Is the Song "Barack the Magic Negroe" Racist?

[PureX]

Do you think if you had heard this song on Jib-Jab and not known it was from Limbaugh's show you would still think of it as racist?

There is no way to construe this song but as an insult.

 

[PureX]

Buttercup asks an excellent question, but to take it further, do you believe the article from the LA Times is poignant?

No. The article is ridiculous and foolish and is racist at it's core. There is no such thing as a "magic negro" except in the minds of racists, both black and white. The advent of a black skinned man becoming president means nothing to anyone but racists.

 

[PureX]

I think its funny. I doubt people would be declaring it was mean spirited and done out of hate if Al Franken had written it.

Al Franken would not have written it because he is smart enough to recognize hate-mongering for what it is.

I also disagree with you calling Rush Limbaugh a hate-monger.
If anything, he is a blimp with a hate-mongering sticker on it. A big round fat blimp. A lard filled Goodyear blimp dipped in lard.

His size is irrelevant. The fact that he is a hate-monger matters because unfortunately there are a lot of people among us who like to hate other people. It's a cheap and easy way to feel good about themselves without actually having to address and change their own flawed natures. Hate is unhealthy for both individuals and for society as a whole.

If you think Rush Limbaugh's hate-mongering is funny then I think you need to do some serious spiritual self-examination, and find out why you would enjoy listening to him denigrating others just to make himself feel better. We know why Rush does it: because it makes him rich and famous. And that's all Rush really cares about. But all his listeners get out of this charade is emotionally retarded.

 

[yossarian22]

Al Franken would not have written it because he is smart enough to recognize hate-mongering for what it is.

Yes, because writing a book called Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot is definitely not hate mongering. Nope not in the slightest.
It is a hilarious book though

His size is irrelevant.

Have you seen him? If you have, you definitely will not think his size is irrelevant.
They have to shift luggage around in planes to keep balanced. Super-tankers can use him as ballast.

The fact that he is a hate-monger matters because unfortunately there are a lot of people among us who like to hate other people.

I personally love to hate people. Doesn't matter who you are, where you're from...
:cover:
Good god, did I just quote some body band just now?

It's a cheap and easy way to feel good about themselves without actually having to address and change their own flawed natures.Hate is unhealthy for both individuals and for society as a whole.

Sounds like you hate hate. Hypocrisy?

If you think Rush Limbaugh's hate-mongering is funny then I think you need to do some serious spiritual self-examination,

Right-ho.
Where do I get in line?

and find out why you would enjoy listening to him denigrating others just to make himself feel better. We know why Rush does it: because it makes him rich and famous.

And making yourself feel better and getting paid for is wrong because?

And that's all Rush really cares about. But all his listeners get out of this charade is emotionally retarded.

This entire post of yours reeks of hypocrisy. You appear to be hate-mongering about Rush Limbaugh's hate mongering.

 

[Buttercup]

There is no way to construe this song but as an insult.

I can't help but wonder if Barrack himself would be as insulted as you are about the whole issue.

Are you this defensive about Bush songs?

 

[Buttercup]

PS....you realize this is a parody of Puff the Magic Dragon, right?

 

[PureX]

Yes, because writing a book called Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot is definitely not hate mongering. Nope not in the slightest.

No, it wasn't. He was using Limbaugh's methodology to make the point.

It is a hilarious book though

I have not read it, but the intent of the title is obvious, and I have heard him discuss it in the past.

Have you seen him? If you have, you definitely will not think his size is irrelevant.

How is his size relevant to anything we are discussing?

They have to shift luggage around in planes to keep balanced. Super-tankers can use him as ballast.

Do you enjoy telling these nasty lies about other people and their shortcomings? What do you get out of it?

I personally love to hate people. Doesn't matter who you are, where you're from...Sounds like you hate hate. Hypocrisy?

It's not hipocracy to label a hate-monger for the weak and mean-spirited parasite that he is.

And making yourself feel better and getting paid for is wrong because?

It's only wrong if you're doing it at the expense of other people. That makes you a parasite, as you have to tear others down to puff yourself up.

This entire post of yours reeks of hypocrisy. You appear to be hate-mongering about Rush Limbaugh's hate mongering.

Yeah, people who abuse others always see it that way. They always try and turn the tables so as to deflect the blame away from themselves.

 

[PureX]

I can't help but wonder if Barrack himself would be as insulted as you are about the whole issue.

Are you this defensive about Bush songs?

