friends! Or my gay friends! I am sure they would be horrified. Thankfully my friends are not. They know me.
Context is everything. You cannot isolate one word or one sentence from a book or a conversation or a person’s speech for that matter without consciousness of its context. I am so very grateful that I have friends of every skin-color, sexual preference, etc., etc., (because I’m pretty sure I have almost all the bases covered) pretty much all of whom I can speak openly and freely with, without concern for P.C. back-lash. My barometer is wether people can joke about these topics or not. Humor is vital. People all to often mistake seriousness with solemnity. Humor is a very serious matter and one can (and I would argue should) joke about things that one takes very seriously.
We have been doing out best to raise our daughter to not even use the terms “black” or “white” to describe people. WAY too much baggage and they are not even close to accurate for what they claim to describe (at least 99% of the time). I personally feel that a huge part of the “race issue” comes from our deep-seated misuse of the language. These things DO affect our perceptions and our behavior.
I will point out that you could quibble with people on at least two scientific points here.
1) We’re ALL monkeys!
2) Technically, gorillas are apes, not monkeys.
Of course, I’m not a quibbler. Or a ranter. Or…
I do think they are making a mountain out of a monkey hill…
I think the criticisms are crazy… even though I have known quite a few Berkeley liberal hippy racists.
My thoughts are: why are your critics immediately equating the monkey picture with someone of a particular race?
And besides… it’s just an animal (with blue eyes, which is only common among white people) with clothes on.
You make good points…
Is it permissible to make a comment on a book I have not read/seen/judged? Sure.
I really think you should go back and change every one of those drawings in everyone of those books. Break into houses if necessary. Those daddy gorillas should be multicolored stripes. Each and every one of them.
I loves me some sarcasm… YAY
Moi?
I just love the image of you stealing the book out of the hands of a child just about to fall asleep …
yeah… me too…
Quite frankly I think the “Politically Correct” police need to get a life. In many ways we have taken things too far. People (all people) are afraid to talk to each other for fear of offending. When we put that onto our children it in so wonder they want to hide behind computers and make virtual “friends”. I was raised to not notice the colour of a person’s skin. My mother never explained to me that people who were not the same tone as me were any different than me. My Mother passed when I was 12 and I hit foster care. It was a different world then. I will always be grateful for my Mother’s influence on me, planting the foundation for me to not notice the shade of a persons skin. Kids need to learn by example and only an adult would make a comment like that about your drawing. As far offending Christians. Well I happen to be one of those and I am definitely not offended in any way.
Now that’s not to say you can’t be offensive in other ways, ’cause I’m pretty sure you can. 😉
I am pretty sure I can too… thanks…