A great post from MediaMatters on Rush and his racist song

I just heard this thing coming back from lunch and I had to look it up. I won't even post the title of the song it is that bad.

I looked all over for some explanation of its origins and found little but there seems to be (no accident I am sure) an internet Rumor that it is Al Sharpton himself singing it. That never even crossed my mind since I have paid attention and know what Sharpton sounds like. The voice on the song is, no accident again, overly stereotypical.

Seems that Rush is having himself a little chuckle by airing racist trash on the radio and using a, ONE LA Times editorial as cover.

Here is the editorial
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,5335087.story?coll=la-opinion-center



Here is the fantastic analysis of the whole thing

http://mediamatters.org/items/200703200012
Wow, Rush! Are you surprised that you found an LA Times editorialist who is only slightly less racist than you are?

The "Magic Negro" is a denigrating term for a two dimensional character so often used in film stories. He is never allowed to be a "real" person with fears, weaknesses, psychological complexities or even much of a personal history. He has counter parts in the "Magic Asian Master" and the "Magic Gay Man".

If you wish to see a form rebellion against the "Magic Negro", watch films in which Denzel Washington wanted to be a part. He's made a career out of avoiding playing the "Magic Negro", routinely choosing instead rather complex characters, some with extraordinary personal flaws like homophobia, alcoholism and even sublimated socipathology.

Ehrenstein, of course, confuses film story lines with real life. What he perceives to be some sort of "mystification" of Barack Obama is racist in its perception already. Obama is not an angry, black man shouting colorful speeches about civil rights. He's a polished son of academia who rose to the position of United States Senator - not social issue gadfly.

As Chris Rock would mock about what was so often coined about Colin Powell "What do you EXPECT the man to sound like???"

It's Ehrenstein who has the problem of seeing Barack Obama as "real", not the Dem voters supportive of his candidacy.

And here you come, Rush, gleefully happy that someone you think is "on the left" (BTW, Would that be because of Ehrenstein's previous columns, his paper or his surname? Perhaps all three?), legitimizing your repeat of "Magic Negro" like a three year old who has learned a new "bad word" to gain attention from his parents.

You and your grazing herd will never quite understand the CRITIQUE inherent in the creation of the "Magic Negro" character in story lines and how inherently OFFENSIVE a character he is. All you want is the legitimacy to scream what you think is an offensive, racism term - because you needed some "leftist" permission to do so.

So scream it all you want to your beer-swilling, dashboard fist pounding, insecure legions. Barack Obama and his supporters aren't paying attention to either YOU or the soft bigotry contained in Ehrenstein's column.

Those who pay attention to racist stereotypes in American media were already well aware that "Hollywood" ain't exactly a factory in which true social equality dreams are made. Only you people look to "Hollywood" as some representation of "liberal" thought.

Are you SURE it's not about the surnames, Rush?

where Lt. Fuzz tells Lt. Flap that his kind are great athletes. Flap's answer was that he loved watermelon and fried chicken--with a disgusted look on his face.

The minstrel performance leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. We KNOW where that asshole is coming from. Yet the FIRST I heard the mainstream media mention it was on Olbermann last night.

I was astounded that there was no "backlash" against Rush, like there was against Imus.

Why not? I wondered. What's the difference? Why one, and not the other?

Here's what I came up with: Rush is PRO WAR, Imus was ANTI WAR.

People who haven't HEARD the clip need to click your link. It's, well, appalling. And of course, deliberate. And gleeful. And unrepentant. And LONG. He doesn't just use the term, he SINGS.

Just remember, this is NOT NEWS. It happened back in MARCH. We're coming up on May pretty soon.
And why no outrage? Why, the CORPORATE MEDIA won't fan the flames, will they? They won't let anyone go on TV to gripe about it. You can only complain about the Imus insults, or the Rosie Ching Chang Chongs, on national TV.

If it ain't on TV, it didn't happen. Rush never said this, hardly....because only Olbermann covered it.