I am not aware of any Bush songs. And I'm not all that offended, either. I just choose to call this crap what it is.

 

[Buttercup]

I am not aware of any Bush songs.

Where the heck were you last election? Everybody was fair game.

And I'm not all that offended, either. I just choose to call this crap what it is.

Meh, I just read it again for the 5th time and I say it aint nothing. It's basically making fun of Obama for being educated, wealthy and not a gangsta. Not such a big deal. To each his own though.

 

[PureX]

Where the heck were you last election? Everybody was fair game. Meh, I just read it again for the 5th time and I say it aint nothing. It's basically making fun of Obama for being educated, wealthy and not a gangsta. Not such a big deal. To each his own though.

For me, the problem with this stuff is that it legitimizes such bad behavior. Every time we laugh at the schoolyard bullies as they try to humiliate someone besides us, we give them tacit approval. That's why I think we need to speak out and up against this kind of mean-spirited bullying.

I agree with you that an intelligent man like Barack Obama is not going to bother being offended by this kind of stupidity. I'm not especially offended by it, either. But I also don't want to give it ANY kind of tacit approval. I think it's important to call this crap what it is, and to tell the people who spew it and applaud it that they're emotionally retarded and really need to grow up.

 

[Buttercup]

I think it's important to call this crap what it is, and to tell the people who spew it and applaud it that they're emotionally retarded and really need to grow up.

Because I respect your opinion, I want to ask more questions to make sure I understand where you're coming from.

Does this type of lampooning bother you because Obama is black? Or do you simply not like making fun of anyone?

 

[Reverend Rick]

The person being made fun of is Reverend Albert Sharpton. When we are done killing the messenger, perhaps we should examine the intent of the song writer and not the disk jockey, no matter how much fun he had playing it over and over.

 

[yossarian22]

No, it wasn't. He was using Limbaugh's methodology to make the point.

So that justifies hate mongering?

How is his size relevant to anything we are discussing?

Because of how massive his size is.

Do you enjoy telling these nasty lies about other people and their shortcomings? What do you get out of it?

A warm bubbly feeling on the inside.

It's not hipocracy to label a hate-monger for the weak and mean-spirited parasite that he is.

So its okay to be hate mongering against hate mongers?
wait what?

It's only wrong if you're doing it at the expense of other people. That makes you a parasite, as you have to tear others down to puff yourself up.

And Rush Limbaugh's listeners are not people? I agree that Rush Limbaugh is not a person. i think he is a weather balloon in disguise.

Yeah, people who abuse others always see it that way. They always try and turn the tables so as to deflect the blame away from themselves.

So are we playing the blame game now?
I blame Communists.

 

[Mathematician]

I <3 representative government and class warfare.

 

[PureX]

Because I respect your opinion, I want to ask more questions to make sure I understand where you're coming from.

Does this type of lampooning bother you because Obama is black? Or do you simply not like making fun of anyone?

It's the classic difference between laughing with someone, and laughing at them. We all do and say silly and foolish things, sometimes. And it's good that we can laugh at ourselves and each other when we do these things. This kind of laughter tells us that we're OK and accepted even though we may have done some foolish things.

But laughing AT people is different. It's a deliberate attempt at making other people look foolish and feel bad, and to ostracize them, so that the people laughing at them can feel a sense of superiority and solidarity by comparison. It's a form of bullying, and of abuse. And it causes harm to people, not just those who are being scape-goated, but those who do the scape-goating as well. And it's particularly harmful when done on the grand social scale as someone like Limbaugh does it. Because on that scale it becomes a big message to all of society that such behavior is socially acceptable. And it should not be socially acceptable. Grown ups should be aware that as grown ups they have a responsibility to mind the health of the society in which they live. And this kind of behavior is very unhealthy for a society to be engaging in on a grand scale. It causes and even condones emotional retardation, and slander, and scape-goating, and the abuse of other people for a cheap personal thrill. And this IS NOT ACCEPTABLE behavior in a healthy society.

So as a grown up, I believe I have a responsibility to speak up against the behavior of people like Rush Limbaugh, and Howard Stern, and the others like them who purposely misbehave in public, for money. And when I encounter those who support them, I'll speak up then as well.

 

[Reverend Rick]

It's the classic difference between laughing with someone, and laughing at them. We all do and say silly and foolish things, sometimes. And it's good that we can laugh at ourselves and each other when we do these things. This kind of laughter tells us that we're OK and accepted even though we may have done some foolish things.

