The anti-Trump and conservative-bashing rhetoric has reached a new low. Taking advantage of the adult coloring book craze, the 61-page book titled “I Am So Sick of White Guys” co-authored by a New York law librarian has a field day while making fun of various Republicans and implying that they are controlled by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Throughout the book, readers can view and color artwork depicting not just Trump but also various conservative politicians. Needless to say, the book is geared toward a liberal audience as it ridicules conservative ideas and policies. But unlike its counterpart coloring book genre solely intended for children, the adult coloring book is specifically for an adult audience.
A Clearly Hateful Approach
The book wastes no time getting straight to the point: The cover shows a cartoon-version of Putin looking like he is holding various puppet strings, and the “puppets” he is manipulating on the other ends of the strings are none other than Trump, Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon, Mitch McConnell and others.
But that is actually mild compared to the book’s interior, which addresses highly controversial topics and groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Then there are pictures addressing the recent protests of the U.S. national anthem and the issue of freedom of speech.
The Book’s Hypocritical Authors
Here’s a kicker: The book’s authors, Jim Corbett and Tim Jones, are both white. Yet they apparently enjoy attacking themselves and each other as well as men in general, given the book’s clearly anti-white and anti-male title. Steve Hartley, illustrator of the book, is black, but is still male so to some extent also sees nothing wrong with self-dislike.
Corbett explains how he developed the book concept: “It came completely out of me screaming at my TV, and the way the GOP is taking the country off in a totally different direction.” Well, if he is a Democrat and liberal, the opposing party will of course take the country in a different direction from what he prefers.
And the anti-white attitude? According to Corbett, he’s addressing the topic of “white privilege.” He elaborates: “Look, I’m a white guy; there’s a lot of white guys like me and this idea of white privilege is a real thing. I have been the beneficiary of white privilege and gotten in trouble for stupid things. If the same thing had happened to a couple of black kids it would have been different.”
That rambling commentary doesn’t exactly make sense. It would be insightful to know what he means by “beneficiary of white privilege” or “gotten in trouble for stupid things.” It would also just be interesting to get a definition of “white privilege” from him.
A Better Approach
Conservatives should “be open to hearing other perspectives or opinion” according to Corbett. Yet is he open to doing the same or being tolerant of views that differ from his own? The book’s title and content pretty clearly give the answer (no) to that question. And “don’t be so sensitive” is what he also tells conservatives.
So if conservatives don’t like his book and find it offensive, they are too sensitive, according to his line of thinking. How would he like it if conservatives were to publish a mean-spirited anti-liberal book comparable to his? Corbett could stand to get a clue about empathy and following the Golden Rule (treating others as he wants to be treated).
Publishing a mean-spirited cartoon book with such an abrasive title and highly obnoxious artwork may cause the authors to feel good momentarily as they vent. But that approach will do nothing to solve the divide between the left and right, between liberals and conservatives. That is simply immature mud-slinging in a country that has endured far too much of that in recent years.
No, the better approach would be for the authors to work toward understanding and respectful, honest and open communication with people whose views differ from their own.
“I Am So Sick of White Guys” is almost laughable, but the sad truth is that it is a real book title. Let’s hope that Corbett and others like him will have a change of heart, and maybe their New Year’s Resolution will be to work on respectful attitudes toward people whose viewpoints differ from their own while communicating their perspectives in healthier ways.
~ American Liberty Report
