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On March 19, 2007, Los Angeles Times columnist David Ehrenstein wrote: "But it's clear that Obama also is running for an equally important unelected office, in the province of the popular imagination—the 'Magic Negro.'"[13] Ehrenstein, himself an African-American, detailed the reasons he believes Obama fits the template in his opinion column. The column received world-wide attention and discussion, especially in the news media and in talk radio. Rush Limbaugh aired a song parody called "Barack, the Magic Negro", sung by Paul Shanklin impersonating Al Sharpton and based on the Peter, Paul, and Mary song "Puff, the Magic Dragon". Limbaugh also referred to the 2008 presidential candidate as the "magic negro" several times during his radio broadcast, each time prefacing the reference by explaining that the title came from Ehrenstein and/or the LA Times.
The following is a skit created by Rush Limbaugh and played over the radio. The visuals were all created by SOME GUY on YouTube. Only the audio is from Limbaughs show. I have used this video of the song because they show how Barrack Obama is being compared against Sharpton.
Is this racist?
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Formerly W.E.B. Du Bois (you can still call me "WEB")
Was that a younger Al Sharpton that was pushed down at the end? That was pretty funny. I'm at work and couldn't hear the song so I guess I can't answer the question.
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Neither am I the means to any end others may wish to accomplish. I am not a tool for their use. I am not a servant of their needs. I am not a bandage for their wounds. I am not a sacrifice on their altars. ... I owe nothing to my brothers, nor do I gather debts from them. I ask no one to live for me, nor do I live for others. I covet no mans soul, nor is my soul theirs to covet.
If by racist you mean "attempting to qualify people irrationally according to race," then yeah. But whether it's intentionally degrading...it's supposed to be comedy, so I'd say no.
__________________ "I have nothing new to teach the world." -Mohandas "Mahatma" Gandhi
Yes. But I can't help giving comedy a wider margin; considering Rush is trying to make fun of all the subjects precisely because of how they "play the race card," I don't think he's really trying to tell you "because they're black, they're x, y, & z har har." I don't think he's trying to degrade them because of their race.
__________________ "I have nothing new to teach the world." -Mohandas "Mahatma" Gandhi
My understanding is that the magic negro stuff came from an LA Times column, by a liberal columnist, and that Rush and his parody guy just picked up on it. I guess that it's okay for black guys to be racist and never be called out but even when something is not racist by white guys it's labelled as such.. (sigh)
The tag refers to the fact that Barrack is not your run of the mill Afro American since his family is of recent and mixed origin, and that he is not really accepted by the Afro American "estabishment", as represented by the typical race baiters like Sharpton and Jackson.
Rush might be a lot of things, but he isn't a racist.
Yes. But I can't help giving comedy a wider margin; considering Rush is trying to make fun of all the subjects precisely because of how they "play the race card," I don't think he's really trying to tell you "because they're black, they're x, y, & z har har." I don't think he's trying to degrade them because of their race.
Obama does the exact opposite of playing on race. He appeals to national unity, so I don't think any comedy, per se, would be targeted at him. A white person should not call a black person a "negro." That is racist, much less call someone a "negro" on the airwaves.
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Formerly W.E.B. Du Bois (you can still call me "WEB")
My understanding is that the magic negro stuff came from an LA Times column, by a liberal columnist, and that Rush and his parody guy just picked up on it. I guess that it's okay for black guys to be racist and never be called out but even when something is not racist by white guys it's labelled as such.. (sigh)
I know that someone else used the term before him, probably some black guy. He was probably using it in a way that showed how white people might think of him, or some irony. Rush doesn't do that, he uses the term "magic negro" to degrade a black person, which is not what the other person did.
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Originally Posted by oompaloompa
The tag refers to the fact that Barrack is not your run of the mill Afro American since his family is of recent and mixed origin, and that he is not really accepted by the Afro American "estabishment", as represented by the typical race baiters like Sharpton and Jackson.
Rush might be a lot of things, but he isn't a racist.
There is always a way to euphemize anything. I can call someone a "cracker" or a "super cracker" and then say how it's ok because I said a super cracker and super is a good thing.
WEB
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Formerly W.E.B. Du Bois (you can still call me "WEB")
Well, as long as it isn't MAGIC Cracker it's okay. We Crackers hate being called magic anything.
I'm not sure Limbaugh means to use that term as a purely racist put-down as much as in the context of a POLITICAL put-down. This, and it wasn't started by him, apparently, is just fuel for his POLITICALLY bigoted machine. I'm wondering if he was such a blatant anti-Black bigot, why does Walter Williams sub for him on Limbaugh's show occasionally?
And I just had a thought. What would the reaction be if Carlos Mencia or Chris Rock started doing Jeff Foxworthy's scathing "redneck" jokes.
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Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.
Well, as long as it isn't MAGIC Cracker it's okay. We Crackers hate being called magic anything.
I'm not sure Limbaugh means to use that term as a purely racist put-down as much as in the context of a POLITICAL put-down. This, and it wasn't started by him, apparently, is just fuel for his POLITICALLY bigoted machine. I'm wondering if he was such a blatant anti-Black bigot, why does Walter Williams sub for him on Limbaugh's show occasionally?
Please let me know if Walter Williams subs for Limbaugh again. If he does, I'd just say he's fooling himself about Limbaugh being a racist. The object of ridicule of "the Magic Negro" is that there is something inherently funny about a "negro." The use of negro in and of itself is offensive, but to have a song mocking the "magic negro" just puts all the humor directed at being black. That's racism.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scribbler1
And I just had a thought. What would the reaction be if Carlos Mencia or Chris Rock started doing Jeff Foxworthy's scathing "redneck" jokes.
Seriously.
WEB
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Formerly W.E.B. Du Bois (you can still call me "WEB")
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