"They Speak So Well! They're So Well-spoken!"

Who's today's Grand Douchebag Supreme (besides yours truly)?  Why none other than A of G Golden Boy Bill O'Reilly.  Certainly not the first time this honor has been bestowed on the man.  But this one merits special attention, because -- well, because we like to throw around race discussion here "just a lil bit."  So the synopsis is, O'Reilly breaks bread with Sharpton over in Harlem as a thank you for appearing on his spectacle often referred to as a "news program."  Loud African drums notwithstanding, O'Reilly apparently enjoyed himself.  Unbeknownst to him, it wasn't all fried chicken and handguns.  Now, I don't think he's necessarily a racist -- he's just arrogant and clueless.  What really bugs me is how he goes on to appoint himself a cultural diplomat because he had dinner in Harlem.  Mr. No-Spin himself spins his own condescending remark into a commentary on how White America is so out-of-touch with Black America.  Does he have a point?  Absolutely.  But he by no means should be the one delivering that mail, especially given his amazement that nobody got shot over an iced tea refill.    My suggestion for O'Reilly?    Simply say " I had a nice dinner over at Sylvia's in Harlem.  The food and the atmosphere were great.  You should check it out."  Then shut your fuckin' cake hole and leave it at that.

Comments

[Craig]

"That's right," O'Reilly said. "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, `M.F.-er, I want more iced tea.'"

Now why did O'Reilly have to go and ruin our image of Harlem restaurants? I was busy using that image to feel superior and more sophisticated.

[Assman]

Going to the well, Klompus? You know damned well this is going to kick up some dust around these parts.

I'm glad he figured out that black people aren't just the clowns you see in videos on MTV, but it's sad that he's as old as he is and just figured this out. Has the King of No-Spin only acquired knowledge of the black community from, say, Spin Magazine?

And I'm going to take your bait. It's racist. Arrogant and clueless are a start, but if he's clueless because he's gone his entire life without getting off his ass and sitting down with black people, then he's a racist too.

[Eli]

Pretty classic O'Reilly. ""That's right," O'Reilly said. "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, `M.F.-er, I want more iced tea.'" I think this ties in nicely with the Dead Mandelas and Happy 9-11.

How the hell do people watch Fox News. I'd call it a "foxymoron". Thank you...

[Jack Klompus]

"How the hell do people watch Fox News."

I don't know how people watch any of the 24-7 news channels. They're all attention whores.

[Assman]

Open question to non-black people (myself excluded):

Is this the perception? Is there an expectation that blacks are going to request more motherfucking iced tea, shoot up the restaurant if the waiter doesn't put the salad dressing on the side as requested and blindly march behind Al Sharpton no matter what retarded cause he's supporting?

[Jack Klompus]

"Going to the well, Klompus? You know damned well this is going to kick up some dust around these parts."

Assman, apparently you weren't aware -- aside from sometimes being the "Airing of Race Cards" and the "Non-Recognition of Sarcasm" -- the A of G is also sometimes referred to as "The Beating of Dead Horses."

[Eli]

"Is this the perception? etc. etc."

I think there's a 'fear of the unknown' factor involved on both sides. I'm not sure the majority of black people feel comfortable around white folks (especially in Klompus' neck of the woods). Myths generally precede reality and when you have media acting as a conduit between the white and black worlds things are sure to get messy.

[M. Butler]

I have that impression at a more or less all black movie theatre. Where everyone is shouting at the screen. But that might be from Mad TV and not real life. I don't go to the movies.

[Art Vandelay]

Assman, I can't speak for millions of caucasians and it certainly isn't my perception but my mother sent me an e-mail regarding Vick about a month ago which I thought was a perfect example of that perception:

I sent the attached to Nike. AND I MEAN IT!!!! As the African American woman said this week "Martin Luther King is rolling over in his grave when he hears Sharpton claim Racism concerning this issue. Quote: You know that we have a lot of Bad Black Boys and Michael is one." Yeaa I say, for this lady who had the courage to speak out against inhumane behavior. Mom

She thinks that it's heroic for a black woman to disagree with Al Sharpton.

[Jack Klompus]

"I'm not sure the majority of black people feel comfortable around white folks (especially in Klompus' neck of the woods)."

Of course. Everyone knows black people practically tip-toe around downtown Atlanta. Assuming you even catch a glimpse of them. They usually stay out of sight during the daytime.

[Eli]

I would to with all the asshole cyclists buzzin' around there.

[Jack Klompus]

"I would to with all the asshole cyclists buzzin' around there."

Consider yourself lucky it's cyclists and not Samoans. They can really fuck up a good neighborhood.

