Limbaugh's song, "Barack the magic negro"...Where was the outrage then?

[Ned_Devine]

I don't condone Imus in the least...I'm just saying that the outrage is a couple of weeks late

[Skidmore]

1. Well, maybe someone should start talking about these things

on these cable magazine shows. There are numerous incidents and a few people have made general complaints, but not cited concrete examples while on.

[Ned_Devine]

2. Am I the only one who heard it?

It was blatantly racist. The word "negro" is totally offensive

[bunkerbuster1]

4. Problem was, he carefully couched it as "I'm just quoting a Liberal Jew"

the fellow in question being David Ehrenstein, who originally used the phrase.

I suppose that's one reason why there wasn't much outrage. Also, well, who doesn't already know that Rush is a pig?

Diff between Rush and Imus is, "respectable" center-lefties have appeared, and continue to appear, on Imus' program, whereas Rush doesn't even bother to appear balanced in his blowhardedness.

[peacetalksforall]

11. Another - MSNBC is paid for by major corporations. Corporations

that created this network to push Republicans, demean Democrats; give wide coverage and praise to Republicans, deny coverage and attack Democrats.

It was created in the impeach Clinton period to get the Clintons and they went at it 24 hours a day - no prison and pedophilia hours - it was Clintons around the clock.

They supported Imus and allowed a viscous bigot to be his on-air producer.

Everyone focuses on Imus and his bigotry - how much of this came out of the mouth of Bernard and that impersonator over the years - or the guy who sang a filthy song about the Clintons which they ran on breaks over and over for years and still do.

This is CORPORATION BIGOTRY - don't let THEM off. It's not just about punishing Imus.

Who wants to go after the people who allow Rush to spew filth? Perhaps whoever runs his station is probably getting compensated by the Republicans. Now that would be fun to investigate.

I got to give it to Staples and Proctor & Gamble and whoever else pulled out.

Still, DUers don't think it's a big deal. But - it's corporation bigotry!

Rutgers - nappy hos
Kentucky - "cute'

The CEO of GE did not say those words, but they hve allowed words like these ever since MSNBC was born.

This was not targeted at females in general.

They are athlete-scholars, not politicians.

[Clark2008]

37. What's Kentucky got to do with it?

Rutgers play the UT Lady Vols.

I'm confused. Sorry.

[peacetalksforall]

77. I am sure I read Kentucky. I retract Kentucky, my mistake, I don't follow sports.

[Ned_Devine]

12. That doesn't matter

Just because Rush has no talent or scruples, doesn't mean he should be able to get away with playing a parody song that refers to a black man as a "negro". I'm a news anchor for stations around Boston, and one of them carries Rush. When I was waiting to do my break, I heard that song playing. I didn't hear any explanation

[bunkerbuster1]

26. I'm fine with Rush getting smacked around for this.

Just acknowledging differences. Not the least of which being that Obama is a battle-hardened Presidential candidate and presumably accustomed to this kind of slime, whereas the Rutgers basketball team were completely undeserving of hateful, public ridicule, heaped upon them at a time when most decent people would conclude that they should be applauded.

Oh, and the other difference being, Rush is a lot more careful about calibrating what he does and says to be just offensive enough to keep his knuckle-dragging fan base happy, than is Imus.

[cgrindley]

78. "magic negro" is a scholarly term from the study of film and literature

Spike Lee's version is "super duper magical negro". Just google it.

[Ned_Devine]

83. You know Limbaugh wasn't using it in a scholarly way

[cgrindley]

85. No kiddin'?

The pill popper's no scholar? Who'd a thunk?

