Michelle Malkin » Gag-worthy: Bipartisan indignance over “Barack the Magic Negro” parody

Gag-worthy: Bipartisan indignance over “Barack the Magic Negro” parody

By Michelle Malkin • December 29, 2008 01:16 PM

Oh, give me a super-sized break.

Leftie ’60s leftover/songwriter Peter Yarrow at the Huffington Post fumes over the “Barack the Magic Negro” parody that has RNC candidate Chip Saltsman in hot water.

All of sudden — after eight years of “F**k Bush” bumper stickers and “Kill Bush” assassination chic and Bush-or-Chimp parodies — the left is concerned about insulting the office of the Presidency?

Now, they are concerned with protecting the dignity of the office and with forging “commong ground and mutual respect?”:

The sending of a Christmas greeting by Chip Saltsman to the members of the Republican National Committee that includes a recording of the so-called parody, “Barack the Magic Negro” is not only offensive, it is shocking and saddening in the extreme. It flies in the face of America’s deeply held hope for a new era in which common ground and mutual respect characterize the exchanges between our national leaders.

I and my co-writer of “Puff,” Lenny Lipton, have been eagerly awaiting an end to the mean-spiritedness, outright disrespect and bigotry that was commonplace prior to this last presidential election. What might have been wearily accepted as “the way it was” in the campaign, is now unacceptable. Obama is not a candidate. He is the President-Elect, and this song insults the office of the Presidency, the people who voted for him, as well as those who did not — and taking a children’s song and twisting it in such vulgar, mean-spirited way, is a slur to our entire country and our common agreement to move beyond racism.

If the song “insults the office of the Presidency,” what about the 2007 Los Angeles Times op-ed by David Ehrenstein that inspired the parody in the first place?

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 .

He’s there to assuage white “guilt” (i.e., the minimal discomfort they feel) over the role of slavery and racial segregation in American history, while replacing stereotypes of a dangerous, highly sexualized black man with a benign figure for whom interracial sexual congress holds no interest…

…Obama’s fame right now has little to do with his political record or what he’s written in his two (count ‘em) books, or even what he’s actually said in those stem-winders. It’s the way he’s said it that counts the most. It’s his manner, which, as presidential hopeful Sen. Joe Biden ham-fistedly reminded us, is “articulate.” His tone is always genial, his voice warm and unthreatening, and he hasn’t called his opponents names (despite being baited by the media).

Like a comic-book superhero, Obama is there to help, out of the sheer goodness of a heart we need not know or understand. For as with all Magic Negroes, the less real he seems, the more desirable he becomes. If he were real, white America couldn’t project all its fantasies of curative black benevolence on him.

The hysterical rush to protect magical Obama from ridicule only proves Ehrenstein’s point. And the parody is as much, if not more, a satire of race-mongering demagogue Al Sharpton than it is of Obama:

As much as I am nauseated by the left’s reaction, the overreaction of some on the right is even more gag-worthy. Current RNC chair Mike Duncan professes to be “shocked” and “appalled.” Others are assailing Saltsman’s lack of “sensitivity” and “tone-deafness” in sending out a joke CD by his good friend Paul Shanklin. Still others argue that even though the parody is not racist and is totally defensible, it’s just too much work to defend it.

If that’s the kind of GOP “leadership” we’re in for the next four years, it’s going to a long, long four years.

***
Stacy McCain shakes his head at the ritual denunciation.

JWF: Child Molester Reacts in Horror to ‘Barack the Magic Negro’
***

Quick reminder of how liberals respected the dignity of the office of the presidency over the last eight years:

Posted in: Assassination Chic, Bush Derangement Syndrome, Race relations

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#579353

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:06 am, NJ-Aviator said:

On December 30th, 2008 at 10:41 am, sonofdy said:

So how do you feel about mini guns on bunched zombies vs mrls strikes???

I don’t think an MLRS is suited unless you’re trying to inundate an area from a distance that was overrun by Zombies.

If I wanted a vehicle, I’d go with an M1A2 Ambrams and just squish ‘em all.

The mini gun is awe inspiring, but it takes a little time to spool up. Not to mention heavy. From a stationary position though, with a slew of Zombies coming at you… we’re talking major zombie carnage…

Zombie carnage. Is that an oxymoron?
#579356

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:08 am, chapoutier said:

The mini gun is awe inspiring, but it takes a little time to spool up. Not to mention heavy. From a stationary position though, with a slew of Zombies coming at you… we’re talking major zombie carnage…

If your focus is to kill many zombies before your brain is eaten, this is fine. If your focus is survival, this is a poor choice.
#579359

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:11 am, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

Do liberals really want to get into the “name game?”

Just what did happen to those kids in the 60s and early 70s whose parents gave them names from Rock Songs and political slogans? Two I am familiar with: MoonBeam and StarShine.
#579361

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:12 am, happyscrapper said:

On December 30th, 2008 at 10:45 am, John Deaux said:
I prefer the exploding propane tank myself, but a mini gun firing is a thing of beauty and awe inspiring.

Good morning…I just joined this incredibly stimulating discussion today. You are all outdoing yourselves! By the way, I hear they are testing exploding propane tanks in Iceland as we speak. We need to destroy those tanks, or the world is in grave danger.
#579362

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:12 am, NJ-Aviator said:

chapoutier said:

The mini gun is awe inspiring, but it takes a little time to spool up. Not to mention heavy. From a stationary position though, with a slew of Zombies coming at you… we’re talking major zombie carnage…

If your focus is to kill many zombies before your brain is eaten, this is fine. If your focus is survival, this is a poor choice.

