Satire about Obama isn't the same as Imus' flub (Clarence likes the song)

Chicago Tribune ^ | May 9, 2007 | Clarence Page

[greedo]

Remember when media pundits were asking whether Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) was "black enough" to attract black voters? That was the old media narrative. The new one goes sort of like this: "Maybe he's too black."

Take, for example, his conservative adversaries, such as talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh, who seems to take gleeful delight in reminding everyone of how black Obama is -- and even more delight when the rest of us notice.

Back in mid-March, for example, el Rushbo began to air a satirical song titled, "Barack the Magic Negro."

He didn't make up the term. He hijacked it fair and square.

Columnist David Ehrenstein employed the term -- which dates to the film industry days before "Negroes" became "black" -- in a Los Angeles Times essay to describe Obama's soaring appeal to white voters.

Ehrenstein compared Obama's rapid rise in the public imagination to some of the roles that actors like Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman or Will Smith have played: the black hero who arises magically to "assuage white guilt."

Ehrenstein, who is black, described "white guilt" as "the minimal discomfort" that the white film characters feel about the role of slavery and racial segregation in American history.

Limbaugh, in the fashion of our times, chastised liberal "racism" for bringing up race in this fashion, then proceeded to air a song about it. Repeatedly. Sung to the tune of "Puff, the Magic Dragon" by voice impersonator Paul Shanklin,

~snip~

I may not be in sync with Limbaugh's politics, but the two cases are quite different. As satire, Limbaugh's song passes three critical tests that Imus' offhand comment flunked: (1) it's funny, (2) it took at least half of a brain to think up and (3) it contains a nugget of truth

[greedo]

[toddlintown]

I’ll give this to Clarence; he answers his e-mails, even when I think he’s way too liberal in some of his articles.

[toddlintown]

I’ll give this to Clarence; he answers his e-mails, even when I think he’s way too liberal in some of his articles.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

White guilt? Please. The reason I will NOT be voting for Barack Hussein Obama is because he’s an extreme LEFT WINGER. If his politics were conservative.....if he was a black Ronald Reagan.....he would most likely have my vote.

[sauropod]

Clarence is just as much a race hustler as Sharpton.

I’ve been watching him a long time.

[mainepatsfan]

I love at the end of the song when Sharpton just goes off on a diatribe.

[Rocko]

But, like most liberals, Clarence still does not understand Rush or his audience:

Funny thing: As a guy who builds audiences by inflaming political differences, Limbaugh has more in common with Sharpton than with Obama. Birds of a feather mock together.

[Mr. K]

I am wrong or did this parody actually start in the LA TIMES?

Everyone is attributing it to Limbaugh.

[Hatteras]

"The reason I will NOT be voting for Barack Hussein Obama is because he’s an extreme LEFT WINGER."

I wouldn't vote for him if he was a conservative either. I will not cast a presidential vote for anybody with the name Barack Hussein Obama. Call it what you will but nobody with a muslim background is getting my vote. I love this country too much.

[Chuck54]

It probably says something about how isolated Limbaugh may be from the rest of us that the song didn't generate much mainstream media controversy until last week.

It's almost comical to accuse someone of being "isolated" when he has 15-20 million listeners daily.

Jealousy has thy reared thy ugly head?

Reminds me of the woman in a liberal enclave who states she didn't know anyone who voted for Ronald Reagan when he carried 49 states in the Presidential election.

[Stepan12]

There's nothing wrong with using the term, Negro. In fact, it's better than black as it doesn't contain the negative connatations that the word black has; e.g., black heart, black death; etc.

The people of color in the John Birch Society consider themselves Negro and not black. They associate black correctly with Stokley Carmichael.

[BallyBill]

Imus’ was a flub? I thought a flub was when you say something you didn’t actually mean to say. Like 1776 instead of 1976.

[oblomov]

Reminds me of the woman in a liberal enclave who states she didn't know anyone who voted for Ronald Reagan when he carried 49 states in the Presidential election.

It was New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael... and the President was Nixon...

[PGalt]

Hooray Rush and Paul Shanklin! Hillaryous!

[DustyMoment]

The whole “Barack the Magic Negro” thing has long since run its course. It’s time for the drive-bys to let it die and focus an something more important - like tooth decay or the common cold.

Barack the Magic Negro is funny and it is great satire. Rush has given responses to this more than he should have and it is totally absurd.

If tyhe drive-bys don’t like it, don’t listen to Rush. The rest of us will take up the slack!!

[RKV]

All of RKV's "white guilt" got left here. A combined 600,000 dead in the War Between the States repaid all so-called guilt.

[Chuck54]

Close enough?

[longtermmemmory]

The Washington Mutual commercial with the black Washington Mutual Employee vs all those old white banker men is a perfect example NOBODY took offense.

[chatham]

Clarence Paige is a feckless Clown.

[paratrooper82]

“Barack Hussein Obama” I have a problem with someone who changes their Christian name, and won’t identify themselves with Americans! The name says all I need to know about this liberal!