Comments on There Really Aren't Any Pictures of the Guy Smiling

That *is* a bad ass header.

I love the juxtaposition of those three potent personalities of America.

The only bigger joke than the logo change are the closet racist white people who think it's a cool idea.

That's swell, Josh; right on and all that, but you're letting your emotions blind you to the real issue at play here: the utter failure to resolve the angle of the lower terminus of the "C" with the curvature of the neighboring "o" in the new logo. It's a goddam scandal!

2008: Seattle's Parks and Recreation Department retroactively named for Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks

2009: Benaroya Hall renamed after Arsenio

2010: Paul Allen's Experience Music Project redubbed "Notorious E.M.P."

2011: Disingenuousness continues unabated

#4 Dan -

I am thinking the EMP could adopt Jimi Hendrix as its official logo, providing of course the logo picture is composite instead of authentic. Yeah, the Hendrix estate would have no problem giving away the royalties on that basis.

I figure six months before King County taxpayers get sued for millions by the MLK estate for use of his image. I don't buy the county line that its use of the image is exempt from licensing fees.

Thanks for filling in the story of how the image came to be. I'm all for renaming the county for Dr. King, but when I first saw the new logo I didn't think it looked anything like him. In fact, at best it looks like a generic, black everyman. At worst it looks a bit '70s porno-ish what with the cheesy mustache. They should have paid the bucks and got something that actually looks like the guy.

@6,

Yeah, I was curious too. I thought it was based on a specific photo.

Re: Not looking like him. Duncan says they tested it out at coffee shops etc... and got a 100% ID rate.

@7
Post the photo I sent you to demonstrate how accurate Duncan's claims appear to be...

Jay County, Indiana, also has a new logo. Try to guess before clicking the link!

New County Logos

Re: no pictures of the guy smiling. Google images "mlk", second image up:

http://www.asu.edu/mlk/

I thought I remembered seeing him smile.

And http://www.flickr.com/photos/pavesina/87598941/

and

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/CSF/220-346~Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Posters.jpg

and

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0520079515.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

and rather frighteningly,

http://negroartist.com/Martin's%20big%20words%20the%20life%20of%20Dr.%20Martin%20Luther%20King,%20Jr..jpg

There seems to be quite a popular genre of folk art paintings of Dr. King.

P.S. I like the new logo. I'm somewhat iffy about the whole appropriation of a revolutionary by the government (he was killed right around when he started directing his attention towards to war and towards the socioeconomic injustice that crosses racial lines and that our officials could care less about), but I accept the appropriation because I hope the schoolchildren can get something out of it - a general sense that justice is a good thing and worth fighting for.

It is an interesting choice, scowl and all, precisely because of the sadness in the whole story. Just like the appropriated image of a Native American as the Seattle logo. We tend to only commemorate the happiest points in our history. It's great to let in a bit of mixture and be reminded that he was killed long before his life work was complete...

I love it. I'm surprised that I do. The best part is that it gives a mission to King County by it being represented by a real human being. Government can often be seen as cold and having a human being's face in the logo (rather than a profile) makes it more warm. It's a really strong image, too.

Hey Gomez, I'd like you to tell Councilmember Larry Gossett (former Black Panther and devotee of Malcom X) who has fought for this name change and logo for 20 years that you think it's racist to like it. I think he'd calmly tell you, in nice, unsarcastic, un-ironic tones like he always does, that you can shove it.

I like it quite a bit and am also surprised that I do.

I remember him smiling, but I was 3 yo when it happened.

Yeah, Gomez, I'm a closet racist because I think the county's taking Dr. King's ideals seriously enough to heart to wear his face as a symbol is a good thing. I'm glad after arguing transit policy on here with you for months to hear you out your bad head-space with a statement so asinine.

I think the three logos together look pretty good.

Sorry, but it will always be William Rufus King County to me. After all, he was GAY! I will write in "Rufus" to precede "King" on all forms, applications, etc.

I don't get it, what does he have to do with Seattle? what was wrong with Rufus? and why does anyone think that we should have spent over $600,000 of tax payers money to make this change? I think the man was great but as Josh said "It seemed dishonest and just weird for whitey Seattle." And it seemed that this money could have had better uses

Old Billie Rufus King had even less to do with Seattle than MLK. If the county has to be named after a person, it's chosen the right person to be named after.

And yeah, while I kind of liked the old crown logo, I really like the look of the three logos for state, county, and city--named after three prominent men of such vastly differing backgrounds.

Like the image choice, but the typeface for "King County" is poorly kerned. How many typography nerds out there feel the same way?

gomez @ 2:
let me understand the logic here:
a. you are a rascist if you are white & you think this is a good idea.

but i've read other posters say:
b. you are a rascist if you are white & you don't think this is a good idea.

therefore, the only way to be be white and not be a rascist is to have no opinion on the MLK logo whatsover?

when does the William Rufus King estate start their lawsuit?

How does this guy represent our region?

William Rufus DeVane King (April 7, 1786 – April 18, 1853) was a U.S. Representative from North Carolina, a Senator from Alabama, and the thirteenth Vice President of the United States. Excluding John Tyler and Andrew Johnson — both of whom ascended to the Presidency — he was the shortest-serving person to occupy that office (45 days, see List of U.S. Vice Presidents by time in office). He was also a slaveholder on a large plantation located in Cahawba, Alabama.

The real question is: How did our county get named King in the first place? Soooo glad we changed it.

Dan @4 -

I believe the name for the swimming center in the Fischer Plaza gym is Steve Pool.

It sorta looks like Robert Jamieson:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/art2/columnists/jamieson2.jpg

It should be a picture of Elvis!

He was "The King" and he was at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair in "It Happened At The World's Fair" with Yvonne Craic (Batgirl), and uncredited Kurt Russell, and Gary Lockwood (2001: A Space Odyssey).

If they put Elvis on there I'd move.

I could have said Stephen King, or Don King, or Billie Jean King. I just thought Elvis was funnier, and at least he spent some time hear.

It was a fucking joke. (Sorry for being a bitch, I had to work through lunch).

Larry King.

Too bad the Kingdome isn't around anymore or we could name the county after that. :(

I'm down with Paul @23. Poor kerning, not the best font, and why'd the logo have to be square anyway? lame. I liked the old one better, even if the dot on the i wasn't round.

Does it look vaguely Stalinist and ominous to anyone else? Kind of like "Welcome to King County... We'll be watching you!"

Also:

http://dreamwing.com/stuff/CCLogo.gif

No, not Stalinist. Pretty close to Andre the Giant though.

I completely agree about the C and the o. It's not a kerning issue; it's a letterform issue. Unless they're just buying a font online or something. C'mon, don't you know anyone who can draw?

Let's see... Cogswell going out of his way to react with indignance to my comment, check. Mispelling of racist, check. People, in reacting defensively, completely missing the point I'm making about the pointless, vapid, guilt ridden purpose of this whole stunt, check.

lol gomez. i'm into the mlk takeover, though.