But laughing AT people is different. It's a deliberate attempt at making other people look foolish and feel bad, and to ostracize them, so that the people laughing at them can feel a sense of superiority and solidarity by comparison. It's a form of bullying, and of abuse. And it causes harm to people, not just those who are being scape-goated, but those who do the scape-goating as well. And it's particularly harmful when done on the grand social scale as someone like Limbaugh does it. Because on that scale it becomes a big message to all of society that such behavior is socially acceptable. And it should not be socially acceptable. Grown ups should be aware that as grown ups they have a responsibility to mind the health of the society in which they live. And this kind of behavior is very unhealthy for a society to be engaging in on a grand scale. It causes and even condones emotional retardation, and slander, and scape-goating, and the abuse of other people for a cheap personal thrill. And this IS NOT ACCEPTABLE behavior in a healthy society.

So as a grown up, I believe I have a responsibility to speak up against the behavior of people like Rush Limbaugh, and Howard Stern, and the others like them who purposely misbehave in public, for money. And when I encounter those who support them, I'll speak up then as well.

While I agree with you in spirit, (yes, I'm shocked too.) We have to tread lightly with censorship and the first amendment. Playing the song once and reading the words to the song which lampoons Sharpton makes a political point. Playing the song over and over shows a lack of good taste and decorum.

 

[Buttercup]

But laughing AT people is different. It's a deliberate attempt at making other people look foolish and feel bad, and to ostracize them, so that the people laughing at them can feel a sense of superiority and solidarity by comparison. It's a form of bullying, and of abuse. And it causes harm to people, not just those who are being scape-goated, but those who do the scape-goating as well. And it's particularly harmful when done on the grand social scale as someone like Limbaugh does it.

I agree with you for the most part but, don't you put politicians in a different category in regard to public scrutiny? People are frustrated with Bush so cartoons are drawn highlighting his stupidity and bad decision making, songs are written criticizing his lack of leadership skills and I've seen many pictures comparing his facial contortions to a chimp. Certainly you can't expect people to remain silent with their unhappiness? Satire and lampooning politicians has been done for 200 years. Why should we stop now? It's a relief mechanism for pent up frustration or simply an expression of freedom of speech. You must hate all the shots taken at Bush as well I assume?

So as a grown up, I believe I have a responsibility to speak up against the behavior of people like Rush Limbaugh, and Howard Stern, and the others like them who purposely misbehave in public, for money. And when I encounter those who support them, I'll speak up then as well.

Then you'd better start a form letter explaining the sensitivity you'd like all Americans to extol to every newspaper political cartoonist in the nation. There's going to be a lot of disappointed readers.

 

[Quiddity]

I don't think its racist, but I don't think it's in good taste either.

That's my thinking as well.

 

[PureX]

While I agree with you in spirit, (yes, I'm shocked too.) We have to tread lightly with censorship and the first amendment. Playing the song once and reading the words to the song which lampoons Sharpton makes a political point. Playing the song over and over shows a lack of good taste and decorum.

I'm not suggesting that we ban these people or their radio shows or anything. I'm suggesting that we simply stop listening to them, because they are stupid, mean-spirited, and socially and spiritually unhealthy.

 

[PureX]

I agree with you for the most part but, don't you put politicians in a different category in regard to public scrutiny? People are frustrated with Bush so cartoons are drawn highlighting his stupidity and bad decision making, songs are written criticizing his lack of leadership skills and I've seen many pictures comparing his facial contortions to a chimp. Certainly you can't expect people to remain silent with their unhappiness? Satire and lampooning politicians has been done for 200 years. Why should we stop now? It's a relief mechanism for pent up frustration or simply an expression of freedom of speech. You must hate all the shots taken at Bush as well I assume?

Yes, I do put public figures in a different category, and I do expect them to be lampooned and criticized far more often than the average person. But to attack Bush because he has big ears is very different from attacking Bush because he's a liar and a fool. As a public figure, Bush's being a liar and a fool matters, and effects us all. And we have a right to express our feelings about how these things effect us. But to attack Bush because he has big "donkey ears" is just stupid, untrue, and mean-spirited. So even with public figures, there is a line between legitimate criticism, and slander, bigotry, racism/sexism/etc., and just generally scape-goating them for personal pleasure.

Then you'd better start a form letter explaining the sensitivity you'd like all Americans to extol to every newspaper political cartoonist in the nation. There's going to be a lot of disappointed readers.

It's only a few of the less scrupulous folks in any of the media that sink to the level of slander I am referring to.