Appalling

140 Comments

1. She meant that this was impolite towards the monkey.
2. Derren you are an utter genius my darling that is so fricken hilarious I can barely stop laughing hehehe

   thanks for the much needed giggle honey

   love & hugs xxx Chantelle
3. She wouldn’t have complained if you caricatured a democrat president.
4. Must say it is a bit demeaning to chimpanzees that the mentally unstable, drunken, oil-grabbing buffoon happens to look like them in a rudimentary way; however I’m sure they’ll forgive you for portraying such a retarded gimp to their likeness.

   After all, they don’t live on their father’s money, or buy their way out of court cases, or ruthlessly take over nations their country’s policies set up on a made up reason, just because they want the oil & to install their own construction firms to repair the devastation they caused at inflated prices.
5. Who who who (birds and jungle noise in the background) is that supposed to be?

   Can’t wait to see the portrait of the guy in the funny hat.
6. Hahaha, THANKS, thats made my day. Seriously, thought, that’s an insult to chimpanziees, they can pee in their own mouths you know!! :O
7. susan obviously never saw his painting of maggie thatcher! :0
8. It is precisely because I am a patriotic American that I find this portrait to be spot on. It’s also the reason I celebrate your freedom to paint whomever you please however you please. Rock on, Mr. Brown!
9. Haha, you racist homophobe , you!
10. Wonderful portrait, but didn’t Steve Bell get there first? Pah. You are both great.
    American Pride and the obsessive notion that patriotism is one of the key virtues of a good citizen reminds me of the mindlessness of faith viewpoints. Doubt is verboten.
    It is the essence of a just society that no individual is above criticism.
    Whatever a democracy is, they don’t really have one.
    It is one of the grandest brainwashing schemes.
    An insular society, creating insular and paranoid people.
    Respect to all the Americans who have shed their brainwashing and seek the truth.
    Same goes for open-minded Israelis, who have a really difficult time to see past the hatred that is spouted in their name.
    Oh, and the same goes for the British, especially the tabloid readers. Good luck with that.
11. In this comparison, I think the real apology should go to the ape.
12. I’m an American, please go ahead and make fun of any of our presidents. It doesnt offend in the least. Nobody should be above citicism, especially in the United States where people tout having the freedom of speach.

    I think its safe to assume Susan has respect for the former president so in her mind he is above all critisism, sadly that mindset is all to common in my country. Anyone can and should be laughed at when the moment calls for it.

    “In America, anyone can become president. That’s the problem.” – George Carlin
13. Its called freedom of speech. (I am sixth generation American and hard core Rebublican…. this is called expression. its healthy and part of democracy.)

    Bravo Derren. Quite an accurate representation I might add.
14. She has a point. I don’t remember Dubya having a grey beard.

    But does she realise the caricature is of Dybya, not Obama? (“I would never treat the present President in such a way”)

    A caricature of Obama as a monkey would either be stupid racism or a sign that you had no idea what a monkey looked like. But Dubya looked like a PGTips chimp in an expensive suit…
15. Hahaa I agree Derren you really are so very bloody immature. People who send silly complaint letters are so irritating . The painting is amazing anyway so not to worry about the whining woman xx
16. Just be glad that there’s a very large ocean separating us from the good old US of A.

    I sometimes wonder how they’ve managed to survive for so long!
17. Susan Abernethy, It’s people like you, who through their ignorance, try to ruin it for everyone else.

    I fail to see how this personally effects you, or why you felt the need to write to the Artist.

    I think it’s important to get your facts right before you condemn people.

    Bush thankfully is not president now. Being a ‘president’ does not automatically command respect anyway.

    If you put as much energy into pursuing the real ‘disgusting’ things in life, perhaps your compulsion to interfere would actually benefit people.

    If you want to find some truly disgusting images search IRAQ WAR and no doubt you will see
    exactly what that president has done which is infinitely more ‘appalling’

    Personally I find the portrait, both talented, funny, apt and even bordering on flattering !
18. I think it’s hysterical. As an American who is living in the UK people were hating me for all his bad choices. This is how I will remember him.
19. Wow, intelligence fail!
20. LMAO shes going to be pissed that its made the blog hehe
21. I suspect that Susan’s comment about the “Present President” is accurate and sincere, though poorly presented. I think she knows that this is a caricature of Bush and I think she intended to say that even though she disagrees with Obama’s policies, she would not consider drawing a similar caricature of Obama.

    Or I could be wrong.