[Eli]

Hey! I'm Samoan! Bastard

[Craig]

Open question to non-black people (myself excluded):

Is this the perception?

About time someone cares about the opinion of a 30 something white male like me.

I'll give two answers to your question, because I don't know how to answer fully without doing so. For many (and hopefully most) people, no that's not the perception at all.

If you have been raised not to hate and have been around people who aren't exactly like you in every way, you won't automatically assume these things. I would never expect to see people act as O'Reilly seems to be expecting.

On the other hand, I know many people in this wonderful place I live now (quite possibly the whitest place on earth...I believe it was over 90% at the last census) who have never known anyone who is black. I mean that lieterally, they may have seen black people on TV and they have seen them in stores but they haven't talked to them and they certainly don't know any of them. This type of ignorance does cause people to have the perception that you were asking about. Some of these people do believe that all black people are like the stereotypes they see on TV. To give you a brief taste of how ignorant these people can be: My sister-in-law's boyfriend is black. We are all aware of this and really don't care because he's a good guy and that's all that should matter. When this came up at my wife's work, however, people just couldn't fathom the idea that a white woman would be living with a black man. (One has expressed that she thinks that only fat white women with poor self esteem end up with non-white men.) When they saw pictures of him, one of her coworkers kept insisting that he wasn't black; he was Jamaican. He has dreads and apparently that's not possible for a black man, only a Jamaican. We're talking serious ignorance, here. If you don't know people, you believe whatever you are told, whether it's by TV or other idiots who don't know anything.

[E-Boogie]

This is my favorite thing that he said.

"I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks, primarily black patronship."

He really sounds surprised, huh? But according to him, he's trying to compliment blacks. No, I'm going to have to agree with Assman. I think he's a racist.

[Jack Klompus]

"Hey! I'm Samoan! Bastard"

If it makes you feel any better, I had dinner at To'ona'i Garden the other day. Let me just tell you, everyone was well behaved. Nobody had bones through their nostrils and nobody got Snuka'd because there was no more iced tea. I wish more whites were aware of the advances in Samoan society the way I am.

[Art Vandelay]

Samoans are great (except Seau who is a complete jackass). Troy Polamalu and his wife went to a restaurant in Pittsburgh for dinner a couple years ago and nobody in the restaurant bothered them while they were eating so when he got up to leave, he thanked the entire restaurant for respecting his privacy and paid for everyone's meal.

[Jack Klompus]

"(except Seau who is a complete jackass)"

Why, did he write "Steelers Suck!" when you got his autograph?

[Assman]

First of all, I refuse to believe that Klompus went to a Samoan restaurant and nobody got Snuka'd. Every single Samoan I've ever seen in my life has either been playing defensive back or has been Snuka'ing some unsuspecting fellow in the middle of the ring. Maybe they just acted differently because they knew he was in the room.

Second of all, another question to the non-black people here. Do you feel comfortable with the way your "kind" is perceived in the media? Like... if I never met a white dude, but I watched NBC for a few hours a night, do you feel as though I'd have a comfortable idea as to what white people are "really like"?

[E-Boogie]

Assman, are you black or white? Or one of those "bi-racial" people?

[Craig]

If you watched NBC for a few hours a night, my kind (the fat suburban white guy) is portrayed as being lazy, but having sex with women 20 times too hot for him, so...yeah, I'm probably ok with that.

Seriously though, what perception do you mean? I'm not sure what type of image you'd have of me based on mass media.

[Eli]

"if I never met a white dude, but I watched NBC for a few hours a night, do you feel as though I'd have a comfortable idea as to what white people are "really like"?"

Yes. We are all exactly like that- on and off tv.

[Assman]

I suppose a better way to phrase the question is to say... do you see your ethnicity on television and in movies and feel as though you're constantly being portrayed inaccurately or as a stereotypical version of yourselves. Do you ever see your ethnicity on TV and fear that people who had never met someone of that ethnicity would get the "wrong idea," meet you, then be surprised at how you are in reality?

And, for the record, I'm Samoan.

[Eli]

"And, for the record, I'm Samoan."

So Klompus just doesn't make this shit up.

"Do you ever see your ethnicity on TV and fear that people who had never met someone of that ethnicity would get the "wrong idea," meet you, then be surprised at how you are in reality?"

No, anyone who doesn't understand that mainstream tv is 100 percent retard crap meant for mass consumption to boost ratings so they can charge more for airtime advertising isn't worth worrying about. Did I just describe the average American?

[Art Vandelay]

Assman, it's clear as day what you're getting at but I'm not sure where it's coming from. Did someone here pronounce that stereotyping blackpeople is a lost art or are you arguing with Bill O'Reilly?