The first known use of Obama's image being "Jokerified" was published onMyspace by a user listed as Ross Brummet in August 2008. The image was of a smilingBarack Obama, his face painted over withJoker-style makeup, and the quote "The U.S. deserves a better class ofwar criminal, and I'm going to give it to them."[8] A second instance, and the first to receive media coverage, occurred at a rally forvice presidential candidateJoe Biden atFlorida State University on November 2, 2008.[9] Two members of theFSU College Republicans created the poster from anObama "Hope" poster they had purchased from the school'sCollege Democrats club, and used it to demonstrate outside theBiden event. This design featured the caption "Why So Socialist?", a parody ofThe Dark Knight's "Why So Serious" tagline.[10] The students dismissed criticism of the poster, explaining that it was simply a pop culture reference designed to "get the attention of a college audience".[11]
The version of the image that was eventually popularized was created by Firas Alkhateeb, a 20-year-oldPalestinian American history student at theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago.[5][12] He digitally manipulated the Obama photograph from the October 2006Time magazine cover, usingAdobe Photoshop. His version did not contain the "socialism" label. Alkhateeb was influenced by artistShepard Fairey, designer of theObama "Hope" poster, and wanted to practice a "Jokerize" technique he learned in class.[13][12] He digitally added theJoker face paint over the Obama image and uploaded it to Flickr on January 18, 2009.[12] Alkhateeb is said to have had no ill-will towards Obama, but was simply bored.[14]
The image went largely unnoticed until an unknown person began placing posters of the image, with the added label "socialism," throughout downtownLos Angeles,California.[15][16] In April 2009,Bedlam magazine became the firstmedia outlet to report on Obama "Joker" signs being spotted in Los Angeles.[17][18] During the summer months, Obama "Joker" posters were distributed inFlorida,Hawaii, andMinnesota.[6] In August 2009, the posters became aviral phenomenon online. The poster quickly became the center of an international "media typhoon" widely covered by news outlets such asCNN,Fox News, and theDrudge Report.[3][6]
Themedia coverage resulted in Flickr removing all copies of the image, citing aDigital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notice, and deleting forum threads discussing the image.[23][24] The takedown was met with much backlash from the Flickr community and caused Flickr to change their DMCA takedown policy.[25][26] The new policy provides for a page to remain if a takedown notice is filed against it, but for the image to be replaced with one that reads: "This image has been removed due to a claim of copyright infringement."[25] A spokesperson for theElectronic Frontier Foundation, adigital rights advocacy group, defended Alkhateeb's image citingfair use protection.[27] As a result of Flickr removing the Obama "Joker" image, someonline communities viewed Alkhateeb as the most visible representative, in August 2009, offree speech on theInternet.[2][26]
SomeDemocrats have called the imageracist, suggesting a similarity toblackface makeup that was used duringminstrel show performances.[20][37]Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, said, "Depicting thepresident as demonic and a socialist goes beyond political spoofery. It is mean-spirited and dangerous. We have issued a public challenge to the person or group that put up the poster to come forth and publicly tell why they have used this offensive depiction to ridiculePresident Obama."[20]
Alkhateeb, in response to the usage of his image, said, "To accuse [Obama] of being a socialist is really ... immature. First of all, who said being a socialist is evil?"[12] He also stated "socialism is an idea that's time has come and passed. It’s basically like calling someone aloyalist to the British crown".[13]
