What’s the deal with comedian Rush Limbaugh getting a free pass over this stupid ”Barack the Magic Negro” thing? That little song parody he’s been playing — and playing more than a few times — is way more offensive and racist than the phrase “nappy-headed hos,” so I’m wondering when someone’s going to complain and get that asshole fired. On top of which, he’s the one who keeps saying us over here on “The Left” (a term he uses like being liberal is radioactively evil) don’t have a sense of humor, so how come we weren’t the ones screaming for justice when Imus deployed his Phrase That Pays? Hell, we’re not even screaming for parity now that Limbaugh is blatantly crossing the line of decency.
Effing double-standard.
Okay, well, despite the fact that you’re not willing to stand behind your comments with a name or a website…
1. Raged? I’ve seen no rage. I’ve seen a couple of people write/comment about it, and there’s been minor discussion here and there on places like MediaMatters, but no rage. No overwhelming mainstream media coverage like Imus, where that was all that was talked about for three days straight. No blowback whatsoever. As far as me being late to the party, this is my effing blog. I write about what I want and when I want. If I wanted to write about the fact that Charles Lindbergh was an anti-Semite, I could do that, and it’s still relevant to me no matter how old it is.
2. So you’re saying that someone’s accomplishments exempts them from comments? Despite the fact that I wouldn’t exactly call sports aptitude “amazing things” (did they cure diseases or break world records or make scientific or political breakthroughs?—not to mention the fact that the Rutgers’ women’s basketball team hasn’t won a national championship in 25 years), EVERYONE is fodder for parody. The only thing that puts people in the spotlight is whether they get media coverage or not. Look at a site like Fark.com, where any idiot gets mocked for doing stupid things—and these are just ordinary citizens. Are you suggesting that these people, simply because they didn’t put themselves in the spotlight, shouldn’t be parodied or mocked? You better go tell the Darwin Awards they need to quit what they’ve been doing for many years, because the people they highlight definitely didn’t do what they did simply for the accolades.
3. Prepared for parody and mockery? Sure, Barack should be prepared for attacks on his character and his stance on issues—but not his skin color, because that has nothing to do with how he’d run the country or what “amazing things” he’d do, as you put it. Does the Rutgers’ players skin color affect how they play? What Rush did was racist, plain and simple, regardless of who he targeted and what his target does. If you call a Hispanic person a racial epithet like “spic,” does it matter if the person you’re calling that is someone working at your local Starbucks or Bill Richardson? No, it doesn’t, it’s still racist no matter who you’re saying it about. And that, nameless friend, is a double-standard that Rush can make racially-offensive remarks (several times!) and get away with it, but Imus says three words and gets fired, along with becoming a national pariah.
let me at ‘em!
*swings fists*
more evidence for the systematic elimination of humanity.
Couple of things..
1) You are about 3 weeks late.. This debate has already raged.
2) Imus went after college girls who are not a parody for the spotlight. These were educated women who did amazing things. Not politicians who are into spotlight politics.
3) Rush is playing into the standard of post Regan politics.. And someone like Barack better be prepared.. He is professional politician who can handle himself in the spotlight. Same goes for anyone else entering into the political arena. You don’t go after amazing women (many of them where were ready to graduate)
There is no double standard here.. Both of those radio personalities are asses. One just happened to go after the wrong team.