German Zoo Says That, In Hindsight, Naming A Monkey "Obama" Was Probably Not Their Best PR Move

News Type: Event — Seeded on Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:59 PM EDT

Article Source: The Earth Times Online

odd-news, obama, barack-obama, racism, race, monkey, dresden, racial-slur, german-zoo, mandrill

A German zoo changed the name of one of its monkeys Friday from! "Obama" to "Okeke" after a black group warned the original name implied a racial slur. The newborn mandrill was named Obama this March, in honour, zookeepers said, of US President Barack Obama.
A Dresden Zoo spokesman said the new name took effect Friday and confirmed a report in an English-language website, The Local. Obama visited Dresden last month.

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4.1

{"commentId":8141957,"authorDomain":"killfile"}

Killfile

Sounds like they got some serious push-back from the black community though they're probably used to be flamed.

{"commentId":8141957,"threadId":"623854","contentId":"3014895","authorDomain":"killfile"}

1 vote

#1 - Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:03 PM EDT

{"commentId":8142068,"authorDomain":"alkimija"}

alkimija

Why not name a lion Obama instead of a monkey? It seems like a transparently offensive racist act to me.

{"commentId":8142068,"threadId":"623854","contentId":"3014895","authorDomain":"alkimija"}

1 vote

#2 - Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:09 PM EDT

{"commentId":8142186,"authorDomain":"killfile"}

Killfile

Probably not to be honest.

The Germans lack the same sort of history with racism (particularly against Blacks) that we have. The vocabulary of racism is different in Germany than it is here.

Also, I'd guess they had a monkey give birth. Unless they also had a spare lion cub the opportunity doesn't exactly present itself.

{"commentId":8142186,"threadId":"623854","contentId":"3014895","authorDomain":"killfile"}

4 votes

#2.1 - Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:14 PM EDT

{"commentId":8143390,"authorDomain":"leathernlacekitten"}

Freedom Writer-801740

You are correct Killfile, our history with racism and intolerance in some other countries would never have been allowed to thrive. But I am of the opinion that if you want to take offense to something then you can. Words can only hurt if you give them the power to do such. I have been called my fair share of names, but the bottom line is I know that I am not those things that I am being called, so if calling me a dumb @$$ b!tch will make someone feel better about themselves, it in no way defines who I am, so with that said, if Obama takes offense to having a monkey named after himself then that is his problem not the zoo's. But that is just my opinion.

{"commentId":8143390,"threadId":"623854","contentId":"3014895","authorDomain":"leathernlacekitten"}

#2.2 - Fri Jul 10, 2009 3:09 PM EDT

{"commentId":8150442,"authorDomain":"krishna109"}

krishna-167929

The Germans lack the same sort of history with racism (particularly against Blacks) that we have.

Yes-- fortunately, the Germans have never been racist...

/sarcasm

{"commentId":8150442,"threadId":"623854","contentId":"3014895","authorDomain":"krishna109"}

2 votes

#3 - Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:50 PM EDT

{"commentId":8183048,"authorDomain":"killfile"}

Killfile

Not what I said, but thanks for that.

Something like 1 in 4 Southerners (before the war) were slaves and the institution, duration, and scope of American slavery and racism dwarfs comparable experiences in modern European history. Slavery and racism, taken as a pair in the Americas, was/is some 500 years old.

It's an entirely different social beast than antisemitism in Europe (and Germany in particular which was a haven for European Jews at times in its history)

{"commentId":8183048,"threadId":"623854","contentId":"3014895","authorDomain":"killfile"}

#3.1 - Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:47 AM EDT

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KILLFILE

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German Zoo Says That, In Hindsight, Naming A Monkey "Obama" Was Probably Not Their Best PR Move

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