Satire done right

I suppose David Horsey thinks this somehow knocks down the critics of the New Yorker cover. But in reality he highlights the very reason why the New Yorker cover fails as satire.

Satire requires context in order to make it clear just what is being satirized. The New Yorker cover failed on that front because it was not immediately obvious that they were satirizing those who actually buy into the "Obama is a secret muslim who wants to burn the flag and put Osama bin Laden in the cabinet" crap. But Horsey's counter-example succeeds (it is funny) because he makes it clear what the context of his satirization is. He clearly shows the original New Yorker cover. He clearly lays out in the text on the left just exactly what he is getting at. And he then clearly gives a counter-example of the Obama cover that charicatures the many stories going around about John McCain.

It's funny because it is clear. The New Yorker cartoon was not clear. If it had been clear, it might have been funny (we will never know).