MONKEY BOOK ON DISPLAY IN AN OBAMA-THEMED B&N (788 hits)
YOUR COMMENTS WILL BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED The Barnes & Noble bookstore's storefront in the Miracle Mile Mall in Coral Gables, Fla., featured several books about Obama and one about monkeys. In a public statement, Barnes & Noble spokesperson Mary Ellen Keating said, "We believe that a customer played a cruel joke and placed an inappropriate title in the front window of our store. We are looking into it and are taking the steps necessary so that it does not happen again." A photo of the display began circulating via e-mail by an unknown photographer and has sparked widespread criticism and the public apology from the U.S. bookseller. But is putting the blame on a customer really an apology? Much like the apology "to those who were offended by the image" from the Post, B&N's statement seems more like a transfer of responsibility. The e-mail, by an unknown original sender, stated, "Let us not be lulled into a sense of complacency, due to the recent political success of President Obama. Racism still exists in this country … How far have we really come?" It went on to persuade all those who received the e-mail to forward it and boycott the bookstore. "Boycotting Barnes & Noble will show the economic effect of people who will not tolerate racism," the e-mail read. The racist connotations associated with the display are undeniable. However, B&N says the incident does not reflect the attitudes of its management or its employees. Keating told the NAACP, "Barnes & Noble would certainly not do something like this. We put up a display to honor President Obama. Once we discovered this, four days later, it was immediately removed."
Stupid people will always exist so this ignorance just shows how far some of us have come more than others. We can't give power to this sort of thing by being enraged about it. What if it was a black person who did it? then what of we got to say about that? I dont care, im better than all of that racist junk. It's their problem, not mine.
Thursday, March 12th 2009 at 11:19AM
Zulma Brooks
Umm, money speaks louder than words! Will not be purchasing another book, magazine, CD, or pen from B&N. Please!
Thursday, March 12th 2009 at 12:34PM
Phyllis Joyner
Did anyone hear the explanation coming from Barnes and Noble? Having worked in a bookstore during the college years I've had to fix displays with books that customers have just happen to throw or place wherever without looking but this was a window display, how could some employee not have noticed a customer in the window or was it really a customer who changed the display. It could have easily been an employee.
Saturday, March 21st 2009 at 5:43PM
Monica Leak
