When asked last week in the debate about his racist sentiments aired by some of his constituents, McCain tried to weasel his way out of the question them "fringe" members. I think we as the news reading public have found evidence to the contrary. It is starting to seem that the Republican base has become filled with racism. This might be why moderate Republicans hate their own party so much at this point, but I digress. Last week we saw Obama with a noose and talked about the sentiments anti-Obama folks are drawing from in calling a black leader a socialist. That was deplorable, this is disgusting.
I am thinking they didn't get this idea from Old Dirty Bastard's album cover. And when Ol Dirty put this album cover out, we knew it was problematic, but it was also a joke, his idea and thankfully ODB wasn't running for president.
This however is just some really shameful shit. Racialicious has more.
UPDATE: CNN did a story on this. (h/t)
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soooo FUNNYYYY!!!!!!!!
not!!!
i hate people
You should see the makers try to defend themselves. I blogged about this last week, you can check the video out here.
http://powerandstilettos.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-dont-even-know-what-to-say.html
Jenn Astle, thanks for the link! That was really eye-opening...especially the part where the daughter responds to the question "Is this racist?" with "Sort of..." IF YOU HAVE TO SAY SORT OF, THAT MEANS IT'S RACIST! But I know I'm speaking to the converted here ;)
Samitha, you should embed the video here.
Embedded video from CNN Video
I saw the CNN coverage of this over the weekend and it was hilliarious and sad. The husband of the woman who they say made this said it wasn't racist, racism isn't just because "you say so". The daughter said she likes watermelon, so its not racist and she even went so far as to say her mom used to be married to a man of color, so how is she racist?
It was classic.
When this story broke last week, there was a televised interview with three Black American women who were members of this Republican club. I found it interesting to get their perspectives. (They claimed Fedele, the president of the club and the genius behind the food stamp, said she had no idea that the imagery was racist).
What I find interesting from an immigrant standpoint is that none of this food is even applicable to Obama's East African ancestry. The more apt racist stereotype food stamp would drudge up tired safari-tropes and foods associated with East Africans (ugali, plantain, curry). It would be a stereotype because even though E. Africans do still eat these things, many also eat pizza and gelato, too.
Black American (the combination of mostly West/Central African, European and Native American ancestries) is its own unique ethnic and cultural group.
Black American /=/ Caribbean-American (Colin Powell)
Black American /=/ East African immigrant (Obama's father)
U.S. racial culture doesn't traffic in nuance,however, so I suppose we can't expect racists to, either.
I was thinking of writing her a letter explaining why it is racist....anyone with me?
Samitha, you can also get the code to embed from the link I posted, I really think people need to see this.
"U.S. racial culture doesn't traffic in nuance,however, so I suppose we can't expect racists to, either."
Well said!
I just love the "I have a Black/Latino/Asian/Inuit friend, therefore I can't be racist" defense.
Proof at least *some* Republicans are tired of the racist and religious attacks--watch Muslim and Christian McCain fans drive these winners out of a rally for preaching intolerance:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/20/muslim-mccain-fans-confro_n_136203.html
It warmed the cockles of my liberal heart.
It gets even worse people- obama waffles for sale.
http://revver.com/video/1174122/obama-waffles-leave-bad-taste/
The sad part is that I bet the person who thought that up thinks that they're very clever and edgy.
I do not know what is up with Republicans in California right now, but this is the second really racist thing to come out of California Republicans recently: http://www.canow.org/canoworg/2008/10/the-face-of-cal.html
Heya, Just getting to this comments thread now. Thanks for the heads up on the CNN video, Jenn, adding it to the post now. Thanks.
I was wondering when feministing was going to post on this. I saw this last week when Rachel Maddow when she brought it up on her show. She read her fake apology and it's so obvious that this woman has absolutely no remorse for her racism. She issued her fake apology by saying something like "I'm sorry if people felt offended by this but..." and then she goes on to preference that with a bunch of excuses like "it didn't look racist to her" "it's just a bunch of food" "I used food stamps because Obama (something about socialism)" etc. Essentially blaming everyone else and everything else except for her own BLATANT RACISM. Also, in her apology I noticed how she used the words "sorry if people FELT offended"...not that this piece of garbage IS offensive. Ugh. I tried to look for the Maddow clip but I just couldn't find it. For consolation, I found the Olbermann clip where this woman won the "worst person in the world" segment. He gives a little more information and calls her out for her fake apology/blatant racism and then reads all her excuses (her fake apology).
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27287363#27229826
The barrage of pathetic, insipid justifications from the people involved in distributing this image just sets my teeth on edge. That video is a veritable Bingo card of "Oh, it's not really racist because..." arguments.
OMG! I just watched the CNN video, and all the excuses that these people give!
First:
Husband: "It's not racist!"
Reporter: "but those are black stereotypes!"
Husband: "says who? you?!"
Excuse my language, but dude you are an F-in' A-hole! Says who you say? Says I!
Second:
Daughter: "What many people don't know is my mother was married to my father, who is mexican...So explain to me how she can me racist"
Again, excuse my language, but lady, you too are an F-in' A-hole! Says who? I say!
Third:
Daughter: "I eat chicken, I eat watermelon, I eat ribs, I'm not racist!"
Reporter: "But those are stereotypes"
Daughter: "says who?!"
I'm assuming that these people are lying through their teeth. I mean I have heard of certain morons who are unaware of certain racist things that they say/do (not that ignorance is any excuse)...But, these people know full well what they are doing. And so to feign ignorance is just pathetic. They SOOOO obviously know that these things are racist. Both the daughter and the husband seemed to have the same "talking point" aka "who decides what is racist [points at reporter]...you?"...They probably had a conference before this called "How to defend our [pathetic piece of trash] racist flyer to the 'liberal elite' media" [are my words]
What wackos...to these people...it's like blue is red, up is down, sick is healthy...and buckets of chicken, watermelon, and ribs on a food stamp is "not racist"?
*Bangs head up against wall*
*facepalm* I don't even know where to begin with this. It's just beyond ridiculous.
Seriously, it takes Michael Scott levels of nitwittery to deny the racism in that image.
They didn't know it was racist...BUT they just HAPPENED to pick four images that are stereotypical. What a happy coincidence.
Did they miss the whole Tiger Woods debacle years ago when another golfer rudely asked if Tiger would be picking fried chicken for the traditional post-Masters dinner?
I literally lol'd when that girls said her mom can't be racist because her mom was married to a Mexican.
Because we all know that there are two races: whites and minorities. Whites are the majority race that this girl happens to belong to, and the minority race is every single other ethnicity and skin color out there that isn't white, which is explains why marrying a person from Mexico automatically makes you unable to stereotype anybody else in the minority race, even if they DON'T SHARE THE SAME SKIN COLOR OR ETHNIC BACKGROUND IN THE SLIGHTEST.
Wow, that was really hard to make up an explanation for. Even more proof that what she said makes no damn sense.
I seriously hope these people are as rare as I think they are. If not, my laughing will have to turn into a terrified whimper and crying for my boyfriend to to hold me.