Last month, Apple rejected the Someecards iPhone app because it contained satirical comedy about public figures. After attempting to make their case and getting stonewalled, Someecards eventually gave into Apple and removed the offending cards which made fun of Hitler and Roman Polanski, among others. Apple swiftly approved the app and all was well.
Well, not exactly.
Apparently, Apple contacted Someecards a couple days ago because of some new content in the app — Someecards pushes new cards into the app just as it does on its site. There was one in particular that Apple did not find amusing, and wanted clarification on: A card making fun of President Obama Halloween costumes. It’s fairly easy to see why Apple wanted some clarification, the card involves race. Here’s what it says: “Just double-checking that your Obama costume will involve a mask and not shoe polish.”
Fans of Someecards will know that they use these types of provocative jokes all the time. The intent, it would seem, is not to be racist, but to use a joke to make a statement about race. “It’s kind of hard to explain humor, but I basically said it was making fun of racist behavior,” Someecards co-founder Duncan Mitchell tells us that he told Apple.
It is hard to explain humor. You either get a joke, or you do not. Apple, it seems, does not. “They said that they thought we could both agree we should remove the card. I said that we probably wouldn’t both agree that we should remove the card, but that we would remove it if they said we had to,” Mitchell says. “They said we had to.”
Anyone who has ever talked to just about any spokesperson at Apple will immediately relate to what Mitchell is saying. If Apple contacts you about something, they’re really contacting you to make you do what they want. If you don’t, there is often the threat of repercussions of some sort. In Someecards case, it would have meant pulling the app from the App Store.
As I’ve said many times, the App Store is Apple’s store, they can choose to do what they want with it. The problem is that Apple is perplexingly hypocritical when it comes to what apps get rejected and what apps get accepted. For example, apps that feature interactive Asian upskirt shots are fine. So are apps called Asian Boobs which feature young Asian women wearing next to nothing in sexually provocative poses. Also apparently fine is Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler’s famous work.
For whatever reason, Apple has decided that anything having to do with making fun of public figures is prohibited. Though satire is protected in this country, it’s apparently not okay in Apple law. Apple literally has no sense of humor when it comes to that. But guess who does? Google.
In a seemingly coincidental bit of timing, Mitchell says that Google contacted him just hours after his call with Apple. They were calling to see if he’d be interested in making the app for Android. Their big selling points? “They pitched us on all the cool new phones that were coming out, and they also wanted to stress that they wouldn’t censor the app,” Mitchell tells us (emphasis mine).
Google, it seems, has a much better sense of humor than Apple. And they’re definitely playing their cards right in attempting to set up Android’s Market as a more open alternative to Apple’s App Store. With over 100,000 apps now, the App Store is a juggernaut that keeps on growing. But it would be a mistake to believe this growth will continue on in perpetuity no matter what. Apple should be careful about pissing off developers (which it has done plenty of times already) when an alternative like Android is finally gaining some momentum.
Regular readers will know that unlike a couple of my colleagues, I’m firmly an iPhone guy. Despite the advances that competitors are making, I still truly believe it is hands-down the best mobile device out there. But, as I hope you’d expect, I’m not above calling out Apple’s bullshit when I see it — as I do, very often, with regard to the App Store.
I simply believe they are making a mistake with the way they’re trying to contain this environment. At first, it made sense from Apple’s perspective because the company is all about controlling the user experience. But as the App Store continues to grow, the app approval model be harder and harder to maintain. What happens when we get to a million apps in the App Store? What about 5 million? Is Apple prepared to hire thousands of people simply to approve apps? The more they hire and the more apps that keep coming in, we’re going to continue seeing more and more screw-ups and hypocrisy. And developers are going to grow more and more frustrated. This situation is simply not tenable.
Lighten up on your heavy-handed rules, Apple. And just lighten up in general.
[photo: flickr/swami stream]
it does fall under the definition of racism IMO.
How, exactly? Please show your workings.
