So, the Republican National Committee Chair candidate, Chris Saltsman, sends out a gift containing a parody about President-elect of the World, Barack Obama, written by a white guy, that insults black people based on a newspaper article making fun of white people written by a black (multi-racial?) guy, and the recently arrested Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, says the things he’s accused of are only illegal on the planet he must be from, and you do the hokey pokey…
Ah, yes, the Earth continues it’s comfortably wacky corkscrew spin on its now familiarly tilted axis, and all is right with the world. In March, 2007, L.A. Times columinist, David Ehrenstein wrote an article attempting to explain the inexplicable; why the hell was America so enamored of an unaccomplished, inexperienced junior Senator from Illinois? Ehrenstein deduced that Barack Obama’s non-threatening-ness was the key, that by embracing a traditional, “compliant darky” (Magic Negro) role, Obama has been able appease those whites irrationally afraid of the “urban myth” of violent, aggressive, beligerent blackness which has been exploited by both black and white media, allaying their baseless fears in much the same way happy, singing field hands, hapless, Jim Crow minstrels and Jack Benny’s Rochester did. While Ehrenstein limited his examination of Magic Negritude to more recent examples, American history is rife with fictional and fictionalized stories of powerful, often supernaturally so, black people only too happy and willing to subjugate themselves to the will of white people simply out of the goodness of their hearts. Women are often similarly depicted; powerful, sexy, dominant characters are regularly shown allowing themselves to be slapped around by tough guys in need of an ego boost; smart, talented, demure “librarians” toss their glasses and don their “Supergirl” sex appeal to save the hero stupid enough to get himself into trouble he’s incaple of escaping from; the “bad” girl takes a bullet to save the life of the “regular guy” whose only mission in life is to do the right thing. Where blacks are concerned, even people with “powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men” have no problem at all serving their genetically inferior/superior “masters.” From the “last guy to die” in “Night of the Living Dead,” to Louise Beavers’ character saving Cary Grant’s butt (If you ain’t eating Wham, you ain’t eating ham!) to Benson providing sanity to the Soap loonies, to Jackie Robinson unflinchingly taking cleats to the face for the good of the game, white America has cultivated an acceptable, yet mythical, black image some African Americans have adopted, adapted and exploited to their advantage in order to get along. However, all players are in on the game, most rational adults are well aware that most black people are a little more than somewhat unwilling to sing happy songs as we give our lives to protect our “benefactors” while in some subordinate service to good white folks. Yet, by cultivating a non-threatening, over-tolerant, unnaturally unflappable image, Barack Obama has been able to hypnotize a certain element of white society, allowing them to allay their own racial guilt in his name.
Enter the bigots with their, you said “nigger,” why can’t I?” logic, feigning innocence as they gleefully engage in Basic Bigotry 101. From the Washington Post:
Chip Saltsman, a candidate for chairman of the Republican National Committee, sent committee members this month a holiday music CD that included “Barack the Magic Negro,” a parody song first aired in 2007 by talk show host Rush Limbaugh.
Created by conservative satirist Paul Shanklin, the song puts new lyrics to the tune of “Puff the Magic Dragon,” and it is performed as if black activist Al Sharpton were singing it. Limbaugh played it after the Los Angeles Times ran an opinion piece with the same title.
It’s clear that Shanklin and Limbaugh are not making fun of the gullibility of white people willing to delude themselves into thinking that oppressed people will happily die to save their oppressors, as was Ehrenstein. Yet, the schoolyard-type, big baby cries of, “you started it!” are already being used to justify the deliberately offensive behavior. It’s below juvenile, childish rationalization, and like the prejudicial “parody” itself, should be beneath everyone associated with it. The fact that it’s not kind of proves Ehrenstein’s original point, racism is not only alive and well, it exists and thrives in many forms, and is exploited by all sorts of folks for their own twisted perceptions of advantage.
In our other example of illusionary truth masquerading as reality, Rod Blagojevich is proving not to be as easy to get rid of as some (previously mentioned, but currently unnamed) people might have wished. That could be because he’s not of our world. The governor, facing impeachment and criminal charges in relation to an alledged “pay to play” scam to sell Obama’s vacant Senate seat, says there’s two sides to this story, too:
“Even in this process, without saying too much, that was all about trying to end up with the right decision that could do the most things for the people of Illinois, and when the full truth is told, you will see precisely that,” Blagojevich said.
“If somehow that’s impeachable, then I’m on the wrong planet and I’m living in the wrong place,” he said.
Blago’s lawyer, Ed Genson, has asked the impeachment committee to subpeona the president elect and the two of his aides, Valerie Jarrett and Rahm Emanuel, who, along with him, were interviewed by authorities regarding his case. Since U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has asked the committee to hold off on pursuing anything relative to his case, expect that aspect of impeachment to peter out pretty quickly. And if Blags keeps crying from the wildnerness of his otherworld, alternate universe, where all Illinois politicians with the same benefactors are created, and treated, equal, expect to see the tansition team squirm, magic or no magic.
