Don Imus is long gone.
Maybe Rush Limbaugh should follow him.
Somehow, I doubt that happens.
Take a look at the following link:
http://www.alternet.org/stories/50998/.
Limbaugh played this audio stream on his radio program numerous times over the past several days.
Maybe Rush Limbaugh should follow him.
Somehow, I doubt that happens.
Take a look at the following link:
http://www.alternet.org/stories/50998/.
Limbaugh played this audio stream on his radio program numerous times over the past several days.
Poking fun at African American political leaders, while demeaning the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama, the song's fundamental basis, intent and spirit remains thoroughly racist. The issue here has nothing to do with partisan politics, at least not to me.
Will our nation ever move beyond such hateful evil?
I am drawn to a passage from Dean Koontz's novel, Brother Odd:
"In this world where too many are willing to see only the light that is visible, never the Light Invisible, we have a daily darkness that is night, and we encounter another darkness from time to time that is death, the deaths of those we love, but the third and most constant darkness that is with us every day, at all hours of every day, is the darkness of the mind, the pettiness and meanness and hatred, which we have invited into ourselves, and which we pay out with generous interest" (page 149).
34 comments:
Just to sit the record straight, you should put the parody in context. "Barack the Magic Negro" is a spin-off of an LA Times column written by a black guy in which he called Barack the "Magic Negro", saying Barack's an empty vessel, he hasn't been around long enough for anybody to know what he stands for, and therefore all this white support for Barrack, how can this be, asked the black columnist, how can there be so many white people supporting Barack? It's because they have so much guilt over the racial history of this country that saying they support Barack absolves them of any guilt, but they really don't support him, and he doesn't believe it. Couple this with the fact that Al Sharpton said in the New York Post some days earlier before this that he was a little upset that Barack is getting all this attention, Biden calling him articulate and not Sharpton, it made for a natural parody.
So are you calling the black columnist hateful and evil?
Chris, you are trying to deflect the point of Larry's criticism. You clearly are taking a page out of the Republican playbook. The comparisons are ridiculous: The LA Times column was making a point, not making fun of Barack; also, you cannot equate a black man's comments about another black man the same as a white man making such comments. You may not like this, but that's the case.
Don Imus made an off-the-cuff comment. It was rude and wrong, and he was fired for it.
But this is far less offensive than the premeditated and thoroughly rehearsed parody that Limbaugh is playing. I cannot believe that there is a market for this, and am appalled there is no backlash.
Larry, is there a site out there organizing a campaign to call for Limbaugh's firing?
If not, can we start one?
Chris, thanks for your post and for some background. My opinion remains unchanged about the nature of Limbaugh's action.
Peter, thanks for your post. You are right on target. As to a campaign to remove Limbaugh, I am unaware of one.
For the record, my point here has nothing to do with politics or "white guilt." My concern is the ongoing racist subculture in this nation--a subculture that is much more prevalent than most of us want to admit. This is evil and, as Koontz would say of "the darkness."
I agree with you, Mr. James. There is a darkness in our society that we are willing to admit to. our society has still not learned to stop throwing gauntlets at each other for petty differences. For some strange reason we protest against racism and prejudices all the time, but ignore our own judgments of others. I think there is much to be learned from the actions of these stories. We hold high America as a nation of change and equality, but we refuse to give it to anyone but our individual selves, which defeats the purpose of our nation altogether now doesn't it.
One more comment. Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson are two of the most notorious racists on planet earth. I think it's time they stepped down from their so called leadership in the black community. I'm still looking for their apology to the Duke players. Where is their condemnation of the rap artist who demean women daily?
Rush does not have a racist bone in his body.
I know it's dangerous to draw conclusions from sit-coms, but I think there is truth to the Seinfeld episode where they coined the term "joke rights"-- as in they as Jews had the perrogative to make Jew jokes if they so chose. For those of us who are white and southern, consider how we would feel if it was Al Sharpton who had introduced "You might be a redneck" humor instead of Jeff Foxworthy.
I don't like throwing the r-word around but I do think Larry is right on when he says that Rush's intent is a classic case of race baiting. A "fire Rush" campaign would go absolutely nowhere. The audience of Imus's show were genuinely offended when they stopped and thought of what Imus had said. I think it's safe to say the audience and advertisers for Limbaugh's show don't feel any remorse at all for this parody. I'm sure he can go much, much further if he so chose. In fact, most conservatives I know are embarrassed by him and his disciples--much like a dim-witted friend in high school who would argue for your side in an argument when you really wish he would just keep quiet.
