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BET, MTV worse than O’Reilly bit
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Also by Gerald Cox:
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Bill O'Reilly is being called a racist again. Surprised? Probably not.
The left-leaning watchdog group Media Matters has slammed some of O'Reilly's recent comments on his show as racist, and bloggers and columnists nationwide have pointed to his recent commentary as yet another incident in a long line of O'Reilly bigotry. The furor over these comments, and others like them, is an overreaction we are seeing all too often in the uncomfortable discourse that is still taking place on race. Further, it's a distraction, because, black America, we've got bigger fish to fry.
While explaining his dining experience at Sylvia's, a famous black-owned restaurant in Harlem, O'Reilly opined that "there was no difference between Sylvia’s restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it’s run by blacks, [and has] primarily black patronship." Mr. O'Reilly waded further into familiarly controversial territory by stating that, "There wasn’t one person in Sylvia’s who was screaming, ‘M-Fer, I want more iced tea.'"
Patronizing comments are a terrible thing when done to a race, and some would argue it's worse than wearing racism on your sleeve. If Mr. O'Reilly was indeed patronizing an entire ethnicity, I'd say he's in a pretty tough spot. If Mr. O'Reilly truly meant to say that he expected Sylvia's blacks to act as if they were in a Nelly or Ludacris music video, then Media Matters can attest to yet another victory in its tireless campaign to ensure that no one anywhere, anytime, ever says anything inappropriate.
If Mr. O'Reilly, that champion of the conservative cause, was indeed having a "you-speak-surprisingly-well-for-an-African-American" moment, then crucify him. But what if he wasn't being patronizing?
What if we are crucifying Mr. O'Reilly — again — for having a frank and candid discussion about race and the kind of stereotypes harbored about blacks? What if his comments weren't admissions of deep-rooted ideas about blacks, but a tongue-in-cheek commentary on society's expectations of black behavior?
Could it be that Mr. O'Reilly was trying to invoke the sort of tendentious image of blackness that is harbored by many in an attempt to challenge it?
Or perhaps O'Reilly was admitting that he, like so many, has formed his opinion of what is and isn't black from the most visible of images.
Shamefully, the black image is too often presented as the sort of debauched filth propagated by your boy 50 Cent or the ostensibly harmless hilarity of a Dave Chappelle skit. To my breathless surprise, a young lady once called me a "nigger" with the biggest and most natural of smiles I'd ever seen someone have while calling someone an incredible racial slur. She didn't know any better; I was the first black person she had met. To her, the n-word was an acceptable way of referring to a black male, as evidenced from the image of black that BET, MTV, Mr. Chappelle and the rest had so meticulously crafted for her entertainment.
I try not to despise men like Mr. Chappelle: men who profit from a show that would never be aired for its racism, were it not for the fact that its existence was due to the efforts of a black American. His intentions were, ostensibly, sincere. Yet the results of his efforts and other black entertainers have been incredibly damaging to what others perceive us to be.
But that does not concern me. To judge a group of people by those of its members who attract the most camera time is folly. Were I to judge Anglo-Saxons by the misbehaviors of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, I would have a fairly inaccurate and salacious image of whites. I'm not too concerned if a few suburban kids can't bother to figure out that there is more to an ethnic group than the few images they see on MTV.
I'm more concerned that we, as blacks, seem to believe the spin that has been spun by Mr. Chappelle, Nelly, Snoop, and BET. "The Chappelle Show" does more damage than a misconstrued Bill O'Reilly comment to what black Americans think of themselves, and what others think of black Americans, because "The Chappelle Show" is the brainchild of a black American.
I don't buy that Mr. O'Reilly was genuinely surprised that a large group of blacks was well-behaved. I don't buy that he was, in this instance, evincing a racist and bigoted set of core values. If he were a comedian, rapper or entertainer, this mini-stir would never have occurred. But don't be too concerned about whether or not Mr. O'Reilly's comments were racist or not.
For we won't hear the last of the image he invoked until we stop believing in it and propagating it ourselves.
Gerald Cox (gcox@wisc.edu) is a senior majoring in economics.
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I just believe that until black people deserve the respect they want, no one will give it. What I am saying is, rappers glorify the thugs, low-life bandits who instead of having a job and working hard for their lives to improve, they simply latch onto society and live of welfare and stealing from other people.