I agree… but cool to watch.
#579366

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:20 am, jsr said:

I think this whole Zombie invasion issue shows why gun rights must be protected. Does anybody really believe the government will be able to save you when a Zombie mob swarms your house in the middle of the night? When it is over the ill-prepared liberals will be swept away and only die hard conservative gun-owners will be left to rebuild the nation. And Chapoutier.
#579369

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:23 am, sonofdy said:

Side note, Flame throwers are still legal. Zombies can be burned as well so there is another option. Just hope you never get down to the baseball bat with a nail through it stage. Because then you are going to be running.
#579377

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:29 am, happyscrapper said:

None of you have thought of the one true self-defense tool against zombies! You merely jump into bed and pull the covers over your head. They will never find you. I have done this. It works every time.
#579380

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:31 am, NJ-Aviator said:

Flame throwers.

Again cool to watch, but I’m thinking not an effective Zombie weapon.

It may take too long for them to die. Then you have a bunch of burning Zombie pawing you. Not good.

I’m thinking the best option is for a pair of full auto weapons, that are light and can be fired single-handed it need be. I don’t know any that fire NATO rounds though. The L85 is nice, but I don’t think it’s a good one-hander.

Mind you, I’ve not fired most of these weapons. Hoping someone has some insight… before the Zombies get off of Iceland.
#579385

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:37 am, b-cat said:

Again cool to watch, but I’m thinking not an effective Zombie weapon.

It may take too long for them to die. Then you have a bunch of burning Zombie pawing you. Not good.

Zombie flesh is quite dry and burns readily. It also utterly destroys the brain and is really the critical point on the Zombie target.
#579391

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:39 am, MtsEdge said:

Just what did happen to those kids in the 60s and early 70s whose parents gave them names from Rock Songs and political slogans? Two I am familiar with: MoonBeam and StarShine.

AN, it’s hopeless…this thread has been hijacked by zombie-slayers!!
#579394

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:42 am, b-cat said:

before the Zombies get off of Iceland.

I don’t think zombies can swim and they sail worse than the Free Gaza fleet.
#579400

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:48 am, happyscrapper said:

I know all you violent, bloodthirsty people want to KILL the zombies. I only want to hide from them. And under my bedcovers is the best place. Under the bed works too. And I always keep the closet doors shut. I will leave the slaying to those of you who are trained in such things. And thank you for your service!
#579401

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:48 am, John Deaux said:

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:23 am, sonofdy said:
Side note, Flame throwers are still legal. Zombies can be burned as well so there is another option. Just hope you never get down to the baseball bat with a nail through it stage. Because then you are going to be running.

The last thing I want is a flaming zombie on my porch. Then not only do I have to worry about the zombies, but my house catching fire as well.

Left hand machete, right hand XD, where’s the fire extinguisher?
#579405

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:52 am, jsr said:

None of you have thought of the one true self-defense tool against zombies! You merely jump into bed and pull the covers over your head

This only works if they don’t stumble and fall on top of you. I lost a couple friends like that in the horrific 1988 Zombie Uprising. I barely escaped only because I was armed and could hear their screams a block away. Better to always carry a small sidearm with one bullet in reserve in case, well, you know.
#579407

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:53 am, Weary Citizen said:

On December 30th, 2008 at 8:20 am, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

LOL. “Get at them beans”. A great movie.

And, Chap. You have this uncanny ability to get the thread off on some very strange topics. Good on ya, though. You remind me of good friends in college with which I loved to discuss issues. It was entertaining and devisve at times, but at the end of a drunken stupor night, we all left friends. Man I miss those days sometimes.
#579410

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:54 am, NJ-Aviator said:

Left hand machete, right hand XD, where’s the fire extinguisher?

Could work.

But fear not. Zombies sense stupidity. So the moonbats, like those in an uproar about this song parody, will certainly be sought out first.
#579415

On December 30th, 2008 at 11:57 am, sonofdy said:

Well when the thread develoved into what percentage of what gene makes you black vs bi-racial and why its bad to name your kid “tripp” I decided mass zombie swarms made more sense. Sorry Michelle, but there you go. Just give me an M60 and a clear zombie killing zone and I am a happy man….
#579440

On December 30th, 2008 at 12:14 pm, b-cat said:

The last thing I want is a flaming zombie on my porch. Then not only do I have to worry about the zombies, but my house catching fire as well.

Good point, hadn’t considered that. But I do like flame throwers.
#579448

On December 30th, 2008 at 12:20 pm, John Deaux said:

On December 30th, 2008 at 12:14 pm, b-cat said:
But I do like flame throwers.

Me too. That’s why I light my grill with a mapp torch. Some people use propane weed burners, which by the way, would be ideal zombie repellants.
#580239

On December 31st, 2008 at 10:39 am, Dasher said:

One thing people seem to overlook is the parody “Barack the Magic Negro” was only ONE OF FORTY ONE parodies on the CD that Saltzman passed out. The MSM singled that one out just to create controversy over nothing. Unfortunately the RNC stepped in it without hip boots on. All I can say is Chip Saltzman for RNC chair.