Posted on 12/29/2008 10:16:38 AM PST by lewisglad
Parody author defends 'Barack the Magic Negro' December 29, 2008 12:35 EST
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The Memphis author of the musical parody "Barack the Magic Negro" says he isn't surprised the song has gotten some people upset.
Author Paul Shanklin describes the song as political satire and says it's supposed to be provocative.
The song, which is sung to the tune of "Puff the Magic Dragon, has drawn attention and criticism since Chip Saltsman -- the former head of the Republican Party in Tennessee -- sent out a CD with the song on it as Christmas presents.
Saltsman managed Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign and is now running for chairman of the Republican National Committee.
The song questions whether Obama is "authentically" black and intimates white voters wouldn't have voted for him if he had been from "the hood."
(Excerpt) Read more at wztv.com ...
Why?
I love that one so much that I believe hearing it could keep me alive if I had a fatal illness.
I think, by next year’s end, that BHO will be seen as an equal-opportunity disappointment across-the-board.
Well, no, not really 'superb' at all. It could have been, but it missed the mark pretty badly, both politically and aesthetically.
The lyrics are rather stupid. The voice is simply irritating. The point of view (from the 'hood) of the singer shuts down the parody potential of the piece. For the parody to have been truly effective, Mr. Shanklin would have done much better to sing it from the perspective of a reporter or a starry-eyed young supporter.
After all, Obama's real parody potential comes from the fact that he's no more than a construct of the hopes and desires of those who support him.
Its almost guaranteed.
OK, then how about "Mr. Shanklin is talented and not always successful in his attempts."
Not all parody works, FRiend ... and this is an example of it.
The parody of Al Sharpton singing “Feed Caroline” ala Neil Diamond was hysterical too.
LOL! I would rather have a root canal with no novocaine than listen to that stupid thing.
>>Whoa...do I detect symptoms of Buyers’ Remorse’ from your Democratic friends?.<<
You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Wait’ll after January 20th.
Black folks I know realize this guy has no “slave blood” in him and that his Mommas family actually were slave owners.
Again. Shanklins parody is dead on
classic!
Now that is just great.
You do understand that the voice is an imitation of “activist” Rev Al Sharpton using a megaphone.
Is the author of this piece truly this ignorant, or just trying for a bit of political provocation of his/her own?
Shanklin sings the song as Al Sharpton, who - along with Jesse Jackson - and other negroes intimated or actually said those things. The parody is hilarious because Sharpton, Jackson, et al, parade around presenting themselves as the arbiters and representatives of everything that is "legitimately black", and because the original article was written by a liberal black guy. THEY are the ones questioning Obama's "authenticity" - not Shanklin, not Limbaugh, and not the guy who distributed the cd. And, THAT is what makes it good satire.
Shanklin shines a humorous light on their hypocrisy.
Those who are "uncomfortable" with the use of the word "negro" or "negroid", need to get a grip and avail themselves of a dictionary. There is nothing in the least offensive in the word, and taking offense at it, by whites or by blacks, makes about as much sense as a white person being offended at being called Caucasian or Caucasoid. That said, I have no doubt that there are those whites who are ignorant enough of the meaning of those words to be offended by being referred to in those terms as well.
What you said.
Well, taste is definitely an individual thing. Just the memory of the Bawney Fwank voice singing Banking Queen brings tears of mirth to my eyes.
Do you generally like the Shanklin parodies?
You will not defeat the Democrats by driving the few minority conservatives from the party by a racist song championed by people who should know better. You may also enrage liberal minority voters who will show up in 2010 to teach the GOP a lesson...stupid song,stupid man who made it, stupid RNC for getting involved in this mess.
Ruh Roh! Rush’s sub, Jason Lewis, is discussing this right now.
The word is considered racist and is not used in modern society. The dictionary defense is pure bunk and you know it. I have not heard the word Negro since the early sixties...you may not find it offensive-others will.
The point is, the word and the title came from liberals. The LA Times.
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