Congratulations to Mark Fiore for winning the Pulitzer for his editorial cartoons (like this one). Ironically, Apple computer rejected an iPhone/iPad app that plays Fiore’s (Pulitzer winning) cartoons, because “it contains content that ridicules public figures”, and thus is “objectionable” and “defamatory”.
Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch has praised the iPad, saying “There’s going to be tens of millions of these things sold all over the world. It may well be the saving of the newspaper industry.”
But do you really want a large corporation (even Apple) controlling what is acceptable content? I say “even Apple” because after the story broke that Apple rejected Fiore’s app, Steve Jobs admitted that the rejection was a mistake and invited Fiore to resubmit his app. The question is, do you have to win a Pulitzer in order to get approved by Apple? Could I get a “Political Irony” app into the app store (after all, I often “ridicule public figures”)?
7 Comments
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make a political irony iPhone app! Putty putty please!
There actually has been a “political irony” app for over a year. Just use mobile Safari to visit https://www.politicalirony.com, click on the plus sign (at the bottom of the screen on the iPhone or iPod Touch, at the top toward the left on the iPad) to store a bookmark, and select “Add to Home Screen”. Voila! Your very own Political Irony iPhone/iPad webapp, with its very own icon. And absolutely free!
We don’t need no stinkin’ app store!
The only problem I have with apple (and granted, I have a macbook and an iPod 30g and an ipod Touch) is that they have this grudge against certain programs and developers using their software. Ignore the fact that microsoft owns stocks of apple which makes their entire “we’re different” campaign completely moot, but that they seem hellbent on bashing useless or trivial things. Further reading is here:
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2008/09/apples-app-store-schizophrenia-driving-developers-crazy.ars
http://www.blog.montgomerie.net/whither-eucalyptus
the second one is the most hilarious because, as Cracked.com puts it, “Since it provided access to a Victorian-era translation of the Kama Sutra, the app was deemed inappropriate. We asked Apple if they saw any irony in the fact that the iPhone’s web browser provided access to a billion websites far filthier than an ancient translation of a religious text. Sadly, Apple’s board of directors was too busy banning dancing in small Midwest towns to be reached.”
I love apple, but Steve Jobs is a little on the crazy, drink the kool-aid side sometimes.
Do you actually ‘ridicule public figures?’ I would say you more often point out the fallacies of their arguments or their rapidly changing opinions.
Hilarious…I agree. your political commentary is always even-handed and simply points out inconsistencies in political policies/people. Hence, irony. I always love your posts.
OK, OK, I guess I’m a failure at ridiculing public figures. I’ll have to try harder.
IK, thse public figures pretty much ridicule themselves by their actions. You just help bring it to our attention. 🙂