[bunkerbuster1]

95. Huh. Wiki's entry is interesting anyway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_negro

The magical negro is typically "in some way outwardly or inwardly disabled, either by discrimination, disability or social constraint," often a janitor or prisoner.<5> He has no past; he simply appears one day to help the white protagonist.<6> He is the black stereotype, "prone to criminality and laziness."<7> To counterbalance this, he has some sort of magical power, "rather vaguely defined but not the sort of thing one typically encounters."<6> They are patient and wise, often dispensing various words of wisdom, and are "closer to the earth."<3>

The magical negro serves as a plot device to help the protagonist get out of trouble, typically through helping the white character recognize his own faults and overcome them.<3> In this way, the magical negro is similar to the Deus ex machina; a simple way for the protagonist to overcome an obstacle almost entirely through outside help. Although he has magical powers, his "magic is ostensibly directed toward helping and enlightening a white male character."<5> It is this feature of the magical negro that some people find most troubling. Although the character seems to be showing African-Americans in a positive light, he is still ultimately subordinate to whites. He is also regarded as an exception, allowing white America to "like individual black people but not black culture."<8>

To save the white protagonist, however, he would do anything, including sacrificing himself, as Sidney Poitier did in The Defiant Ones, the prototypical magical negro movie.<3>

Of course, thinking more about this, Rush's parody is more pathetic wishful thinking than anything. The Dems don't need a "magical negro" to rescue them; if Barak isn't our candidate (and I'm leaning toward hoping he is, these days) then whomever we wind up with still kick Republican ass in November '08.

[CBGLuthier]

6. Since when

Not even about to defend limbaugh and have not heard the song but the word negro can not be offensive by itself.

And the term "magic negro" usually refers to a literary device, a poor form of character that is used in films primarily and is a black chacacter that seems to exist only to improve the lot of white people. One of the "best" recent examples was the film The Legend of Bagger Vance. You could also reference just about any film Whoopi Goldberg was in during the 90's as examples.

[GrumpyGreg]

39. Why is the word "negro" offensive?

I'm older than dirt and "negro" was how a non-racist referred to an African American.

The United Negro College Fund still uses it in it's name.

It is not an offensive word IMHO,just a rather dated word.

[Ned_Devine]

46. Do you call your black friends "negros"?

[Ned_Devine]

76. When it;'s used in Rush's context, it's offensive

How many friends of color do you think that cat has?

[iamthebandfanman]

99. its not the word itself

its the context

i do believe :b

[kskiska]

73. Tell that to the United Negro College Fund

[youthere]

91. Well, in Limbaugh's defense...

he HAS been on a lot of meds lately...:hide:

[Ned_Devine]

92. When he got thin, was he doing cocaine?

[shadowknows69]

3. Rush earns someone more money?

the bottom line is usually the bottom line.

[Connie_Corleone]

5. He wasn't the one who started the "Obama, the Magic Negro"

I'm not defending the windbag, but some idiot wrote an article calling Obama the Magic Negro. That's where Limbaugh's parody song comes from.

[TwilightGardener]

10. Right--unfortunately, it was an LA Times article--gave Limbaugh all

the ammo he needed, and he took it and ran, and doesn't get the racist-charge blowback from it. He is despicable.

[Ganja Ninja]

7. That's why Imus needs to be held to account.

If Imus isn't held to account then the next time a Limbaugh or Beck or Boortz type pulls this crap they'll say "look what Imus said and he's still got a job". It has to start somewhere and no better time than the present. Just because these ass clowns have gotten away with it in the past is no reason to allow it to go on.

[Ned_Devine]

14. By that account, Imus could say the same thing

Just because it was written in the LA Times, suddenly Rush can play a parody song and it's OK?

[Ganja Ninja]

25. Did I say it was OK?

I said you have to start somewhere. Imus is the most recent and the one in the press right now. Hold him to account now. Also Imus is picking on innocent young women for no other reason then their looks. Rush's parody is pointed at a public figure. I don't condone it. You're not going to get all of them fired at the same time but if you want to try and get Rush fired by all means be my guest.

[peacetalksforall]

79. I agree with a slight addition. Imus went after females first, then

the race.

Then, topped it off by calling the athletes on the other team 'cute'.

My point is - this would probably have NEVER been said by them if the players were male (for a variety of reasons).

[Rosemary2205]

8. You guys crack me up (in a sick way)

there was jim crow long before Rosa Parks - why all the outrage then? Lets just keep quiet and mind our "place". :sarcasm:


These fucking racist gasbags are given plenty of tolerance and forgiveness, time and time again. We keep giving them more rope - instead of swimming to shore they choose to hang themselves with it.

