"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?

[Assman]

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?

I know I'm going to come off a little Vandelay-esque here, but I suppose I'm sheltered and I don't really know what people who aren't like me think.

The idea that Bill O'Reilly could be in his 50's and JUST met black people for the first time last week, apparently, is odd to me. He's shocked to find out that they're eating food and not cussing.

I want to know... is this also happening with other ethnicities? Is someone whose never met that ethnicity going to walk into their restaurant and walk out shocked that the people in there weren't what they expected? Best way to ask it is to ask if you feel as though your ethnicity's media portrayal is fair and accurate.

[Craig]

And, for the record, I'm Samoan.

So, you're one of those chocolate, caramel and coconut cookies that girl scouts sell?

[Eli]

"So, you're one of those chocolate, caramel and coconut cookies that girl scouts sell?"

And your that white stuff that flies out of my dick into your momma's mouth when she comes through town every fourth of July.

[Esco]

O'Reilly is a racist douchebag.

Plain & simple.

[Schmoopie]

You know, you mention Korean or Vietnamese cuisine to a clueless white American, and you may well hear a "wise"crack (ain't no wise about it) about dog meat. I fear O'Reilly's general mien is far too ordinary and unexceptional.

What I as a person of pallor find troubling about mainstream TV and advertising is that it doesn't reflect my reality. Most TV characters don't date anyone of a different race (exceptions: the Mindy/Ryan pair on The Office, that one Chinese-American girlfriend Ross had briefly on Friends...can't think of any others), much less marry them or have children. Mixed-race actors often don't even get to play mixed-race characters. Is it really so exceptional or so outre? Does every family member in a minivan ad have to be from the same racial category? The rare commercial might show an Asian adoptee in a white family, but other than that, no hint of miscegenation allowed! And it's just so ordinary these days—at least in my neighborhood.

Sorry, off topic. I loathe that tiny-minded bigot, Bill O'Reilly.

[jackie]

I'ma drop me a bomb today!!! I be prez-o-dent!!!

[M. Butler]

Commercials are about selling products, not making social commentary (even though they are making social commentary incidentally).

I'm sure agencies spend thousands of dollars looking for the exact group of people they want to represent the product.

I'm not sure if anyone has seen that McDonald's commercial promoting the chicken sandwiches (maybe south only?) but in it; a black guy is bringing his white roommate lunch. The white guy appears to be the slacker who just got out of bed; whereas the black guy is on the ball; professional, etc. Now, I don't have a problem with it; but I know that hours of thought went into it. You can't make the black guy the one out of work because then everyone will be on McDonald's ass about negative stereotypes.

Global products (Coke, McDonalds) always portray groups of friends as one black guy, a white guy, maybe a Latino, and perhaps an Asian guy. Except maybe in New York City, I'm not sure anyone's posse is that diverse in the U.S.

[Craig]

"So, you're one of those chocolate, caramel and coconut cookies that girl scouts sell?"

And your that white stuff that flies out of my dick into your momma's mouth when she comes through town every fourth of July.

So, I guess the "Non-Recognition of Sarcasm" isn't just a catchy name. Or are you just saying that I'm also a non-existent product of a vivid, yet disturbed imagination?

Something that I missed earlier and was curious about: Or one of those "bi-racial" people?

What's with the quotes there? Is that just a random use of quotes or meant to indicate that it one might be of multiple races instead of just two and still be called bi-racial? Or is there something else I was supposed to get from the quotes that I'm missing?

Is it really so exceptional or so outre? Does every family member in a minivan ad have to be from the same racial category? The rare commercial might show an Asian adoptee in a white family, but other than that, no hint of miscegenation allowed!

I understand what you are saying and I agree with you, but at the same time, TV is by its nature fairly simplistic. They don't want to do things like that unless it has a specific reason. It would be nice to change it, since (a) I think individuals are smarter than the people writing TV give them credit for (b) the messages sent, even unintentionally, seep into our collective subconcious and impact our thinking whether we want them to or not (Malcolm Gladwell's phenomal book Blink has an excellent discussion on that topic).

Global products (Coke, McDonalds) always portray groups of friends as one black guy, a white guy, maybe a Latino, and perhaps an Asian guy.

Now this just makes me laugh. It sounds almost like the end of the movie Undercover Brother.

[Assman]

Does every family member in a minivan ad have to be from the same racial category? The rare commercial might show an Asian adoptee in a white family, but other than that, no hint of miscegenation allowed!

Excellent. This is what I'm looking for. So it's not just blacks and Samoans getting misrepresented out there. Or biracial black Samoans, such as The Rock.

Mixed-race actors often don't even get to play mixed-race characters.

If my daughter was ever on TV, she'd have to play a Puerto Rican. I'm considering teaching her spanish.

I'm sure agencies spend thousands of dollars looking for the exact group of people they want to represent the product.

They've also spent thousands of dollars determining that all moms in commercials have to wear brown pants. Start looking for this. You'll know what I'm talking about. You never see a mom in some jeans around her kids.

So, I guess the "Non-Recognition of Sarcasm" isn't just a catchy name.

I guess this is a good time to mention that I'm not Samoan. Though I'm still anti-Snuka'ing. I want to go on record.

[Craig]

I guess this is a good time to mention that I'm not Samoan.

What? Now how am I going to counter accusations of racism if I can't even say, "some of my friends are Samoan"?

[E-Boogie]

The "biracial" reference in quotes earlier was just a poor attempt at humor, but seriously, because it's come up later, the "bi-racial" thing has always been odd to me, because all the "biracial" people I knew growing up considered themselves black. Nine times out of ten, they look black.

"Mixed-race actors often don't even get to play mixed-race characters."

Again, most "biracial" actors look black. There are a lot of fair-skinned black people who COULD be biracial but are not. They look no different than Halle Berry, Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz, Lisa Bonet, and the list goes on and on. I would never have thought they have a whtie parent. No big deal that they do, but that's not the first thing I think of when I see them. I just think a person of African descent. Black.

Moreover, isn't that really the story of black Americans? We all have mixed ancestry, because of slave masters raping their slaves, etc. So, where does it end? Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz's daughter, what's her race? Double biracial?

[jackie]

So, where does it end? Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz's daughter, what's her race? Double biracial?

Extremely-fuckable?

[Aaron]

Jackie speckles spectacularly sound knowledge throughout the post, and this has to be one of the more entertaining "how can we guarantee 40 comments- oh yeah, mention race" posts in recent history. I read this earlier today, then stopped back by and skipped well down into the comments to see where things had gone.

The first words I read are, no lie:
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"So, you're one of those chocolate, caramel and coconut cookies that girl scouts sell?"

And your that white stuff that flies out of my dick into your momma's mouth when she comes through town every fourth of July.

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Thank you. Sincerely.