I would be surprised if it does not. in any case it’s a lame joke.
whether you think it’s a good joke or not is moot. the gist of the joke is, “i hope you’re not going to be racist when you imitate obama” – speaking on the culture of racism that exists in america. laughter disarms hostility, and invalidates those who are trying to protect what it is making fun of. reacting to it negatively and in a serious tone is the most blatant way of saying, “i don’t get it.” …surprised?
you use of the word “lame” offends me as a veterinarian who works with horses and other work-animals who are subject to injury. please apologize.
ha ha ha
@imran
Well obviously we’d be unwise to preempt the findings of the Council Of Objective Racism, but I’d be surprised if you were right. Not least because that would be a remarkable break from form.
As for the joke itself; I’m quite able to show my workings on why it’s a great, and entirely un-racist joke. Ready? Ok, here goes…
1) It has the correct structure for a joke, albeit it combines the setup and punchline in one line. (I guess in some ways the picture is the setup)
2) It’s funny, albeit subjectively in that it made me laugh, and presumably the people at Someecards.
3) Like good satire, it pokes fun at those who do bad; in this case racists.
4) It raises all kinds of interesting questions on the nature of race. It’s ok to wear a mask to look like a famous black person, but it’s clearly not ok to “black up”. Why? Because in doing so you’re basically saying that black people are like white people, made up for comic effect. Or perhaps that Obama’s defining characteristic is his blackness, so all you have to do is black up and you look just like him. The inference being “they all look the same to me”. And that’s before you get into the general symbolism and history of black face.
5) And it did all of that in, what?, 15 words?
I’d say that’s a pretty perfect joke. Your comment, on the other hand, blew horse cock.
I looked up “procrastination” on dictionary.com and it linked me to this comment.
Go figure!
Not sure what you’re up to right now, but this comment was so unnecessary. It’s hilariously evident that you are stalling right now (like me!), and not wanting to do real work. ha ha
Hey Bubba,
Very well said and very well written. Here are some more original “witty”, “humorous” and “clever” one liners, albeit a li’l bit “provocative”:
How did they improve the transportation in Harlem? They moved the trees closer together.
How do you get 50 Mexicans is a phone booth? Throw food stamps in it.
(source: http://www.free...funny-jokes.com, this one should have an android app too!)
Lets all spread some more “anti-racism” to mock them blacks, browns and them yellows and lambaste anyone who objects. What say y’all. YEEHAWW!!!
(PS: In the name of “Healthy Humor”, I hope this comment will not be “Censored”. Hope you get the point too.)
how would you feel if you heard someone making fun of americans who hate the brits? wouldn’t that upset you and remind you that there are actually americans that hate brits? this is not fun from a black person’s perspective. and i ‘m not black (even stating that is provocative in itself as if a black person would a priori be a biased commenter)
having said that, apple has no right to prevent free speech
3) Like good satire, it pokes fun at those who do bad; in this case racists.
I am really baffled by your above statement. Is this really poking fun at racists people ?
—
I’d say that’s a pretty perfect joke. Your comment, on the other hand, blew horse cock.
ha ha ha !
The only reason this joke may seem funny to you is because you are not black.
I’m not a big fan of apple’s censorship this example sucks.
It’s the kind of so-called humor that is only funny to basement-dwelling, Fox News loving, PC gaming closet racist, loser/creeps. In oiher words, the typ[cal TC Apple hating gamer/egoist.
Someone should develop a chill pill app and give it to Apple for approval.
Why can’t they just require apps to be flagged for content types ie. “May contain satyre about racism and public figures” and let we, the purchasers decide if we want it or not?
satire. stupid iphone spell check.
And that, I believe, falls under the ‘irony’ category.
agreed, they should just clearly label it as satire, approve it, and move on. it’s ridiculous.
They should just abandon approving apps entirely and allow users to flag inappropiate apps and remove them then. trust first – remove then.
there is no point of protecting the user in a totally sandboxed enviroment!
Apple should make approval optional; by default only show approved iStore apps; but allow users to turn off this filtering with 1 click and see everything.
“hey wouldn’t sensor the app”
Sensor or censor?
now its fixed…
“they wouldn’t sensor the app”
Maybe this is meant to refer to some kind of built-in sensors on the Droid robot phones, but if it meant they wouldn’t cut out objectionable material, the word is “censor”.
yeah copy-and-paste journalism, my bad but not my typo!
useless trivia: censor comes from a latin word for men who oversaw the rules of decency and general morality, which is exactly what the app review team does. maybe they should be called censors themselves
I think you mean censor, not sensor.