Or would you like the "last straw" analogy instead?

[stanwyck]

45. Total agreement, Rose

the constant "well, he said it first" playground excuse should just be SO BELOW any DUer. Yet, it's pervasive here. I'm getting very frustrated with the apologists for this racist.

[femmedem]

9. It's all worthy of outrage, but here's why I think it happened now:

The Rutgers players weren't public figures. No one was predisposed to hate them based on the team's political views or ideologies. They were the Cinderella team, and many of Imus's listeners were fans.

Here on DU, people who claim they aren't prejudiced against transgendered folks say, "Ann The Man." IMO, that's hate speech. But apparently people feel free to do it because everyone here already hates Coulter.

Edit because I was trying to type faster than my fingers would allow.

[librechik]

13. Obama is a public figure and is expected to take hits

the girls on the team are just innocent little girls.

[INdemo]

15. Its payback time for Imus

From what little time I have watched Imus, there were various times that Imus has "bashed" Bush for his Iraq war strategy but most of the time he seems to be alaigned with the right wing nuts..I guess it depends on the script he gets.So maybe this is all payback from the right wing nuts to remind him that he should stay in line with the right wing approved talking points..

[peacetalksforall]

81. Are you kidding? If it's payback and I'm calling for shutting down

the show once and for all, does that mean I'm helping the Repbulicans 'pay him back'? I don't do anything for Republican except listen to them time and time again expecting they to tell the truth, expecting to hear the truth. And it never happens. I wouldn't help them carry out a scheme like that.

[phaseolus]

16. Possibly because no one pays attention to Limbaugh any more...

...well, not like they used to. His ratings are way down from what they had been at their peak, and his brand of conservatism - hell, any brand of conservatism - is unfashionable these days.

I read the Ehrenstein op-ed in the LA Times, and it wasn't a hit piece. Obama's my guy, and nothing made my blood boil. Ehrenstein -- an African-American by the way -- is an entertainment writer who was comparing Obama to pop culture archetypes. I can't blame him. Limbaugh's the dickhead here, just as we'd expect.

[Ned_Devine]

90. Limbaugh is just as well known...he just doesn't have Democrats on his show

[yurbud]

17. Limbaugh was fired from sportscasting for saying quarterback was affirmative action hire

But his radio gig is protected because he is there to get out the GOP talking points, which are sometimes racist, like the far more offensive crap about blacks dying in New Orleans because they were too stupid and lazy to leave, then they couldn't be rescued because they were shooting at their rescuers and too busy raping and looting anyway.

That talking point even made Fox's Shephard Smith mad at Sean Hannity.

You don't get fired for doing your job.

[Redbear]

18. So Rush is a racist scumbag? Who knew? n/t

[LynneSin]

19. Limbaugh isn't doing a show on mainstream cable news

MSNBC does not carry Limbaugh on their channel - people who know Limbaugh expect that kind of crap talk because they probably do it too.

When Limbaugh finally got a primetime gig (ESPN hired him for a football comentator a few years ago) he totally fucked up with his comments about Donovan McNabb, the very talented QB from the Philadelphia Eagles who just happens to be African-American. Oxyrush lost his ESPN job immediately afterwards

[lpbk2713]

20. Limbaugh also said very recently

that he still sees nothing wrong with the on-air comments he made about Donovan McNabb a few years ago.

He said words to the effect that McNabb was basically just an average athlete but he was given the starting quarterback job because he was a "token negro" the NFL wanted to put in the game.

And McNabb, by the way, went on to show after those remarks were aired by asshole OxyRush that he was much better than average.

[Ned_Devine]

23. Thta rush pic in the corner is spooky! Can I have one?

[lpbk2713]

42. Be my guest.

:thumbsup:

[JayR]

21. Maher said it best: false outrage.

That is all.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Beaverhausen]

24. I don't see many white males who get what is wrong with what Imus said

DUers excepted, of course.

But all these white men who see nothing wrong with what he said make me sick.

[bunkerbuster1]

29. Oh, they get that it was insulting, I think

But too many white American males wimp out and try to spread the blame around, as evidenced by the "but black rappers!" meme being trotted out the last day or so.

