Is this a racist comment?

Blacks criticize fried chicken comment
By
Don Bishop
@ March 25, 2010 6:58 AM Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Legislative Black Caucus is criticizing Sen. Randy Brogdon for a remark he made about fried chicken during a debate on federal health care legislation supported by President Barack Obama.

Caucus chairman Rep. Jabar Shumate of Tulsa Wednesday called on Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee to admonish Brogdon. Shumate says Brogdon's comment is part of a pattern of disrespectful and inflammatory actions and statements.

Brogdon, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, made the comment Tuesday during debate on whether the state should try to opt out of parts of the health care bill.

He said Congress has no more authority to tell Oklahomans where to buy health insurance than it does to tell them where to buy a fried chicken dinner.

http://krmg.com/localnews/2010/03/blacks-criticize-fried-chicken.html?cxntlid=cmg_cntnt_rss

It would have been a debate about original recipe or extra crispy.

I have decided on a standard for these obfuscated cases.

Not all references to fried chicken are racist.

Not all references to watermelons are racist.

However, if anyone ever refers to fried chicken and watermelon together, and they are not checking the inventory of a picnic, they are probably racists making a racist comment.

Black man in charge. Black man tells us to buy something. This is like black man telling us we have to buy or do something that blacks are 'known' to use or do.
Yep. Veiled but there.
I don't know why, but I am very sensitive on things like this. Maybe overly so.

nothing about who must provide the insurance.

Less than 8% of OK is black, and since it was a debate he was presumably speaking to all Okies (is *that* offensive) and telling a mostly white electorate that the feds can't tell you where to buy your fried chicken.

Ethnographic questions: is OK known for fried chicken? Do Oklahomans love fried chicken? Is it just a really popular food that he was using as an example?

If it is racist, isn't it just as racist to assume fried chicken is "black" food? I'm white and love fried chicken. Notwithstanding historical linkages, why does one have to be equated with the other in OK?

It is not necessarily a racist comment.

the racists are the ones trying to attribute this to racists. What a joke.

and I really don't see it in this statement.

Just like when someone says "I'm not prejudiced or anything but..". You know the next words out of their mouth will remove all doubt.

and I was curious.

nothing to do with believing one race or ethnic group is inherently better or worse than another.

He could have said fried fish, fried potatoes, etc....

and I don't think we are quite there yet.

Actually, it reminds me of the time Keith Olbermann's sworn enemies tried to pin HIM with racism because of a commentary he was doing on "Football Night in America." He was talking over highlights of Roscoe Parrish returning a punt or something and he said something like "And Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles comes through." Of course, just as he and Dan Patrick always used to do on SportsCenter, he was making a joke based on Parrish's name, but of course his political enemies pounced on it to attempt to imply he made a reference to chicken and waffles because Parrish is black, and therefore he was being racist. No, he made a reference to chicken and waffles because Parrish's name is ROSCOE, you dimtwits--and you KNOW it, but you're reaching anyway in hopes we'll fall for it. Jeez.

Much depends on context in this world. It really does. That's why every time the GOP gets caught saying something truly stupid they cry "I was taken out of context!" It's rarely true, but in this case, I really think there is no context to construe racism out of this.

So contextual. You have to admit, if he had said a Big Mac, there would have been no story.

On balance, I just think we have low levels of sensitivity at times.

I don't think it was intended to be.

it's not clear. If he is being accused of racism, it's probably due to his tone and his previous actions. He may have also been staring at the blacks in the room when he said it.

Listen real close at the 1:40-1:43 mark and you'll hear a guy in a sing type voice say here comes the n****r. It's not loud and he doesn't yell it. I put my ear right on my speaker and I heard it---tell me if you hear it too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7wYt9jee2U

...are really just poor Southern stereotypes.

I am from the mountains of North Georgia (Rome) and I love nothing more than Fried Chicken (poor folk buy the whole bird and cut up parts), watermelon (cheap and grows easily), collard\mustard\turnip greens and all the other 'black' foods.

Some folks (like Fuzzy Zoeller) still use this imagery to demean black folks, but Southern folk know the truth. Fried Chicken, Collard greens and watermelon make a damn fine meal.

He was referring to Congress, not anyone in particular...