“Obama — I mean Osama” has become an ever growing phrase among Americans following the news of Osama bin Laden’s death. While it’s a mistake usually attributed to Fox News and conservative pundits, it turns out that everyone’s guilty these days.
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Political notables Ted Kennedy and John Ashcroft were guilty of making the same mistake long before Obama was president. Networks such as MSNBC and CNN have also fallen victim, and a reporter from the Associated Press even made the gaffe when speaking to Obama face-to-face.
Following the president’s monumental broadcast Sunday night, there were a number of TV stations that ran headlines declaring, “Obama bin Laden Dead.” Foreign news outlets made the blunder as well. An Indian TV station displayed a photo of Osama bin Laden while running a headline that stated, “Obama shot in the head.”
Even director Spike Lee fell victim to the blunder on Twitter: “It was Osama bin Laden who was killed. I think pictures being released of the Body of Obama is next.”
You can’t talk about Osama without mentioning the president, so it’s understandable to have a slip of the tongue when thinking of their names simultaneously. Plain and simple, no one is safe. Actually, the only person who isn’t making this mistake is probably Osa — we mean Obama — himself.
Read more at New York magazine.
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