Apple relents on Mad artist's caricature app
The app features every member of Congress, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
(Credit: Screenshot by Natalie Weinstein)Apple's App Store has given a nod to an application that features bobble-headed caricatures of congressional politicians and provides contact information.
"Apple came to its senses yesterday and approved the app," Mad Magazine artist Tom Richmond wrote in his blog Saturday. "You have to wonder how much of the decision was based on the press [coverage] and image hit Apple had taken, and how much of it was simply that some overworked approval person rubber stamped it as a reject."
The Bobble Rep-111th Congress Edition app caught the public's attention this week after Richmond wrote a blog about the rejection and quoted from Apple's letter. The letter stated that the app violated the developer license agreement because it "contains content that ridicules public figures," according to Richmond's earlier post.
Apparently, someone at Apple didn't think it was particularly funny to see Richmond's 540 caricatured heads, which bobble around when an iPhone is shaken.
Richmond had called Apple's decision "truly ridiculous" and had written that the "caricatures aren't mean or very exaggerated."
The app costs 99 cents, which comes out to about one-fifth of a cent per politician.
(By the way, the 540 politicians includes the 100 senators, 435 representatives, and five nonvoting delegates.)
Natalie Weinstein is an associate editor who works out of Austin, Texas. She spent a decade as a reporter and editor in the newspaper industry before joining the CNET News staff in 2000. E-mail Natalie. 
And don't come back with some right wing nonsense, I am not a Republican.
Most likely, the original reviewer of the app probably was some youngster who does not understand what caricature is. It is not like it is a popular form these days. Many times when you do see it, it is poorly done. However, what I have seen of these, they are quite well done.
Because conservatives don't have a demonstrated history of trying to shut down dissent. I don't recall Bush ever calling for the boycott of a news organization because he didn't like it. And I don't recall conservative groups beating black people up while shouting racial epithets at them during peaceful protests. And I don't recall the Republican speaker of the house ever calling a group of peaceful protesters nazis.
Oh, and just in case you get your news from CNN, here are the specifics:
Obama: called for the boycott of Fox News.
Union thugs physically assaulted a black conservative at a tea party while shouting racial epithets at him
Nancy Pelosi called tea party protesters people carrying swastikas.
So, based on historical fact, it is much more likely a liberal wanted to censor the caricatures than a conservative would.
No, sir. Ultra politics is not limited to the liberal or conservative side. It is the self-righteous and close minded, which are found in great abundance on the fringes of both sides of the bird.
Not a republican?
Well, you are an idiot so seriously, what's the difference?
Republican, Right winger, idiot, etc. To corrupt Shakespeare, ignorant swine by any other name would smell as bad...
If you want your nation back, buy this app and contact them whenever they need a reality check.
Now more than ever they need to be ridiculed, questioned, and laughed off their high horses.
I hope he expands the app to all the shady Chicago thugs & Czars next. Then maybe people will start realizing the Emperor has no clothes.
Developers. Why would you develop for Apple when you have 20 Android Phone's to develop for that will not get rejected?
Do the math.
A simulator to shake infants until they die of physical abuse? Passed without any issue.
A contact list to contact your government representatives? Banned.
They waffled on both and reversed their decisions, but only after the media took them to task for it. If nobody had raised the alarm, then Apple woudn't have changed anything.
Thankfully we can still buy as many flashlight and tip calculator apps as we need!
Because Apple iPhone developers have ben able to rake in $1000's per week. One Android developer with a top ten app complained he barely makes $60 per week. You do the math!
Do the math."
10,000 Android Apps vs. 100,000 iPhone Apps...you do the math on which base has more customers.
That said, I would not expect Android apps to sell as well this early in the game simply because iPhone users have a consumerist mindset.
Gotta love that "McDonalds is the epitome of fine dining because $Fancy_Restaurant hasn't sold billions and billions of burgers" logic.
If you are a programmer the android is kool. It is like a "hot rod" super fast, you can do anything you want and not have to go through the iPhone police. But the problem is for all its good features the android is for hobbiest. My mom or dad would never use it because it is too complicated.
Really? Did you REALLY have to go there?
Apple you need to re-review your app review process I don't like opportunists trying to kick the tar out of my favourite tech company. As I said before you're embarrassing me with silly stories like this one.
? I would be concerned about a developer doing anything they want. Also a concern are those who want to do anything they want without fully understanding the implications. Jail broken iPhones and those who own them are a classic example.
On your mac or pc developers can do anything they want? Does that scare you as well?
- by datamuncher November 16, 2009 12:29 PM PST
- Hey guy,
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(37 Comments)Just to keep it simple for the stupid among us. There were complaints - the issues that caused were fixed..
* Seems like the Apps Store is working OK with the help of a healthy press
* Bought the app - there are bobbleheaded caricatures on both sides of the aisle and I've heard vehement complaints from far-winger conservatives and liberals - pretty balanced.
* Let's not seek out conspiracies or favoritism unless you really are a fringe element, in which case go at it and get marked as such.