It's a matter of degree. I think a lot of white males don't see the basketball players as being vulnerable or emotional at the time this insult was being hurled, and those men will be prime candidates for right wing ass-hats who'll manage to blame the victims for being, well, victims.

[Bluebear]

32. And it's disgraceful. nt

[Beaverhausen]

40. I happened to hear a bit of Ed Schultz' show last night. not one woman called in...

...to voice an opinion. What I heard was all men, and I think they were mostly white although there was no way to know.

I was screaming at the radio - how dare they decide that those women shouldn't be insulted by Imus' comments? God, what is wrong with people??????

[bunkerbuster1]

67. That is pretty disgraceful. Not one female caller?

Jeez, even Hannity manages to get a token self-loathing woman as a call-in monkey now and again. For this issue, particularly, it's inexcusable if Ed couldn't tell the screener to put some female voices on the air.

[Warren DeMontague]

56. Maher is right about a lot of things, dead wrong on others. (Just like the Libertarians)

This, he's wrong on.

[Dave From Canada]

94. Yeah, maybe they should fire him too, hell, let's all fire everyone who says anything we find

offensive or in disagreement!!!!!!!!!! Fuck them all with rusty chainsaws. :eyes:

[Bluebear]

31. Then you won't mind if I don't welcome you here

That is all.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bluebear]

36. Yeah, you "pretent".... why can't you people ever spell?

[Ned_Devine]

44. maybe JayR doesn't want any pretensein the conversation?

spellin'z trikkee stuph!

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bluebear]

52. :yawn:

[Name removed]

65. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bluebear]

43. "Pretent": What you do before camping?

[Ganja Ninja]

48. This isn't false outrage it's the pot boiling over.

It's the culmination of years of right wing buffoonery on the airwaves. It's people across America that are sick and tired of real American values like civil rights and equality being mocked and treated like they're radical and extremist points of view by right wing assholes.

[Bluebear]

53. Thank you. nt

[LanternWaste]

72. Usually when one says, "That is all", it means...

Did he say that his own outrage is false? If so, he may be right.

However, if he said that all the outrage was false, then he was simply trying to score another cheap shot.

Usually when one says, "That is all", it means, "that is all I want to hear..."

[peacetalksforall]

82. False outrage about Imus or Rush? If Imus - you and Maher don't

speak for me. I don't give a darn about Rush. He doesn't exist in my world. I do care about what corproations are doing by smearing - the words did not come out of Dan Abrams mouth or wheover their next guy up is and it didn't come directly out of the mouth of the CEO or CFO of GE, but it came from them by supporting this programs that smears over and over again.

[Warren DeMontague]

87. Don't forget your hat.

Asshat.

[SNAKE MAN]

27. What about the "RAP" music???

Most of the rappers, white and black are always using hate words in their music. Seems no one notices them.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

28. What about it?

Rap music is an art form, covered by poetic license.

Rappers aren't actually racist.

[Critters2]

105. They are actually misogynist. nt

[Ned_Devine]

30. The hate speech in rap lyrics isn't played on the airwaves...

radio stations play the edited versions. The album versions contain the explicit lyrics. Doesn't make it right, but I think blaming the music is somewhat of a red herring. These white men that dominate our airwaves know better

[Connie_Corleone]

34. There are different types of "RAP" music.

Which form are you talking about? Or maybe you're ignorant to the fact that there are different forms.

[Beaverhausen]

35. When rappers get shows on mainstream news networks, then we will talk

otherwise, you are comparing apples and oranges.

[Name removed]

38. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bluebear]

41. 'Seems no one notices them.'

Well, you noticed. What are you doing about it?

[phaseolus]

57. It's like this --

I can make fun of myself for being an ugly old bald man.

You make fun of me for being an ugly old bald guy, and I break your nose.

[Critters2]

106. But men can call women "bitches" and "ho's". Why is that? nt

[KingFlorez]

61. That's a ridiculous argument

That's like saying because one person does something, it's okay for another to do it. That's not even a logical or coherent argument.

[americanstranger]

63. Late to the party, son.

That straw man has been thoroughly chewed on already. But thanks anyway.