….and it’s fixed!
On another note, this is a GREAT PR move by Google. “Hey look at us, we have next to no restrictions on our OS!”
for sure, can’t wait til they launch it on android without any censorship.
Excellent article, and, as a prospective iPhone/Android user, it’s pretty irritating that Apple keeps the App Store so shut. These e-cards are great! I’ll still go for the iPhone though I think – I trust you’re judgement over Arrington’s I think…
Just a couple of spelling mistakes to point out. ‘Adolph’ should be ‘Adolf’, and ’sensor’ should be ‘censor’.
I am indeed a grammar-Nazi (pun intended).
Isaac
ha, thanks isaac.
If you are such a grammar Nazi, then you should know it’s “I trust your judgement over Arrington’s.”
Oh dear me… I look like a fool. It’s quite late in the UK right now, so please excuse me.
You did look the fool until you owned up to your mistake, a bit of a rarity on the internet.
+1 respect to you, sir!
Oh yeah the Apple store is oh so closed. Because they have denied a handful of apps out of 100,000. Think for yourself instead of Tech Crunches drivel.
Newsflash; Google has also denied apps.
Yes, a couple of apps have been removed from the Android market (wifi tether, for one), but the big difference is that Android users can get software anywhere. With iPhone, yr locked into the company store.
When Apple denies an app, iPhone users have no recourse. When Google/a carrier blocks an Android app, the developer can still distribute it and market it however they want.
edit: When Apple denies an app, iPhone users have no recourse except to jailbreak their phone.
‘censor’, not ’sensor’
Damn, looks like 2 people got to sensor before me
. My Adolph-spot still stands though! You have foiled me this time @djg and @andre3k1…
Reminds of of the No Fun League.
This card might reflect simply the latest news about the Dallas Cheerleader who’s been accused (despite the fact there are pics with her and her black friends) of being a racist because she dressed/painted herself as a rapper – http://www.cbsn...ry5494649.shtml — many of the comments allude to the fact that there were, and will be, many whites who dress up on Halloween as Obama – some wearing a mask, some not… and what she did simply wasn’t blackface at all, it was … well, nothing really.
Apple’s ‘rules’ bite about as much as they do. Bring on the Androids.
it actually is blackface. dunno where you get the idea otherwise. just because she didn’t use burnt cork doesn’t mean it’s something completely different.
I get the idea otherwise because I am not a racist and don’t think in racist terms.
I don’t even think blackface is all that racist.
Is putting a mustache on and running around with a bottle of tequila racist? No (at least not to me).
Why the double standard then? Some kid at my school got busted for dressing up as Bob Marley for Halloween. Are you kidding me? It was obviously done to honor the legend that is Bob Marley, and nothing else.
There is an obvious double-standard with racism today. Regardless, I see no reason why apple should be censoring their apps. As mentioned below, their own apps (Safari, Mail, etc.) are not censored. Why is Apple trying to control me (the end user)?
1) Please “Google” the term “Black face” before you decide that in your opinion, it has no ties to racism or racist intention.
2) The “mustache” & “tequila bottle” would very well be seen as racist so I do not understand the “double-standard” you’re speaking of…
3) Your school-mate who was reprimanded for dressing as a music legend seems to leave out some details…
@Paul – oh well, if she has black friends then I guess it’s ok. Universal pass and all…
Sensor the app? Censor…
I agree with identifying content type, and letting users choose for themselves; of course not everyone will be happy, thats life. Don’t get me wrong I love Apple to the core, but it seems that they may have chosen the more controversial path by selecting to go into the App Policing Business (APB).
@imran Agreed. Though I would say humor is like beauty (eye or in this case mind of the beholder and all that).
The cheerleader thing should be governed by some sort of context rather than a blanket “this is racist” statement. If there were fellow black cheerleaders there Im guessing perhaps black football players were also present? Some clearly did not mind her costume, posing with her and smiling. They didnt look offended.
What if she were married to a black man and did it? Would her obvious non racial feelings (im thinking marrying another race sort of discounts the real possibility you dislike that race….but then some people are masochists) allow her such a display?
If I saw a black person in white face, pretending to bang two women at the same time, and calling himself David Letterman I would, I assure you, find that extremely funny.
