The scene:
In issue 602 Captain America and his black sidekick Falcon are on a rooftop watching an anti-tax protest march. One of the protesters is holding a sign that reads "Teabag the libs before they teabag you." Captain America has a plan to infiltrate them, but Falcon is worried and says, "I don't exactly see a black guy from Harlem fitting in with a bunch of angry white folks." This, of course, stirred outrage on the right.
No, don't do it! Don't Jummmmmmpppppppp....
The page that is too dangerous for good Americans to see is found
here
(There really should be an IRONY tag for html.)
Enter Publius' Forum's Warner Todd Huston who took issue with the comic's depiction of the event and rallied the troops at Publius to pressure Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Joe Quesada into apologizing "for the panel that seemed to tie real-life Tea Party protesters to the fictional group depicted in the book."
Of course, Marvel apologized. So now the article's author is presented an easy narrative, that the comic book was somehow slanderous of the freedumb lovers, and he goes along with it.
So the article, Marvel Comics' depiction of anti-tax protesters inspires anger, apology describes this frame (and the accompanying concern by a black dude that he might not fit in there) as a "clear implicit attack on the Tea Party Movement."
Put aside for the moment that a COMIC BOOK is being perceived as a threat to a mob of people armed to the teeth and waving around signs filled with threats, slanders, and outright lies. Nevermind that. Think just for a moment about the right wingers and the kind of mental gymnastics it takes to say that the tea bag protests--even when they are filled with violent rhetoric--are sanctioned free speech, but that a comic book that points out that sometimes there is racist, violent edge to the marches is somehow worthy of protest and condemnation.
Heaven knows that a black dude would be totally welcome at a Tea Party. The Tea Partiers want all media to carry their water and ignore the UGLY side of the movement and only portray it as some kind of righteously indignant attack on government spending. We can't let them frame it that way. Art (comic book art included!) has always been used to point out uncomfortable truths about our world.
You can contact Marvel's media relations group here:
Dan Klores Communications
Jeff Klein
Executive Vice President
212-981-5189
Tell them you support art's right to point out uncomfortable truths and tell them not to buckle to would-be censors.
jeff_klein@dkcnews.com