National Review Perplexingly Depicts Sotomayor As Asian

Good gravy, have you all seen the cover that the good people from the Journal of Lowered Expectations known as the National Review have put together? Courtesy of Talking Points Memo's Brian Beutler, BEHOLD!

Yes. It seems that the National Review has confused their ethnic stereotypes, or their religions, or maybe they just wanted some sort of two-fer, because their "Wise Latina" cover story presents Sotomayor as an Asian, in some sort of Buddhist pose.

Anyway, the good news is this will surely provide a excellent P.R. opportunity to Puerto Rico's little talked-about Buddhist community.

[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not? Also, please send tips to [e-mail] -- learn more about our media monitoring project here.]

Comments

[SangZe]

Simply put, republicans are racists whose literature is produced by aging white men who mistakenly believe they own the planet.

[frontman9000]

Correction. They do own the planet and they are desperately trying to hold on to that power while it slowly slips away.

[kindGSL]

Own the planet and own women. They are terrified women will have equal rights.

[Hnorc]

This is a hair on fire article. I suggest we calm down.

[hootie1fan]

I guess to some, they all look the same.

[Miyake]

This has to be one of the DUMBEST covers ever

[fausto412]

i wonder if there is an ounce of objectivity on that magazine about her.

[bubbuh]

It's clear that the staff of the National Review couldn't think of a stereotype of a wise Spanish speaker. In fact; they were unable to think of a stereotype of a wise woman of any race. Look at that cover again. I bet the editors and publishers did not even realise just how plainly they were illustrating the American conservative movement's paucity of imagination, not to mention the sterility of its intellect. All they know is steadily shrinking world of the WASP male conservative, a world that is defined by what it does not include: women, scientists, artists and inclusive people of faith.

By this Sotomayor cover edition of the National Review. It will be a colector's item in short order.

[kindGSL]

Working on 'wise' as, 'can't possibly be of her race' (or Catholic religion?), they go for a 'foreign' image of wisdom?

It is really strange.

I took it to mean that to them wisdom and hispanic were mutually exclusive concepts. They are cool with the stereotype of smart Asians so that was all they had.

[yellowdoggie]

If the cover is jokingly referring to Sotomayor as being as wise as Buddha, the enlightened one, I don't understand what everyone is so bent about.

I don't think even the National Review is confused about Sotomayor's ethnic background.

[TheBaffler]

You are correct. Wingnuts are cretins to be sure, but this is much ado over nothing.

[Pleneras]

Of course they are confused. "Latina" is not an ethnic background.

[Jazz88105]

I agree I think everyone is being a little thin skinned.

[Hugh-Gee]

Ummm...the slanty eyes.
Did you read the article?

[kaypicts]

That fact that you are left guessing about the joke, or whether it is satire of some sort, makes the cover a failure.

Way to go Reflugs - the party of the unfunny

[solarian]

hope the national review goes out of business you clowns can't get anything right

[BillyFLA]

Tempest in a teapot. It's a caricature people. anybody of any race can be caricatured as a "wise" Buddha figure without it being racist. (and yes, to the super sensitive out there, ani't it just TOO nasty that the Buddha (an Asian!!!!) can be though of as 'wise' !!! god, what an insult to all Asians!!! Grow up people, this kind of thin-skinned nonsense makes us liberals look silly...

[ToucanSpam]

Both negative AND positive stereotypes do not help any race, religion or creed. Although it is fair to point out the realities from which those stereotypes are derived, it can be detrimental to be pigeoned holed or to be put in a box with certain stereotypical misconceptions or expectations. (This coming from experience)

[atcrossroads]

Actually, stereotypes are part and parcel of life, helping us to think quicker about things without having to sift through mountains of information in every situation. Without it, we'd probably go crazy, as our brains won't be able to cope with all the information. It's a form of hermeneutics. so in effect, the important issues ARE whether we hold positive or negative stereotypes, and how we act on those stereotypes.

[EducatedObserver]

BillyFLA,

I agree with you completely. It is amazing what some people are prepared to complain about or criticize, simply for column inches.

[Deaninphilly]

I've grew tired of the ultra sensativity years ago when I was admonished for being a gay anti gay. I was like what??? I was given a lecture about why I shouldn't make sterotypical remarks even though hello I'm gay.

This ultra sensativity gets on my nerves and I see it as nothing more than a group trying to control ones speech. I put them in the same catergory as those on the far right.

[Flavor]

Who is Buddha? and isn't Buddha a statue. How can a statue be wise? No comparison at all.

[kindGSL]

Maybe it is a way to say she isn't a 'real christian'. They got a lot of mileage on that one with Obama.

[yellowdoggie]

Buddha was a real person before he was a statue. Geez.

[magilla]

no one called it racist- read it again. people are just talking about how stupid the caricature is.

[WakeMeUpNow]

I think it is the author of this article that is confused. My sister (who is Hispanic, like me) is a Buddhist and there is nothing wrong with that.

[DFutureIsNow]

Republicans are certainly equally opportunity offenders, they have pissed off every race and gender there is, geez, who's gonna be left to vote for this people... oh yea, they still have one strong demographi­c... lunatics

[SouthPrairie]

Noooooooo.­...that image is Indian--East Indian. It is the likeness of Krishna and I didn't read the article, but couldn't it just simply be a reference to sagacity?

[elcerritan]

Krishna? I thinks it's supposed to be the Buddha. Maybe it's intended to refer to sagacity but I think it's more likely to be a snarky swipe at empathy - you know, the Dalai Lama, "compassion for all sentient beings" and all that other hippy-dippy stuff.

[kindGSL]

You are right, it is a religious dig.

[ToucanSpam]

Indians ARE Asians

[rasil]

East Indians ARE Asians...D­UH.

[bismillah001]

Sorry, but that is not supposed to be Krishna at all. If so, the skin would have been blue, there would have been cows instead of deer, a flute, jewelry.. maybe some gopis dancing in the background­.. Not one thing about that image has to do with Krishna.

[roshni]

Krishna is a Hindu god.

[nhop]

NR has been racist since its inception. Over 40 years ago it said that their "eyeglasses and buck teeth" make Japanese look like insects. In a brief period -- the early to late '70s -- it attracted many good writers and contributed to a lively exchange of ideas. Then it reverted to its partisan and bigoted origins. It is no longer worth reading.

[russdwater]

She does look Asian. I was wondering if it was just me...appar­ently not judging from the cover of this mag

[kindGSL]

She is native American.

They are closely related to Asians as a race that passed through Asia on the way to America. Lots of Native Americans look all or part Asian, in fact most of them do a little in different interesting ways. If you ever really looked, you would know this already.

These white guys don't want to admit her culture has any wisdom what so ever, so they pick another one from far, far away to attribute to 'wise'.

[elcerritan]

She's not Native American. She Puerto Rican.

[murphy20]

OMG, they didn't! They made her into a Buddha with stereotypical "slant eyes?" Buddha is not ever represented in that fashion. That's 2 minorities the Repugs have put off through racial stereotyping. Lets see if they can make it a trifecta.