The app store is lame. The people that pointed out that a simple “beware before you buy” categorization would solve all of this are the real heroes in this country. Well done sirs, well done.
If L. Ron Hubbard had started a computer company, it would be a lot like Apple.
You’ve obviously never seen an e-meter. Can you imagine Apple designing such a heap of junk?
http://en.wikip...rg/wiki/E-meter
This behavior is typical of a company or organization that has gotten enough power that they can bully others arbitrarily as the whim strikes them. Hopefully Android will start eating into the Iphones market share and take a bite out of their power then perhaps Apple will begin behaving reasonable. I think we should all do what we can to erode Apples power in the mobile phone arena. Don’t buy their products, speak and write about them in a negative manner, promote their competitors, I’m sure some of you have the creativity and intelligence to think up effective tactics. Until we are successful the most prominent cell phone maker in the world will continue to subject the mobile phone market to their capriciously destructive behavior.
I see a lot of bitching and moaning on this page but until Apple feels the markets hand reaching into their wallets we will see the same kind behavior out of them. If someone screws you and you just lie there it’s not rape it’s bad sex. I’m tired of Apple fucking us.
This behavior is typical of a company or organization that has gotten enough power that they can bully others arbitrarily as the whim strikes them. Hopefully Android will start eating into the Iphones market share and take a bite out of their power then perhaps Apple will begin behaving reasonable. I think we should all do what we can to erode Apples power in the mobile phone arena. Don’t buy their products, speak and write about them in a negative manner, promote their competitors, I’m sure some of you have the creativity and intelligence to think up effective tactics. Until we are successful the most prominent cell phone maker in the world will continue to subject the mobile phone market to their capriciously destructive behavior.
With that logic, they should censor the Safari browser on the iPhone, as you can any kind of get adult content anytime using that…
It’s getting stupid really…
They should simply put age ratings and be done with it.
Exactly. It’s symbolic posturing. Apple can block entries into the App Store but they can’t block web sites in Safari, there are TOO many to even think about. Another reason I hate Apple.
Let me clarify. I’m Jewish, and if someone wanted to make a Hitler app that featured Hitler doing his famous salute, I’d not block that app. It would probably sell 10 copies and die its deserved commercial death. But Apple doesn’t believe in letting the free market work.
iphone sucks. sooo glad i chose android. Everyday you find something cool about it.
I love you Apple but it is things like this that sometimes make me doubt you.
I have been a tried-and-true Mac user since the 80’s. Every computer I have purchased has been a Mac, and to this day, I use a Mac.
In a few days I will be buying a Droid. I have never even considered buying an iPhone due to their controls. I completely agree that it is their store so they can do with what they want. Likewise, it is my smartphone dollar to spend as I want.
same situation here – but I have to sell my 3gs first
The more you tighten your grip, Apple, the more users will slip through your fingers.
It’s racist to make fun of Obama
I’m an iPhone guy also. But when someone sells me a mobile computing device. I expect that I’ll be the one sesoring….sorry censoring my own content. (Valleygirl font) “So like, since I can’t get the content through apple app store can I use your phone for a minute?”
I’m OK with apple dictating who gets to play in their sandbox. But really when the next kids sandbox has better toys, I will go play over there. I’m already tired of being stuck on AT&T. I expect more from Apple. But just as people choose Apple for great reasons there are also reasons not to choose them. I hope they stop the scale from tipping any more. Focus on doing what you do best, being unique, creative and trend setting, not censorship.
I’ve used both, I prefer Android. Time will tell how stable Android will be since by design it avoids Apple’s key development advantage – absolute control. The future belongs to versatility and flexibility. It will be interesting to see whether Apple will adapt.
Ah yes, such a huge advantage that they kept the massive market share they had in the early 90’s… Oh wait, that almost destroyed them!
If it wasn’t for the ’shiny’ factor of the iMac and the massive marketing blitz that came with it, Apple would have been completely defunct by 2000 – it’s rare that a company can run for 5 years in the red and still be around.
Apple will not adapt. They will choke on their own hubris, and their fancy iPhone will drop down to the same minority share their computers have.
Android is available on all 4 major networks in the US, and available in quite a few major markets across the world as well. It is not just on smartphones, but on netbooks and e-readers as well.