Chris, you are saying that since someone else wrote the words/coined the thought, then it is therefore okay for Mr. Limbaugh to repeat such thoughts.
I have twice heard the Limbaugh program playing this song. This, the same man who once referred to how ugly Chelsea Clinton was, comparing her to a dog, while she was still quite young.
It is time for everyone to acknowledge the truth: Limbaugh uses meanness and ridicule constantly, consistently. And since many who read and comment in this blog claim to follow the ways of Christ, I challenge anyone to read the words in Scripture about kind words and love and goodness ("think on these things" -- cf. Philippians 4:8), and then defend the ways of Rush Limbaugh.
Regardless of the context behind "Barack the Magic Negro," the way Mr. Limbaugh used the song was, sadly, a true representation of his multi-year approach of mean-spirited commentary.
Randy Mayeux, Dallas
Johnny again-
Please disregard the use of the term "dim-witted" above in my analogy. I don't want to give the impression that I'm calling anyone who listens to Rush dim-witted. My use of the analogy was more just to say that there are many, many conservatives who do not buy into his extremist views. We should do everything we can to marginalize people like Rush.
The liberal media is obscessed by race. Although Obama is doing well among African-Americans, the media still suggest that he isn't 'black enough.' After all, his ancestors don't include those who experienced the pain of slavery and segregation, the roots that define a genuine civil rights activists and African-American in this country. He's not authentic, they say. Rush just is regurgiting what is written about him in the liberal media.
As to being fired, Rush would have to fire himself and that will not happen.
As to Imus, he had very few listeners. He has probably said worse in the past when nobody was listening. He did the right thing and apologized which Al has yet to do. Don't hold your breath. Why doesn't someone call Al on that? You know why? Because black liberals get a free pass. Liberals in general do also, but especially black liberals.
I said one more last time but I just can't help myself!
I think Limbaugh's motive is mis-understood. He's mocking the LA Times writer and Sharpton, not Obama. If anyone is a racist in this, it's Sharpton. The man has no credibility with me at all, and does not deserve to be respected or heard.
In the 1800s, the conservatives maintained that slavery should not be overturn. The progressives changed the world.
In the 1900s, the conservatives maintainted that women and minorities should not receive equal rights. The progessives again changed the world.
Today, the conservatives continue to maintain values that suppress the rights of women, minorities and the poor. They use media puppets like Rush to promote their antiquated agenda under the guise of "traditional values" while their politicians use fear-mongering to distract the public from their attempts to reverse the aforementioned social progressions.
It is time for progressives to once again step up to the plate and change the world.
Dear Friends,
I don't think Limbaugh is a racist, and I don't understand your excessive concern over the "mean-spirited" nature of some of his remarks, especially since most of you who feel that way probably) voted for Bill Clinton, and are planning to vote for Hillary Clinton, two of the meanest snakes ever to (dis)grace the American political scene.
The fact is, Obama IS a Negro, and the Rutgers basketball players are NOT "ho's." One statement (Limbaugh's) is true, and not insulting and demeaning, while the other (Imus's) is false, and is highly insulting.
So, with all respect, calling Limbaugh's statement race-baiting is an emotional over-reaction, and comparing what he said to what Imus said is simply incorrect.
Tim Hadley
Springfield, MO
I am sorry, but as a white person . . . I cannot imagine anything motivating me to call someone "The Magic Negro" in a "Puff the Magic Dragon"-style song other than racism. You don't have to wear a white hood to bear the torch of racism.
Larry, how do you define "race baiting"?
I listen to Rush Limbaugh almost daily ( more out of habit than my agreement to what he says... being a pacifist, its hard to agree with anyone in the political spectrum about how to solve the worlds problems)
But I will say that this parody is not of Obama, but of the LA Times column and the ridiculous double standard in our country where its ok for some people to say some things but not ok for others. That's the whole point, and Media Matters for America, which is in the pockets of Hillary Clinton, is the group that always breaks these out of context stories about Limbaugh and others.
