It doesn't matter if they FEEL that way. What matters is when they start doing things to SHOW it. Blatantly associating the President with a monkey isn't something that should be tolerated. I don't know, but your attempt to make a point fails because you are talking about someone's THOUGHTS, not their actions.

At any rate, I shouldn't be surprised at some of the reactions. Even though you would never admit it, most of you probably share the same sentiment as the people who continuously compare the President of the United States to a monkey. I'm not saying definitively that this is the case, but based on previous comments around here, it's not unlikely.

ETA: I'm not angry. don't want anyone to think I'm sitting here with steam coming out of my ears. I'm just saddened and perplexed that people are so desensitized that things like this are tolerated and brushed off.

I'm puzzled as to why people think that if an employee had been caught doing this, that they would have punished. There have been numerous incidents that have been traced back to employees and nothing was ever really done. For example, I have done some research to find out what happened with that employee involved in that incident where the word "n*^&%#" was written on a customer's return receipt. From what I know, they found out who it was, but never fired that individual. They just waited for everything to die down, and business resumed as usual. That's typically what happens in there types of situations.

Also, I think based on the rep's attitude alone on the Joyner show, there is more to the story. I still don't understand why he wasn't more apologetic. He was VERY nasty when he was on there. He certainly was quick to pass the buck however. A little too quick. Like I said, he was counting on the notion that people don't know the layout of the store.

That's been my experience as well - even at the national chains in Boston, it never seemed like there was enough staff to effectively police the store activity. Now, the stores had detectors and cameras to dissuade theft, but I'm surprised more garbage like this didn't happen (not necessarily just racially-motivated stuff, but vandalism in general).

You raised a good point about stores and cameras. I'm sure that store has cameras. Why didn't they at least LOOK at the cameras to see what occurred?

Again, you are missing the whole point of this particular story.

You have a smoking gun and no witnesses to the crime nor a real 'credible' victim.


Hell I could just as easily go in there and do the same thing and cry wolf.

It's not that this is being tolerated, bit it's an isolated incident that no one can really do too much about adn again as I sated before, if there was malice behind this event and something that was on a far grander scale, I could see where there would be outrage, but this particular incident for what happened, it's not worth it.

See my post about cameras.

I'm just shocked that people are just buying the BS Barnes and Noble is selling. He says it was a customer, no one questions it. I'm not missing the point. However, it's apparent that because people don't know the layout of the store, they are just going to buy his lies.

http://essence.typepad.com/news/imag...esandnoble.jpg

What else is wrong with this picture?

If this was a prominent display, there is something else wrong with it...this is why I don't buy the whole "B&N entirely responsible" idea.



Let it go.

I am done.

This story is not worth the energy

Could be that the cameras weren't functioning, could be that it happened in some gap in time during the incident. Or it could be that they know the culprit, but aren't releasing the name for that person's safety (and the whole innocent until proven guilty thing).

I'm not sure where you get this. Most of the people who have posted in this thread (heck, most of the people who post on the board) were/are supporters of President Obama. Out of the remainder, most of us haven't stated anything racist (either overt or subtle) that would allude to us comparing the President to a monkey. I think most of us have explained pretty well why we didn't vote for the current President, either because of issues with his foreign policy, his economic plan, etc.

What exactly is your basis for that statement?

The same as her basis for knowing that B&N's explanation is a lie.

Really? All the time? :rolleyes:

That's not true, and one example I'll cite is this website. There have been lots of debates here about his policies that haven't touched on race. I don't think you're giving his supporters enough credit here.

Quoted for ridiculousness and irony.

Well, first off, race isn't a "card." (@ Zephyrus)

Second off, I think almost every discussion of this election and the current state of the Presidency on here has had overt or implied race implications in a few of the posts.

And the same basis for her thinking people are ganging up on her if a few posters take issue with that silly comment.

And she's conveniently ignoring the fact that a few of us in here are black/African American/African Diasporic. Surely we wouldn't compare Obama to a monkey on racial grounds.*


*versus the notion that everyone looks like some animal and some people of every race and ethnicity resemble primates :)

As someone else stated, that whole innocent till proven guilty. And some things are done behind closed doors and are NOT your business. If I fire one of my employees and a customer asks about it, I am not allowed to say "Yeah we fired her". It's the same if someone calls for a reference for a future employee. You are legally not allowed to say "yes this person was a horrible employee do not hire them".

I kinda think Bush looks like a monkey...


If this does blow up, and B&N takes a hit, I wonder if there will be any claim to defamation.

And he has had monkey photos devoted to him. The difference is there's no history of monkey references for white people. So how some "jokes" are received is based on the messenger and the historical significance of the message.


This will only blow up if people are in a desperate search for a "cause."

As isolated as this instance is, I would be extremely shocked if this blows up.

There are always people in a desperate search for a "cause" - always have been, always will be.

True. So this will only blow up if those people aren't ignored. :)

This is definitely true. I have a photo of '50 years of playboy' and such that were in the "bargain priced children's books"..and that was our B&N. This was in view of the front counters, but I highly doubt the employees did it.

DI, you're kind of dumb.

My little dachshund is a dachshund-ist. When he's around other dachshunds he's like :D:D:D. But, when he's around other dog breeds he's like :mad::mad::mad:.