    As to the painting; it’s not one of your best Darren. The only Bush feature I recognize is the mouth.
22. Silly woman.
23. Anyone would have thought you drew Mohammed!

    The church and republicans now don’t like you Derren.

    Hold on… Aren’t they the same? 🙂
24. I think the image shows clever wit, impressive art skills, and a bold statement. Plus you’re not American.

    …oh, maybe she didn’t think it was a caricature of G.W.B.

    I could see how she could be very racist and ignorant now…oh boy.
25. This beckons a sensible & grown up response…LOL LOL LOL SWEARY LOL XD
26. Burn…

    That is, until you realise that she has called Bush the former AND present President in the same letter, that she writes like a little girl in a strop (“Too bad you are so immature…and you smell bad!” *flounces off*) and that the portrait is an incredible likeness of Bush. Then her opinion doesn’t matter.
27. I think it’s an insult to chimps personally! x
28. Luckily that wasnt a portrait of Obama, imagine the complaints then! 😉
29. I hope you are standing in the corner 😉

    Thank you for sharing…. hope they’ll still let you in the US of A
30. His beliefs? I look forward to the day when an AI system is making decisions based on what is efficient & effective, and not on beliefs!
31. That’s one persons opinion. And everyone here loves your caricatures. They’re masterpieces. 🙂
32. Guys, guys, guys. You’re missing a golden oportunity to write your own insanely hilarious complaint letters in this thread. Here, let me help.

    DEAR MR BROWN,

    WHY DO YOU STUFF DEAD ANIMALS WITH SAND ETC? THAT IS WAY TOO EASY AND BORDERING ON PLAIN COWARDICE, YOU SHOULD TRY TO STUFF A LIVE OSTRICH TO PROVE YOUR SKILLZ OR PERHAPS AN ALLIGATOR. I AM OUTRAGED THAT YOU HAVE AVOIDED THIS CHALLENGE TO DATE.

    It helps if you write in capitals, becase 1. he’s far away and 2. it makes you sound angrier.
33. At least you didn’t paint him flinging fistfuls of his own excrement.
34. If she interprets George W Bush from that picture then she only has herself to be disgusted with.
35. Who is Susan Abernethy? I simply must meet her and exchange ideas…
36. whew! phillis, is this the most comments in response to a blog post ever? :0
37. You mean it is NOT Obama? 😉
38. Give her a break, Derren. She got further than “Awwww a monkey!”
39. I can’t help but wonder what sort of attention you would get for making a caricature of Mohamed…
    just subliminal message all the death threats away and you’d be fine 🙂
40. I quite agree with a previous comment that the likeness is rather uncanny. The Artist is quite entitled to exercise his artistic licence…Remove the excess bush of hair & see for yourself…Symbolism – Bush is/was involved in some pretty hairy stuff. Furthermore, the bush is where he belongs. His claim to fame…DE-VOLUTION. Too bad the vast majority of Americans adopted the policy of ‘MONKEY SEE; MONKEY DO’!
41. Sometimes I am reminded that George Bush is no longer our president, and it gives me a momentary burst of extreme happiness and relief. (And now we almost kinds will be getting good health care…..reasonably soon.)

    Thanks Derren!
42. (almost KINDA I mean)
43. Well…considering other caricatures were not made to look like animals, Susan’s anger is justified. Looking through the whole catalogue of Derren’s work, even I laughed at this one. But now it’s only fair that Derren make another caricature of George Bush (a nice one!) and dedicate it to Susan. 🙂
44. Ha I bet if you drew one of Gordon Brown you would not provoke that kind of response, you would probably recieve congratulatory letters !!!
45. Derren Brown for Prime Minister!!!
46. Never mind Bush Jnr being offended, what about the Chimp?!?!?! Loving your work Derren as always!
47. Maybe she needs a banana – no, no, that’s too cheap (lol). Personally, I lurve it!!! As long as the chimpanzee who posed isn’t offended about having to pose as George Bush Jr., it’s fine by me ;). x
48. hahahahaha…funny. on all levels. this is your best work! shame the United States Of America have failed to have a sense of humour about it! she clearly does not speak for them all…
49. Just go and sit on the naughty step!
    (you could be there some time)

    Seriously, why don’t some people have a sense of humour? (note there’s two Us in that word)

    Keep up the good work (but you knew I was thinking that anyway!)
50. I think your former president made a good job himself of disrespecting the highest office in your land by some of the comments he made while in office…. oh and have you seen fahrenheit 911…..
    Personally I think the portrait is the double of Derrens uncle Gordon………