Sadly, few people realize that Google is not taking on Apple. Google could care less if one phone beats out the iPhone. They will gain the marketshare by offering the customer choice.
I have a single Apple device – a 250GB iPod Classic. It is roughly 150GB too small for my music collection, but it was the best value for the money at the time – $1 per 1GB, roughly the same as hard drives.
I will be going to Barnes and Noble on release day and trying out the Nook – chances are good I will buy it. It runs Android.
When I come up for upgrade with T-Mobile in December, chance are equally good that I will buy an Android phone.
Android will slowly but surely eat up market share in multiple markets. Google will continue to tweak the OS bit by bit until most people couldn’t imagine using anything else – just like they did with Gmail. It may take them years to do it, but I would guess that once a person is satisfied with the quality of experience, they will not switch back – just like I abandoned Hotmail so long ago.
Just my two cents, mind you – I could be wrong. It’s happened before.
Make it 4 cents. I agree with everything you’ve said. I own every version of iPhone, and one Android (ion, Donut). Haven’t picked up the iPhone in weeks. Have no intention either.
+5
What’s surprising to me is how complacent developers are about this issue. Someecards should simply port their app to Android and stick it to Apple.
There’s a long standing chicken-egg issue with apps on the Android platform. Developers tiptoe into the Android waters (because there are relatively fewer Android devices) but parade into Apple development (lured by the super high number of available devices). Sprinkle in the unpredictability of Apple and I’d say that in spite of the number of devices running iPhone OS, I’d launch on Android because I know it would be approved and be available.
People are now assessing their phone purchases on the availability of apps? Do I have Mint.com on Android? No? Well Fuck it then. This needs to be pummeled through somehow.
“What’s surprising to me is how complacent developers are about this issue. Someecards should simply port their app to Android and stick it to Apple.”
I’m sorry, I couldn’t be bothered to read your comment completely before I felt the need to reply and ask this simple question?
Did you even read the article?
No multi-tasking, Apple “law”, anti-opensource, forcing usage of propriety software and on and on – Apple is taking too many pages from it’s failed history and of Microsoft’s history.
Does Apple realize going worldwide will make this even harder?
Everyone should google “humor around the world” and reflect on the top hits.
Perhaps after an entire country is offended by an App that is grossly popular and successful in another country we’ll see changes.
Relativism will not scale in terms of global acceptance if this is a platform that will encircle a globe.
Any chances of gaining a unified Store go away if developers are left with country specific sites and sanitizing far beyond unicode considerations.
Verizon isn’t global though!
International iPhones could be come the new form of being stopped for cultural offense.
The explanation of a “joke” app would make for an awkward discussion when going through customs.
Your mileage may vary.
(yeah, that whole secret code thing is harder than it looks… hats off to @paulcarr)
Just like Apple is selling Mein Kampf (in Spanish, mind you) in their global app store – including Germany, where it is illegal?
Also, I thought that Verizon owned (at was at least affiliated with) Vodaphone in Europe? That would, to me, seem pretty global in reach.
ha ha ha .. u must be joking MG
Boy Tech Crunch is really reaching these days to come up with complaints about Apple. I guess they must be really mad that they can’t manage to make anyone interested in the Crunch pad but they know the Apple tablet will sell like hot cakes. Do you people have any idea that you are becoming a caricature? A laughing stock? That no one takes anything you say about Apple seriously?
I’d rather read this than the thinly veiled fanboyism that is PC World. You would think a PC World writer would be ashamed to say “I only own a MacBook Pro”, but alas….
I got some satire for you:
—-
Techcrunch memo from Micheal Accrington to all staff:
If anybody asks
“where is the Crunchpad and how much will it cost?”
just talk about Apple and the iPhone sucks.
—-
read that somewhere and thought it was funny…
Asian boobs and upskirts? Those apps must have been approved by Steve Jobs’s brother Hand.
No sense of humor? I find all kinds of funny apps. Mostly immature ones like the farting apps.
I have an iPhone and I would like to kick Steve Jobs in the fucking balls!
If their cards were actually humorous I might care but they aren’t. They sound like jokes from someone who thinks they are very intelligent and clever but their “jokes” simply are not funny.
