Posted on 05/19/2007 5:29:09 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
'Today’ Show to Report on Rush Limbaugh’s ‘Barack the ‘Magic Negro’’ Parody Posted by Noel Sheppard on May 19, 2007 - 19:47.
Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh reported on air and at his website Friday that NBC’s “Today” show is going to do a segment Monday regarding his musical parody “Barack the ‘Magic Negro’” (audio available here, subscription required):
Now, this first aired on March 21st. This is May 18th. By the time they get around to doing their profile, it will be two months old as a story.
Interesting point. After all, Obama himself shrugged this whole thing off as just "entertainment" weeks ago.
Regardless, Rush continued:
In these two months, I have spent countless minutes on this program explaining the genesis of the parody. I have gone line by line translating and explaining it, demonstrating that everything in it is based on fact and words that were uttered by liberals. In this period of time, Barack Obama has laughed it off and called it dumb. In this period of time, Al Sharpton responded. Just this week we had the audio sound bite where Sharpton was asked about it and said (paraphrased), "Limbaugh has the right to do this. He's attacking individuals. He's not going after gender or race entirely. He's attacking an individual," and so forth. It's all based on Sharpton's admitted jealousy of Obama's being lauded and loved and being called "clean and articulate" by Joe Biden.
Clearly, Limbaugh believes that “Today” will misrepresent the genesis of this parody, and accuse him, in this post-Imus era, of being racist. As such, Limbaugh has posted at his website everything one needs to know about this song here.
For example, will Matt or Meredith mention that the whole thing was precipitated by a column in the Los Angeles Times by David Ehrenstein entitled “Obama the ‘Magic Negro’” (emphasis added):
AS EVERY CARBON-BASED life form on this planet surely knows, Barack Obama, the junior Democratic senator from Illinois, is running for president. Since making his announcement, there has been no end of commentary about him in all quarters — musing over his charisma and the prospect he offers of being the first African American to be elected to the White House.
But it's clear that Obama also is running for an equally important unelected office, in the province of the popular imagination — the "Magic Negro."
The Magic Negro is a figure of postmodern folk culture, coined by snarky 20th century sociologists, to explain a cultural figure who emerged in the wake of Brown vs. Board of Education. "He has no past, he simply appears one day to help the white protagonist," reads the description on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_Negro .
What’s the likelihood that this article will even be addressed Monday? Next to zero, correct?
Well, as Rush concluded, this is going to be fun.
For those that haven’t heard the song, it comes in minute three of the following audio link (subscription required). The lyrics are as follows:
SHARPTON IMPRESSIONIST PAUL SHANKLIN:
Barack the Magic Negro lives in D.C. The L.A. Times, they called him that ‘Cause he’s not authentic like me.
Yeah, the guy from the L.A. paperSaid he makes guilty whites feel good They’ll vote for him, and not for me ‘Cause he’s not from the hood.
See, real black men, like Snoop Dog, Or me, or Farrakhan Have talked the talk, and walked the walk. Not come in late and won!
Refrain: Oh, Barack the Magic Negro, lives in D.C. The L.A. Times, they called him that ‘Cause he’s black, but not authentically.
(repeat Refrain)
Some say Barack’s "articulate" And bright and new and "clean" The media sure loves this guy, A white interloper’s dream!
But, when you vote for president, Watch out, and don’t be fooled! Don’t vote the Magic Negro in ‘Cause... (music stops, Sharpton rants, music returns)
(background vocalists repeat refrain & finish song)
I never meant to imply that the Supreme Court coined the term, but that the term was a result of the Brown Case, somewhere in the transcripts. I am too tired to reply anymore and you still did not take advantage of the verbiage on Rush’s site.
Good night. Go argue with yourself.
Actually, I think the proper spelling is “ware” and “git”.
My point is that you are mistaken in that belief. A lot of commentators use phrases like "In the wake of the Brown decision" or "In the post-Brown era" or similar wordings.
The literary trope of the "magical negro" came about amid changing public attitudes about race -- which Brown both shaped and reflected. The trope and the court case were not causally connected. They were both effects of the same cause, a shift in white people's attitudes toward black people.
and you still did not take advantage of the verbiage on Rush’s site.
"Take advantage of the verbiage?" What the hell does that mean? If you meant "read the words," that I did -- I skimmed it and searched the site, and found nothing on point. It seemed to me that rather than spending hours trying to dig out what Rush said the Court said, it would be more productive to spend minutes actually reading what the Court said.
Silly me. I mean, all I have is a political science degree. How could I expect to understand such complicated arguments without a radio host to interpret them for me?
My biggest gripe with the movie segments is that Emmett of the Unblinking Eye is slow to post his top-ten lists. If I catch part of the middle, I’d like to be able to find the whole list online sooner.
You were correct regarding the origin of the term “Magic Negro”. I was confusing the original LA Times story by Ehrenstein (sp?) and an article that I had read in NRO.
I have no problem admitting when I am wrong.
The rest of your post was snarky and frankly your credentials don’t move me.
they may not, but you can be sure that Rush will.
Obama The 'Magic Negro'-Senator Lends Himself to America's Idealized, Less Than Real Black Man
Astonishing what misconceptions have come from this parody.
It is like a tar-baby waiting for some MSM dimwit to punch.
I have read a few MSM commentators who admit there is too much truth and too much humor in this — way too dangerous to touch.
You offered no cite and no link. You instead berated me for not going to the Rush Limbaugh site, which I had done, to find the cite, which wasn't there. I think you had a little snark coming.
And I don't expect you to be moved or impressed by a BA. I wasn't leaning on my credentials. My point was that I am capable of reading a court decision by training and experience, and I don't need a radio host to read it for me.
How MANY times did you want me to tell you that I do not know how to excerpt? This is now the fourth.
I offer you an apology and you are still not happy, need to work on that.
Interesting that Sharpton doesn't want to take on Rush
Do you remember the parody song: “I Got a Black Magic Johnson” sung to the tune of Santana’s “Black Magic Women”?
This is maybe a little OT, but remember the big flap over “clean and articulate” being some kind of backhanded racist remark?
The race baiters will never be satisfied, and often dream up racism out of thin air.
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