- as

[mzmolly]

97. Actually both Sharpton and Jackson have noted that Rap music must also be examined.

And, I agree. However misogyny/racism isn't limited to one musical genre.

Welcome to DU. :hi:

[Warren DeMontague]

49. Fine, fire them all. Imus, Beck, Limbaugh, Coulter.

Public Discourse in this country has become a hollow sewer filled with right-wing, bile spewing asshole idiots. You know, I can't stand George Will, but at least he's got a brain.

[Beaverhausen]

55. Limbaugh was fired from ESPN, Savage was fired from MSNBC

At least some of the bigger networks won't put up with their crap.

[Warren DeMontague]

60. It would seem Glenn Beck can say anything, and CNN won't fire him.

Strange to think of MSNBC as the "good network", but there you go.

[Beaverhausen]

66. Well, give Beck time- I'm sure he will break the camel's back soon enough

and any network that has Keith Olbermann (MSNBC) is OK with me!

[Warren DeMontague]

86. I dunno. Beck already fantasized on air about killing Michael Moore, ha ha.

Not sure what else he has to do.

I gave up on cable "Newz" pretty much entirely during the 2004 election and haven't gone back, except for KO... who, I agree, is the bright shining exception.

[guitar man]

50. considering that 99% of his audience

is a bunch of rednecks with single digit IQs, I don't imagine there would be a whole lot of outrage generated among that crowd by this :shrug:

[Gen. Jack D. Ripper]

62. Exactly. His audience isn't going away, and so, neither will he

[Cha]

51. There was "outrage" on the net..

It's the coporporatewhore pressbitches who thought it was so fucking funny.

[David Zephyr]

54. You are correct. And they are "public airwaves". Rush should be removed from the air.

Period.

[BuyingThyme]

58. People expect politicians to be attacked. They don't expect

people with names and faces to be taken down a notch simply because they're black women who dared to be the best they can be.

Now, is that so hard to understand?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

59. I don't listen to Limbaugh.

However, if you've got a list of his advertisers, I'd be happy not to give them my patronage anymore.

[Neecy]

64. he's doing his job...

It's in the interest of the profiteers and pirates who run our corporations to keep us divided, angry, and distracted.

Attention is being paid to their huge CEO salaries? Go ballistic over Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria. Outsourcing? Talk about how the Democrats are 'hurting the troops'. Outrageous gas prices? "Barack the Magic Negro". And so on. The fat man's hold on the GOP base is a precious commodity to the powers that be, and that's why he's untouchable. He's propping up the whole corrupt system and he could have called the Rutger's team much, much worse and gotten away with it.

[Catherine Vincent]

68. His audience likes that kind of garbage.

Rush speaks for them.

[King Coal]

69. Or what about Charlie Daniels singing:

"Oh, the house next door to me's been sold to N-words." Where is that outrage?

[theboss]

84. I'm 99.9 percent sure Charlie Daniels never sang that

I know David Allen Coe has written some nasty stuff and has been accused of being that guy. (I know the song from Howard Stern). But I don't think anyone knows who wrote it.

I can't believe Charlie Daniels ever sang it.

[Ned_Devine]

70. I haven't posted on DU in over a year...thanks for the response!

[Ned_Devine]

88. I didn't know this would garner such a response

Over on C&L, no one ever responds to my comments. I missed DU

[LanternWaste]

71. as calm as the seas may appear....

From where I sit, that's much like asking, "Hitler said a pretty bad thing about my Mom. Where's the outrage?"

In that, I mean there is such a breadth and depth to our collective outrage over what Limbaugh says, that it may seem to you to merely coalesce into simple distaste.

But bear in mind that as calm as the seas may appear on the surface, the currents underneath are very strong and very contentious.

[KharmaTrain]

74. Is There Audio Of This??

Might be a good time to compile some of the "best of" Rushbo and the other hate hyenas out there and get those into the public domain a little. Surely Crooks & Liars would link to this audio and others could get it spread around.

The light needs to be shined on the hatred and demeaning nature of radio...and how its supported by a large corporate structure that profits from this bile. Many people have no idea how bad things have gotten on our public airwaves...now's time to bring this crap to the top and work toward repealing or drastically revising Telcom '96.

