For those of us in Los Angeles, the Inland Empire is sort of like our retarded cousin to the east. The IE (or the 909) is like having a little bit of Alabama right in your own backyard. Whenever COPS is not filmed in the South, it's in the IE. The 909 is to air quality what China is to civil liberties. You get the idea. Every so often they do a bad thing and have to be reprimanded. You can't really blame them for doing the bad thing. They are, after all, the IE. But they still need to be learn that what they did was wrong.
This week the Press-Enterprise reported on a disturbing newsletter circulated by a Rancho Cucamonga based Republican women's group. The newsletter contained what was meant as a critique of Barack Obama's claim that he "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills." Here's what they came up with:
This week the Press-Enterprise reported on a disturbing newsletter circulated by a Rancho Cucamonga based Republican women's group. The newsletter contained what was meant as a critique of Barack Obama's claim that he "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills." Here's what they came up with:
Let me just say that I typically have a pretty high threshold for racism. There are many occasions when claims of racism are bandied about inappropriately. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE OCCASIONS. This is so racist that it just slaps you in the face. There's a great Dave Chappelle stand-up routine where he talks about this kind of racism:
Have you ever had something happen that was so racist that you didn't even get mad?...I mean it was so blatant you were just like "Wow." Almost like it didn't even happen to you, it was like a fucking movie.
Aside from the collard greens and pigs feet, the illustrator pretty much nailed all of the African American food stereotypes. Now I have to come clean for a minute. As a teenager, my friends and I once regrettably took part in a "traditional black picnic," for black history month, featuring pretty much the same fare depicted on the "Obama Bucks." I now realize that the picnic idea probably amounted to racism. Victimless racism, but racism nonetheless.
The problem with the above depiction of Obama is that is was circulated to members of the community, as supposedly representing the organization's members. Of course, this kind of thing shows up all the time in Republican-affiliated newsletters and websites (here, here, here, here, and here). Appeals to racism generally work to the GOP's advantage. What made this story unique in my opinion, was the utterly moronic claim of ignorance on the part of the person responsible for the newsletter's circulation. Diane Fedele, president of the Chaffey Community Republican Women, said this of the illustration:
I didn't see it the way that it's being taken. I never connected. It was just food to me. It didn't mean anything else.
Yeah, no. Nobody is buying for a minute the idea that watermelon, fried chicken, ribs and Kool-Aid are "just food" whilst encircling a black man. There are times when I may be ignorant to racism. I'll hear someone cry racism and I say to myself, "Wow, really? That's racist? Good to know." Like apparently Jar Jar Binks was racist. Not a racist, mind you, but I guess the character invoked some unfortunate black stereotypes. I don't know. But this Obama Buck crap is different. I assure you if I were a contestant on the Pyramid, and my partner rattled off those four foods, I'd be like, "Dude, you had me at watermelon: Foods Black People Like to Eat!"
So don't sit there and try to tell people you didn't know it was a racial stereotype. Stop saying that you don't see the color of people's skin, only the character of their soul. Wait! Let me guess. You had a friend in college who was black, right? I knew it. Just stop it already. We get it. You're a racist. You thought it would be funny. You thought no one would say anything because they're all racists too. It's fine. Some people are just racists. Just stop telling people you didn't know any better, because fucking dogs knew that picture was racist.
Damn. Now I'm hungry.
UPDATE:
Tonight, Keith Olbermann named Diane Fedele his Worst Person in the World for her lame brained excuse given for circulating the racist newsletter.
4 comments:
The difference between you and me is that when you hear about something like this, you write levelheaded essays dissecting the issue. I am more likely to just rock back and forth in the corner.
Julia,
Your catatonia aside, I actually felt like this was one of my least insightful posts. I was trying for humor primarily, but I'm glad to see the humor was lost on you entirely.
And don't tell me you don't remember "the picnic." You may not have eaten the chicken, but you were there. Talk about a blast from the past. I almost didn't post this story because of my own guilty past associations with those food items. At the very least, I had to come clean about it, even if it was Eric's idea.
Yeah, the picnic.
Now, I understand this was supposed to be a lighter post, but still. My comment applies better to your blog in general. I used to write about politics a lot more, but I think I take things too personally. Also, the catatonia (excellent word!) does tend to get in the way of coherent writing.
Better you than me, buddy, is what I'm trying to say.
(And before you go perusing my archives for any "political writing," ("political" "writing") let's remember that I just said I used to write about politics. I didn't say I used to do so well. It's all shameful.)
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