- The Washington Times - Wednesday, February 18, 2015

State Republicans mocked New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s cozy relationship with Rev. Al Sharpton on Tuesday by issuing a parody poster of the pair as “Fifty Shades of Grey” characters.

In the poster titled “Fifty Shades of Bill,” the mayor’s face is superimposed over an image of the raunchy film’s female protagonist. His head rests dramatically on Mr. Sharpton’s shoulder.

“Tied up by his habitual tardiness. Dominated by the duties of his office. Handcuffed by his poor management of the NYPD,” reads the poster by the New York Republican State Committee.

“The parallels between the heroine of America’s hottest movie and New York’s mayor are striking: both have completely ceded control over their situation to outside forces, and the results are difficult to watch,” said David Laska, the state GOP’s spokesman, The New York Observer reported.

On the committee’s website, the group calls the film the “movie phenomenon that’s sweeping the country” and said “New York City’s mayor wanted to get in on the fun.”

Kirsten John Foy, a director with Mr. Sharpton’s National Action Network, called the parody “junk.”

“The New York State Republican Party owes Rev. Al Sharpton and communities of color, particularly the African-American community, the LGBTQ community and the mayor an apology, and they need to immediately sever ties with whoever is responsible for this junk,” Mr. Foy told The Observer.

“To depict the mayor as a woman, as a female lover of Rev. Sharpton, is disrespectful to people who have put their lives on the line to advance the causes of civil rights and gender equality,” he added.

 

• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.

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