White, brow or yellow, they don't have fault at calling black the very things they are advertised to be. After all, look at the Memory of Rick James, no longer was he a musician, but instead just an ego-centric bastard with a drug problem, right Mr. Chappelle?
If no one can tell if Bill O' Reilly was being genuinely racist, then the only sensible thing for them to do is to SHUT THE F&*% UP!!!!!
As an African American female, I believe much of this attention on the black community and "rap" is a form of self hatred. It is another way that we tell our community that we are not good enough, we don't have good values. But my perspective is different. We are missing the forest for the trees. Our community needs less critisism and long conversations from politicians or rappers more ACTION from those same people to provide solutions. These solutions begin by putting resources in our community. MORE education, more jobs. Our communites do not know about how to accumulate wealth, they are not knowledgeable about careers that will substain them for a lifetime. Few people address the reasons why blacks don't get married or have children out of wedlock. Mostly it extends from the burden that our communites are under. We work hard to make ends meet. That additional stress of living at proverty or below is enough to strain any marriage and offer little hope. Secondly many black man are in prison. This also needs to be addressed. The justice system has so many black young men that move from the juvenille system to the adult system. These are the issues that need to be addressed as opposed to stupid insults from people in the media that most black people do not know about anyway. Our community does have many of those things that rappers and comedians speak of, but we are not only those things.
JUST MY 2 CENTS.
"These solutions begin by putting resources in our community. MORE education, more jobs."
What more resources do you need than the brain God put between your ears?
The brain "God" put between your ears will not always counter the bias that is inherent in the system.
How can you possibly write an article like this after having condemned Don Imus for his "nappy-headed hos" comment that was OBVIOUSLY a joke? You read all the racist innuendo in the world into that, but you read biting social commentary into Bill O'Reilly's comments? You must be crazy.
Your brain should be able to overcome the bias.
Gerald, your intentions may be well-placed, but what you fail to realize is that opinions like this one only encourage negative attitudes toward blacks. The very comments on this board reflect that. If even a black guy is saying these types of things about his own people, its not hard to imagine ignorant white people taking comfort in your words.
What you also fail to recognize is that it is social inequality, racism and lack of opportunity that encourage the very negative cultural traits of the black community which you are so intent on focusing.
"What more resources do you need than the brain God put between your ears?"
-You obviously have not been utilizing either of these things because either you have not paid attention to shameful history of country's treatment of people of color, or are too dense to connect the dots and realize the true complexity of inequality in the United States today. Our country has continued to become more segregated, and in addition to this the victories of the civil rights movement such as the demand in Brown II that desegregation occur "with all deliberate speed" have been robbed of the tools to do so in recent court decisions. I'm sure you put some effort into getting into this University , but you would be lying to yourself to believe that your status in society directly related to the work you put into it. Someone growing up in a poor black community would have to fight through much more to reach a place such as UW Madison. Whites, including myself, cannot deny that privliged position we hold is related to the oppression of other groups in the past and present.
How come we can get no press for the "Enough Is Enough" campaign? Where is the press? The are quick to cover OJ, Jesse & Al....all divisive people.
http://www.todaysdrum.com/index.cfm?Event=ViewArticle&ArticleId=545BDF32-15C5-EA6D-3401EE1568AD1182
11:25, A few simple questions:
Why are you defending the very industry that calls your grandfather, your father, your brother, ect a nigger?
Why would you want people who cheated the system to be the role models for the young black community today?
Wouldn't you prefer that they learn how to make it in this world the right way rahter than saying "F*** school I'm gonna be a rapper, get me some hoes, and drink all the Crystal I want?"
Last question, since you are an African-American female (as am I) wouldn't you want to be the role model for these kids?
No one person can reach all the kids that are in poor ideal living situatios, but look at from a differnt view: In the US the numbers for African-Americans attending college is increasing (slowly but it is increasing. We can take it to a smaller scale, look at UW if African-Americans are serious about wanting to change the community they would get their degrees and go back to hometowns and start the change there. With students from all parts of the country attending UW we can start the change by being professionals in a field that brings honor to the black community. Money is what it all it comes down to eh, that rappers can afford to donate that kind of money, well so can college graduates. Instead of having a huge check displayed reading donated by "Lil Mama" or "Chamillionaire" they can read "From the law offcies of _____" or "From Dr. _____." These are the kind of role models that are needed in the neighborhoods. So instead of defending someone who degrades women and men alike, you should look at yourslef and say "I'm the difference make for those kids."
Gerald,
loved the column!