[Ned_Devine]

75. Probably...It was just a few weeks ago

[Karenina]

80. THE POWER OF NOW!!!!

NOW... there's an opportunity to pluck the low-hanging rotten fruit
NOW... there's a chance to send a chill up the spines of those who have banked on hatred as their stock and trade.
NOW... there's a chance to demonstrate the power of the people
NOW... there's an opportunity for Americans to show the ROTW that they "get it"
NOW... there's a chance to let TPTB know you're taking back your airwaves.

[Imagevision]

89. Without a doubt, Limbaugh must be called on his, "right to freedom of speech bullshit!

[Contrary1]

93. Here's the audio...

Someone else can listen to it and report back.

After hearing this, I couldn't take any more of the fat puke running his mouth.

"...Now he's the 'Magic Negro,' which is a convenient trick for the L.A. Times to blame a bunch of white people for being racist. OK. Let's find out who the -- just get an auction block and grab as many blacks as you want to put them up there and let's start the sales, L.A. Times, and let's see who it is that fetches the highest prices. Isn't that essentially the way they're approaching this?"

http://mediamatters.org/items/200703200012

[Ned_Devine]

96. Sounds to me...

like he was just looking for an excuse to keep saying it over and over and over. If he was actually offended by the term, he wouldn't have said it at all. What a fucking jerk. His voice sickens me...the way he tries to over-accentuate words to sound all high and mighty.

[Buzz Clik]

98. bullshit thread. More flamebait.

[spooky3]

100. So, what happened when you wrote him to express your concerns?

[Ned_Devine]

102. I didn't write....

I just heard the full audio. He covered his ass by blaming the idiot that wrote the article in the LA Times

[endarkenment]

101. Yes there is quite a lot to be outraged about.

Bringing down lush would be a fine day.

[renie408]

103. Do you sing that to Puff the Magic Dragon? n/t

[Ned_Devine]

104. that's how the song went

[Daedelus76]

107. Limbaugh didn't write/create it

It's a legitimate parody. It's supossed to be Al Sharpton singing the song and complaining about Barak Obama being inauthentic, then finally breaking down and admitting he (Sharpton) is irrelevent.

"Magic Negro" is indeed a film critic term, used by some people to describe supporting black characters that help out a white character. Roger Egbert has notice this phenomenon way before, starting around the time of The Matrix (you could consider Morpheus a "Magic Negro"), but he doesn't think it's necessarily racist. It's just a cultural evolution of white atitudes towards blacks, that's what he thinks.

[Ned_Devine]

108. It's 2007. Can't they give it a better name than "magic negro"?

[Daedelus76]

109. "negro" may be archaic

but it's not considered an epithet- it's still part of the name of a black civil rights group. "Magical Negro" is apparrently at least a 40 year old term, too.

You could start a whole thread debating the merits of "Magical African-American Friends" in films. Personally, I don't see how it's offensive, beyond the fact that most "Magical Negros" often don't have alot of depth as characters, they have supporting roles. It's not exclusive to African-Americans, either. The outsider stepping in to help the protagonist overcome an obstacle is common in many kinds of stories. If it's bad for blacks to be playing magical friends and mentors with unique insight, it's even worse for Asian-Americans, who pretty much are relegated to one genre- martial arts action. Take "The Karate Kid" for instance... and most of the time they don't get to be teachers, they get to be villains or mindless action stars. At least "Magical Negroes" have been in dramas, action films, romances, comedies, etc.

Some people have said Barak Obama is doing so well because he's not threatening (he's "clean" and "articulate"), yet has the outsider appeal, that appeals to people. And I agree that he fits with the mold of the "Magic Negro". But it also really doesn't discredit Obama as a politician. It's like Bill Clinton having the whole "Bubba" thing going for him, did not detract from his ability to handle complex things like foreign policy. But his detractors use of the term "magical Negro" also is being used to discredit Obama as well, implying he has no more real substance beyond his image as an outsider with words of wisdom for suppossedly guilt-ridden white people. And I think that's dead wrong.