I actually know the man who sings this song (and many on Rush's show) because he's a member at the Highland St. C of C in Memphis and he is certainly not a racist, and neither is Rush. There is a little thing called satire, and satire and racism are not the same thing. If the song said things like "black people are inferior" or something to that effect, then yes, I would agree its racist. But you can check out the lyrics to the song, and the transcript of Rush discussing it here
http://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/pol/319748403.html
And also, since many of you are probably blasting this because it gets you points with the liberal elite to talk about Rush Limbaugh being a douchebag, here's the article that was in the LA Times that was the catalyst for this song.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,5335087.story?coll=la-opinion-center
If anything is racist, its that column. I don't care what color the author is. The parody on Rush's show is merely satire trying to shed light on the ideology of the left where its ok for people of the correct political persuasion to say certain things, while others get fired over it.
Larry, even if you feel that this song is "racist" (even though there's no way this fits the definition of racist. Maybe bad taste, and maybe bigoted, but racism, according to Websters means "a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race".
Peter,
I suppose you think killing unborn babies is social progress. As to the poor,liberals have done more to keep people poor because they want to create dependency. But this is off the subject.
I'm glad to see a little more balance on this blog.
"Race baiting"--anything that encourages or draws out hatred or negative reactions to the race of one different from oneself; any statement or action that encourages a division among people based on race.
"Racism" is not simple prejudice. Racism is prejudice that uses power to oppress or undermine the status of a person or persons of another race--it is not just an attitude, it is action that engages ones own power to press down another individual or group.
I'll close my comments by asking how many of my readers have discussed this latest incident with anyone who is African American? How many have asked how African American friends feel having heard the song? My conversations with a couple of my partners here in Dallas is why I felt I needed to post this.
Here is a GREAT read about race relations. OK, so the person who wrote this also happens to live in my house, but it's still a great piece. Hope this link works:
http://www.pga.com/news/features/index.cfm.
I forgot to say that it's the April 25th feature in Grant Me This.
I guess its inconsequential that the person who wrote that song is black himself?
Or that the producer of Limbaugh's show is black?
How about asking black people their views of the LA Times column?
Or of Joe Biden's comments that Barack is "clean and articulate"?
Or any number of comments from Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, or Louis Farakkan. Larry, I have seen no posts from you on how these men abuse their power in the black communtiy and are race baiters themselves.
It almost seems like people's racist comments and attitudes are ignored if they have the correct letter by their name.
Justin, thanks for your posts.
I'll wrap up my comments on this subject simply by saying that the intention of my words had nothing to do with politics. My objection to the "song" has to do with advancing civic unity and racial harmony. I was trying to talk to the spirit of the message. Political parties never entered my mind. I simply found the airing of this piece to be offensive to me because of what I believe we need to be about as a people. That was all I was attempting to do with my observations.
I am always amazed by the defensiveness of folks who disagree with what appears here.
or the constant obsession with reducing everything to politics...
so its politics when a conservative disagrees with something, but everyone else on this blog is above politics?
That doesn't sound like a very open attitude, does it?
My problem is not that Larry or others think this is offensive. They have every right to. But Limbaugh, Paul Shanklin (c of c), and the guy that penned the words to this song, as well as the op ed columnist for the times, Don Imus, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Larry James, me, and this Chris guy, all have a right to say whatever we want. No one has to listen. But they have the right to speak.
And if people stop listening to their shows, they go off the air. Its called dollar votes. If I don't like a particular program, or product, for example, I don't like Sean Hannity cause he isn't very intelligent, regardless if I agree or disagree with him. You know what I do since I don't like what he says? I change the station.
What if instead of trying to fire every person who uttered something that someone somewhere might think is offensive, we just changed the channel, or stopped reading. Why organize a boycott? Why try to quelch speech? Its certainly not American, and I don't think its very Christ like either. If you think you hold the ideological high ground, why feel the need to shut down their speech. That just comes off like you're scared of what they have to say. If its wrong, and bad, and according to Larry "evil", then people will figure it out. We don't need more morality police. We don't need a liberal James Dobson.
BTW, one of the definitions of politics is "the total complex of relations between people living in society"
I don't see how anything discussed on this blog isn't politics.
