An iPhone application [Bobble Rep – 111th Congress Edition (99-cents)] that Apple had rejected as ‘objectionable’ for its caricatures of members of congress now is available to users, the application’s developer told FoxNews.com Saturday.
“The developer, Ray Griggs, said Apple reversed it’s initial decision after a FoxNews.com story this week about claims that the caricatures, in particular a drawing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, were ‘offensive,'” FoxNews.com reports. “The directory’s caricatures feature the drawings of every member of Congress — Republicans, Democrats and independents alike — by freelance artist Tom Richmond, who has drawn for Mad Magazine. The heads of the politicians bobble on the iPhone screen… [and offers voters] instant online and telephone access to their senators and congressmen.”
“Griggs, who thanked the nearly 200 people who he said sent him supportive e-mails, said he received a phone call from a top Apple employee Friday night letting him know that the company would approve the app’s release,” FoxNews.com reports. “Apple didn’t return repeated phone calls and e-mails seeking comment.”
Full article here.
More info and download link for Bobble Rep – 111th Congress Edition is available via Apple’s iTunes App Store here.
MacDailyNews Take: Well, that didn’t take long at all. Apple did the right thing. Now, how they get to point where they don’t first do the wrong thing, get publicly upbraided, and then have to reverse themselves is the last remaining question.
Note to the Apple employee who initially rejected this app: The massive sales boost you’ve given this app should give you pause before you arbitrarily reject another app in the future; that is, if you’re even still employed as an Apple App Store gatekeeper.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Matt B.” for the heads up.]
Wow, FoxNews actually did something worthy. Kudos to them. Though it was totally stupid of Apple not to allow this application in when they allow FART applications……
Way to go FoxNews and this was stupid on Apple’s part. I wish Ray the best with his app.
It wasn’t FoxNews that did it, it was MDN’s reaction yesterday:
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/23034/
I happen to know this for a fact, but can say no more about it or I wouldn’t be “Anon” much longer.
Jobs is the kind of person that would like to see more involvement by the masses. The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if there wasn’t an agreement between Apple and the developer to generate some buzz around the app, thereby increasing interest/distribution, and most importantly, more involvement of the masses.
Apple should have done the right thing in the first place.
It was my blistering email to Apple yesterday that turned the tide. Mine and I am sure thousands more.
Yeah, Apple should have approved it and they made the right decision here.
But unless I’m missing something, the only explanation was “We’ve reviewed [the app] and determined that we cannot post this version of your iPhone application to the App Store because it contains content that ridicules public figures.” Figures, as in plural. The author claims the email had the picture of Pelosi, who happens to be the Speaker of the House, but that is not enough to conclude that her image was the primary criteria for the rejection. It sounds like a typical conservative slant to make liberals seem shady, trite, and thin-skinned.
It is irritating, because I really enjoy MDN’s takes on Apple related news, but the conservative flavor really detracts from the site. This place would be so much better if it was apolitical.
Reverse the mistake, apologize, move on.
Ashami,
Great theory, but unsupported by fact:
Apple specifically told the dev that it the caricature of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was part of the reason why the app was rejected. Apple’s rejection email to the dev included an image of Pelosi that Apple deemed to be “offensive.”
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/23034/
Awesome!
JUST BOUGHT IT.
Good info, and come fun too.
Why I love the iPhone.
Evidently, Apple prefers having others repeatedly shine the spotlight on their stupidity rather than actually FIXING the problems with their App Store approval setup.
There doesn’t actually seem to be any other way to escalate problems a developer has with a reviewer about a stupid rejection other than to ‘go public’…
@Journo
Yes, Pelosi was *part* of the reason, along with all of the other members of Congress. There is no reason to conclude that it was primarily because of Pelosi that the app was rejected. Again, that is pure conjecture based on trying to make Pelosi and liberals look bad, when in *fact* the only issue was some idiot who rejected the app because it “ridicules public figures.” Anything beyond that is actual theory.
Think about this – the process must be sucky with almost 100k apps.
How would one review them all quickly?
BTW, there’s nothing on the iPhone that could possibly make Polosi look worse/uglier/dumber.
Seriously.
Can we get the Pelosi cartoon changed to look more like the botoxed hag that she is?
It was that post I made on “No One Reads These” that pushed Apple over the top to reconsider.
Ah. Amazing how much influence some attribute to random spouts…
Nice app. but returns the wrong senators and rep for northern Idaho. Northern Idaho is not part of Utah or Texas, a little more work needs to be done on the location aspect of the app.
I bought this app just as a show of support for the developer. After the rollercoaster week he’s had I thought it was the least I could do. And besides, its actually a pretty cool app,
can we get an avatar for ron to make him look more like the brainless rightwing nutcase that he is?
shen – F-sk you very much. You must agree with me that she is an ogre.
Now that Apple has come to it’s senses, there’s only one thing left to do…
Bring back Baby Shaker!
It’s the RIGHT thing to do!
@Ashani: BINGO!
“Apple specifically told the dev that it the caricature of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was part of the reason why the app was rejected.”
What’s your evidence that the caricature of Pelosi wasn’t a screenshot selected at random? It must be mighty compelling for you to claim that Apple specifically told the dev Pelosi’s caricature was a reason for rejecting Bobble Rep.
So what is it?
OK, why negate the truth, it was my e-mail to Apple that did it!!
Seems to me that having your app rejected by Apple is the best possible publicity you can get. Sort of like Carrie Prejean was nobody – and would have stayed that way – if Perez Hilton hadn’t asked her opinion on gay marriage.
Beyond “do no harm to the network” Apple should not be censoring anything. If need be they could implement age restrictions on the purchase of certain apps but the current way they’re doing it is only giving them a well deserved reputation as big brother. Most people I know who won’t buy an iPhone cite this one tendency as their main reason.
Pelosi has more balls and brains than most anyone who post on this board, even if you don’t agree with her politics.