The CEO says “I shouldn’t have to explain my humor”,
nobody should, it is either funny or it is not and Someecards humor is NOT funny.
Why do you keep covering this “story”.
I bet this has more to do with someone afraid they’ll lose their job and not about Apple being so heavy handed. Imagine you’re a worker bee and your boss, who has no sense of humor, sees a card he finds offensive… then someone else finds it offensive, then it appears on Techcrunch and there’s an ugly PR mess. You get fired.
Oh, and if you’re just an employee, you wouldn’t care what apps made it through or didn’t.
Apple have a complete right to control their image and the content their devices carry. Its a bit like xbox or Playstation allowing highly offensive material on their consoles or shop selling a branded shirt which carried an offensive message. I cant really see the point of this app anyway.
Clearly racist. Congrats to Apple for keeping what passes for humor in some circles at arms length.
It’s not taking the piss out of black people though, it’s taking the piss out of white people’s attitudes towards them.
racist or not, what Apple is attempt to prevent is dialoques like this getting into the main stream prompting the likes of Al Sharpton (sp?) starting a “iPhone is bad” demostrations at the New York Apple Store.
The issue here is simple: you can get eyeballs by condemning Apple on anything.
I’m going to go out on the limb and say that the cards are pretty racist, despite their intentions as being satire against Actual Real Racistsâ„¢.
For one thing, it pretty much treats the whole idea of blackface as, a “ha ha, what a young scamp you are” matter, and not, you know… racist. Tee hee! We’re being so clever being able to reference racism in such a witty manner. We’re not racists at all.
And you could say that the card itself is at the borderline; after all, the little boy is only engaging in the tried-and-true American tradition of dressing up like a minority figure for a commercialized holiday for kicks.
Which isn’t so bad when you’re dressing up for Obama, you argue. But what’s the little boy going to going out as? Barack Obama, President of the United States? Or B. Hussein Obama, Crypto-Muslin Terrorist Who Wasn’t Born In America?
And hey, Apple isn’t coming out like roses in this one either — after all, it’s rulings are inconsistent, since it allows the fetishization of Far-East Asian ladies in the crudest way possible. So apparently dissing Asian women are okay, but not African-American men.
And really, the deciding factor was how the authors of the article decide to dismiss criticism of the article by people who do say that the photo is racist by saying: “You just don’t get it”, and “You have no sense of humor”.
We get it. The thing is… it’s not really that funny. Or edgy. Or innovative. It’s just a cheap-ass way of getting laughs, made by a privileged member of society, at the expense of privileged members.
And I don’t even like Apples. You see what you made me do?
At the expense of less-privileged members, apparently. Because I drop words.
What did the blonde say after sex?
Are all you guys on the same team.
By Apple standard’s I’m a misogynist ,and hater of females.
It is called satire for a reason.
Remember Louis Farrakhan dubbed Obama the Messiah,and as such he can’t be made fun of. Unlike that Jesus dude,who loved Kanye West’s mocking of him on Rolling Stone.
I’m finding it hard to decide on whether I’d be humored and realise that this card is satire considering the article so very intent on attacking Apple. I have no personal Apple products so I am in no way, a “fan” but I understand their desire to not fall into a law-suit. Overall, I’ve seen/heard better “jokes” that shed light on racist behaviours though this does open the discussion on how racism is very carefully taught.
Can you say Fuck, Titties, Asshole on US-TV?
here is German we can; I think you should stop bitching Apple for this; bitch your Fucking System!
greetings from German
Wow this story proves how many people are born with no sense of humor. If you don’t like the joke – fuck off – don’t pay attention. You bastards have no right to tell me or anyone else what is funny. Your PC bullshit is literally killing Americans now (see Ft. Hood)! If you lack the mental capacity to determine satire mocking racism (this joke) from real racism (voting for Obama because he is black) practiced by the left on a daily basis then please, please just eat a gun. I’ll even let you borrow mine and guide your finger to the trigger.
Oh and Apple is a crooked company, run by a sicophantic douchebag, which pollutes the enviornment, defrauds its shareholders, and makes overpriced, unreliable, crappy products in sweat shops using child laborers – all while the half-wit sheep known as their customers trip over themselves to blow their money on the newest app simulating fellatio on Obama!