And just for the record, this is how Larry treated Joe Biden when he made comments that are equally offensive, if not more, than what was on Limbaugh's show.
http://larryjamesurbandaily.blogspot.com/2007/02/joe-biden-and-clean-african-american.html
Notice how Larry gives Biden the benefit of the doubt, but completely disregards that the song was not meant to be an attack on Barack in any way shape or form, and calls Limbaugh evil.
Hmmm...
"I am always amazed by the defensiveness of folks who disagree with what appears here." - Larry
Justin, as always, thanks for the post. I'd like to buy you a cup of coffee sometime--but it might take us two days to drink it!
Since you "called me out" on Sen. Biden, I would urge readers to visit my post on that day, as you advise.
Any objective reading will conclude that I was not happy with Biden and criticized the implicit racism back of his comments.
The fact that I didn't call him harder than this was simply because he was not making fun of anyone. As I have said from the start of this discussion, it is the spirit of the matter that troubles me, not the letter.
Biden was live on camera and speaking off the cuff -- while his comments do reflect problems in our society (which Larry was quick to criticize Biden for), he apologized.
This little parody was a lot more intentional and planned. Both of these cases are problems. Biden's probably reflects a little more deep-seated uncomfortableness with something he hasn't grown up with. The parody was a lot more direct, and shows us that in other forms, these feelings are still strongly alive.
Both were wrong, however, one was more intentional
I don't disagree that Biden's remark was "off the cuff" but he's shown a pattern of saying things that are patently offensive ("you have to have an indian accent to go in a 7/11")
I think Chris and I, as well as anyone that listens to the show, can assure you that it is NOT MAKING FUN OF BARACK. It wasn't one of Rush's employees that even came up with that phrase. It was a journalist at the LA Times. He wrote a piece that Rush,along with myself and many other people, considered racist. But because the author is a democrat, and black, apparently its ok for him to say those things. That is the point of the song.
Rush has said some borderline offensive statements before, and I often disagree with his point of view, but this is satire, and the direction of the satire is not Obama, but the media in general where its ok to be a bigot if you have the correct letter next to your name or if your skin color is dark.
amazing how it is that an event plays one way among the middle class and another way in the 'hood. take it from me, where i stay the whole deal don't come down on the plus side. . .but then, middle class folk have more space to be philosophical about everything. to me. i don't care what anybody says, it wasn't funny at all.
we're all people, no matter what class we're from.
reverse class discrimination anonymous?
naw, anonymous, it's just that the view from the penthouse is a bit different from the view from the curbside. . .that' all. surely you smart enough to see that???
what exactly do you get from beating up on people who have more than you?
sure, the perspective is different. no to people have the same perspective on anything... well, at least we can't know that with certainty. I have no idea how you perceive things and you have no idea how i do. because you can't see humor in a situation, does that mean there isn't any humor? its a little different coming from a position where you give a significant portion of your income to ministries like CDM, but for some ridiculous reason, maybe because you don't share a love for marxism, you still aren't good enough to be in the in circle.
See, what you're doing is exactly the same as what you perceive other people to be doing. you're sinning just like another is. You view wealth as something that is harmful to the soul. it certainly can be. so you talk about living in the hood, and you become self righteous at how you are doing things, and how you're a real christian because you do x.
Anonymous 1:20 AM, thanks for your post.
One point of clarification and push back: no one here is "marxist." I think this comment demonstrates just how far to the right the US has drifted over the past 3 decades. No one here is arguing for a Marxist economic system. What is being argued and debated from time to time is how our national life, public policy and civic values should be applied and worked out for and with the poor among us.
I can see several comments on this page that sound fairly marxist to me, specifically the person arguing for total equality.
Besides that, the class warfare and admonition of wealth redistribution have marxist tendencies. And even if you'd just consider yourself a socialist, it eventually has to lead to communism. Because a free person, making decisions in their rational self interest, will eventually stop producing if it is no longer worth it to them (ie if tax rates rise to levels that they deem it not to be worth their time to produce more). Just look at our economy after Kennedy's tax cuts, Reagan's tax cuts, and Bush's tax cuts. The economy takes off (which brings in more revenue to the federal government) when rates are lowered, because it gives incentive to produce more.
When people want to raise taxes, its not because they need to fund more programs for the poor, its because they want to punish people for being successful, and that, in my opinion, is marxist.
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