<random post to add to this mix:p>

What an evil little dog. Dachshundism must be stopped. Do not ignore this any longer. Take a picture and create an email forward campaign. :mad:

I think Camilla Parker-Bowles Windsor looks kinda horsey. And GW's ears make him look "monkeyish". My brain hurts trying to figure out what that means . . .

Yes, you wouldn't believe how prejudiced dogs are. I once took my golden retriever puppy to the dog park and a woman's beagle snarled at her. She told me it was because, "Oh, she doesn't like puppies." :rolleyes:

Anyway, deepimpact, your credibility, if you had any to start with, was lost with this thread. Your blind accusation that most of us think of the President as a monkey is absurd and very insulting. Many of us here voted for Obama, and for reasons having nothing to do with his skin color. That is more than we can say for you, apparently, since you cannot see past color to get the facts. YOU are the reason people do not want to talk about race issues in this country.

I WILL!!!! :p

Is this the store display behind the cashiers counter? B/c the displays like that at the b&ns that I've been to have always been behind the cashiers counter. If so then I understand being skeptical about who actually put it there because Im pretty sure all of the store workers arent going to be away from the cashiers area. There's always at least one there so it seems like someone should have seen it. Also it seems like they'd have camera footage of the area to be able to tell what happened. While I do not think this is an overall b&n issue I do think something is fishy with it being explained as "a customer did it". Especially because thats a common occurance. Its much more believeable and gives an actual explination instead of saying "We dont know". I'd like to hear the Tom Joyner interview this guy did. From what DI heard he seemed to have a 'tude. If he did then that makes it even more suspect. A customer may have done it. An employee may have done it. There arent any facts or proof for either side. There is evidence that may lead a person to believe one or the other. If you think the 2 foot space where a customer had access then you probably think a customer did it. If you think its behind the money where a customer is least likely to be able to get then you probably think its b&ns fault. Either way its your belief. One is no more wrong than the other.


I wont boycott B&N (I wont ever shop at that particular store if I ever have the option to do so because I think there'smore to this) because Im sure this is an isolated incident. I do think it was poorly handled by that stores management. No matter what anyone wants to say about it it was an act of racism. It is wrong. Ignoring it doesnt change the fact that it is racist and ignoring it makes it quite likely that it will happen again. B&N as a chain probably should take serious steps to ensure that it doesnt happen again (at this store or others) but they probably wont. They'll do a lil somethin and keep it moving. Why? No need to do so if theres no pressure placed on them.

I don't think people are really paying attention to the picture. DaemonSeid is so cryptic in all that he types. LOL.

Look at the reflection in the window.

Look at the display itself.

This is another reason why I want people to direct their outrage and protest at more worthy ventures. In many instances, people are pissed off but never paid attention to the content and the context. There should be no outrage and protest without information.

Most of the Barnes and Nobles I know have a display like that behind the cashier's counter and then another one like that on the other big window in the front of the store - on the opposite side of the entrance.

There's a reflection with cars and trees. Clearly, it is being taken from the outside. I don't get the debate here. :confused:

But then again, this whole thread makes me :confused:.

Exactly.

Im so not following you here. Its quite obvious that the pic was taken from the outside of the store. What does that have to do with who put the monkey book there?

How do you figure it was "poorly handled" by management. It says in the article that when a customer brought it to the manager's attention, he immediately took the book & blocked all access to the display. I don't see that as poorly handled, nor "ignoring an act of racism."

IDK about your Barnes & Noble, but even the display behind the cashiers have an access where customers could get to it. Most of the time the cashiers are too busy to notice whether a customer goes back there or not. How do I know? Because I've gone back there before to get a friends attention.

Yeah, I was thinking that too. The Barnes and Noble by my house has those types of displays all along the windows and there is complete free access inside, in fact a couple of them are in the "reading section" with the couches and chairs. No desk is nearby and if I wanted to, I could completely screw with the display.

What's below the monkey book?

I misunderstood what people meant when they said "display behind the cashier counter." The Barnes and Nobles here, even the ones I call "Mansion Bookstores," pretty much have run of the mill displays that customers can access. I'm not familiar with displays behind the cashier counter that only employees can access.

It's just way too convenient for a display like that to be available for customers to take pictures from the sidewalk. It was either a customer or a dumb employee that may or may not be discovered. Either way, it's nothing for that store or the corporation to take a hit for.

Agreed.

And when I look at that pic, I can easily see some clown putting that book there and then running outside and taking a pic of it and then running back into the store starting some BS about display they set up.

When they talked to management and they promptly fixed it, that should have been the end of it.

I thought about that, too.

This gets into the whole "maybe Santa Claus was here" line of discussion, since we don't know. It's still strange to be outraged over this, since we don't know who did it. B&N has apologized and that's pretty much that.

Well from the b&n's I've been in you can go behind the counter (the cashiers have to get back there some way) but there is always a cashier there so you couldnt go unnoticed. What was poorly handled was the way the store manager responded (not in action, but in interview). And to let someone get to your display (assuming that its behind the cash register) is poor management as well.

In my B&Ns basically when you look at that pic imagine that if the bookshelf thingy were clear you'd be looking at the cashiers butt and the cash register. I have not known any store to give customers easy access to their cash registers like that.

Its not odd to be outraged to me. It'd be odd to demand that b&n shut down or something like that or to boycott all b&ns. I think the best b&n could do is appologize and the ensure that this couldnt happen in one of its stores again (which im sure they havent done or at least not in my area).