Short Recap--Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is in hot water for "praising" Barack Obama for being able to speak without a "negro dialect", and of course the Republicans are pouncing on this story since had that statement come from a Republican he'd have been run out of town on a rail. Without going into whether Reid's statement was offensive--it was, in the sense that it was racially paternalistic, up there with saying "my friend Stan is very smart for a Polack!"--one thing did stick out when reading the story.
In this article, (8th paragraph) it mentions that Obama and Al Sharpton accepted Reid's apology. (Sharpton's statement is here) Obama I understand--after all, it was he who was the subject of the comment. But Al Sharpton? Really? In the eyes of the media, he gets to speak for black people? This is like letting Roman Polanski speak for all Jewish people. Except that while Polanski may have raped a girl, he didn't actual incite any murders.
I also like that in the eyes of the media, if Sharpton gives Reid a pass--or more accurately, if Sharpton decides that it's politically convenient for him to give Reid a pass--then the comments are forgiven. (Hope Reid is smart enough to stay on Reverand Al's good side!)
Who appointed Sharpton as "Official Black Spokesman"? After much research (okay, no research at all) it appears he appointed himself! Rather than being outraged that the "official black voice" is a bigoted Jew-hating blowhard who doesn't seem to have ever held an actual job in his life--I'll leave it to black folks to get pissed by that--I'm actually inspired.
From now on, I'm the official spokesman for all Americans of Italian and Russian descent. Next time MTV wants to air a show called "Lower East Side" featuring Russians dressed like hipsters, the newsfolks can reach me for comment. Next time a movie portrays Italians as gangsters--or if Tony Danza gets a TV series--the newsfolks can reach me for comment. Next time McDonalds markets a "Beef McStroganoff" the newsfolks can reach me for comment.
I plan to do a lot of aggrieving!
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7 years ago
I love it.
ReplyDeleteAs member of the group supposedly represented by the Rev. Sharpton, I can assure you, and anyone else who wants to listen, that no one I know thinks that the "good" reverend is a suitable spokesman for us. Further, I blame the media that continues to shove microphones in his general direction (they don't need to be very close for the gravitational pull of Sharpton's ego to do the rest of the work.)
ReplyDeleteBeck--it's my newfound calling!
ReplyDeleteRefugee--I couldn't agree more. I've never met a single black person who cared for Sharpton; it seems to be that his "influence" is really among media types and the weak-willed (generally white) politicians who buy into this idea that he has sway among black voters.