The Atlantic - Latest Comments in Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Storm — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:15:21 -0000

They knew what they were getting when they hired Wanda. Sykes complained on Entertainment Tonight last night that she was insulted that prior to the rountine that she was warned not to say the F- and N- words. Perhaps, since they found it to be such a problem afterwards, they should have also warned her not to mention 9/11 or Rush in her skit.

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Juba — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:30:34 -0000

Kylopod,

Thanks for pointing that out. Im familiar with the Magical Negro concept, admit I hadnt made the connection; but I dont think the final version that Rush deployed has much in common with the sophisticated satirical / ironic context in which Ehrenstein used it.

I should take a moment to apologize--I should have just googled the original article when I started commenting on Ehrenstein's motivations so I could speak from a more informed point of view. I still think Ehrenstein was treading on tenuous ground by referring to Obama as a Magic Negro whose chief appeal wasnt his politics, positions, speeches or vision for America, but the promise of magically healing our trauma about race.

I also believe that the LA Times knew good and well that his race would deflect what would have been a storm of criticism had it been a White writer referring to Obama in that fashion. So still some degree of intra-racial jousting there.

Thanks again for clarifying that point, in any case, Kylopod.

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Destro Villain — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:59:20 -0000

Once again, Stewart has shown the way:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/12/daily-show-wanda-sykes_n_201961.html

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

DC Fem — Tue, 12 May 2009 09:08:54 -0000

Was too sick to read this yesterday but allow me to concur. And I want fries with that.

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

TW — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:47:22 -0000

One of the things that REALLY annoys me about this episode is that the people that organized this event, presumably (hopefully) knew what they were getting with Wanda Sykes and booked her anyway because they wanted to be "cool" and "down" (and probably thought they got a twofer because she's Black AND Gay). And now we have useful idiots clutching their pearls, and passing out on the fainting couch because she stayed true to her form of stand-up. Personally, I thought the 20th hijacker joke was too much for my tastes-- and she knew it was too as soon as she said it, but true to form continued anyway -- but I wasn't surprised by it, and I certainly don't see the need to draw out this faux controversy so people can take turns at being offended. It's not that serious.

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

xaphoo — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:28:02 -0000

I've always liked Wanda Sykes when she does standup, and to be honest, while she was a bit nervous this time, I thought she did pretty good - better than you all made it sound. I mean, it wasn't up to the Colbert standard, but nothing really is (not even Colbert, usually). The jokes were clever, the delivery sympathetic... If it had been in front of a different audience it would have been a slam dunk. But this press club crowd: when the camera showed their faces, you could sense a certain "I shouldn't laugh at this, because so-and-so next to me isn't laughing..." dynamic going on. You could see the high-schoolish, chummy disdain for certain styles of lowbrow (but not others - you know what I mean) that runs among them.

This delayed the laughter by a second or two, made it uneasy and self-conscious. I think Sykes noticed this and by two thirds of the way into her routine got a little annoyed - thus the impromptu pushing of the Limbaugh joke, just to test them a bit. Which was the weakest part of her act.

Still, it was funny. For that matter, so were Obama's jokes...

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Kylopod — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:09:38 -0000

Juba,

I'm not sure if you're familiar with the term "magical negro," which is well known to movie buffs, and Ehrenstein is a film critic. If you aren't, you should consult the following article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_negro

Here's an example of the term used casually by a white movie critic:

"...the people in Sayles's story aren't characters as much as billboards, many of whom hew to some of literature and cinema's hoariest racial stereotypes, from a sexually voracious Jezebel, played by Davenia McFadden, to the Magical Negro in the form of an oracular blind guitarist played by Keb' Mo'" -- Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

formerly sy — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:09:56 -0000

Fuck him and fuck them ...

If they can't take a joke.

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Juba — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:52:36 -0000

Now that you know that, three questions for you:

1) Who do you think is the target of this song parody (All black people? Barack Obama? Al Sharpton? Liberal media types such as Ehrenstein?)

2) Is this in the same ballpark as hoping someone dies of kidney failure?

3) Do you think David Ehrenstein is a racist?

1) The media first, Sharpton and Obama second, and all black people third. Ehrenstein is taking a liberty that is questionable, using "Negro" long after its obsolescence as an outdated, hurtful and possibly racist term. But since he is Black himself, its seen as intra-racial joking. Sort of the reason that Larry David can take certain liberties with his jokes about Jews that non-Jews cannot.

Im the kind of Black dude who is guilty of occasional N-word use but I try and not use it around non-Blacks since I dont want them to assume a certain comfort about using it in my presence. Clearly Ehrenstein isnt cut from the same cloth, and so be it, but there is no way one can use Negro in a joking sense publically and not be parodying or belittling Black folk, not in my book anyway.

2) She didnt hope he died of kidney failure, she hoped his kidneys failed. This hysterical conservative hissyfit over Rush, a man who has made a career out of over-the-pale jokes worse than the one that got Imus fired, is the height of hypocrisy and dont think the rest of us dont see that.

3) No I dont, but I think that a White person who insists on borrowing his already questionable "joke" and then complains when they get pushback from Black folks is, at the very least, completely indifferent about how offensive the projection of "Negro" out of a White man's mouth to belittle Black folks might be...and certainly one to watch for a pattern of racial line-crossing.

Its like, if someone Asian told me something I said was hurtful to Asians and of racist origin, it would be a settled issue for me...its off-limits. I cant imagine getting indignant and lecturing them on why I have the right to say whatever I like. I wasnt raised that way.

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

DaveinHackensack — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:52:22 -0000

"Yeah, like that "Barack the Magic Negro" bit."

The application of the phrase "The Magic Negro" to Barack Obama came from a liberal, black, L.A. Times writer named David Ehrenstein. That's what inspired the Paul Shanklin's song parody (commissioned by Rush), which explicitly references the L.A. Times. The "me" in the song refers to The Rev. Al Sharpton -- Shanklin sings this in an impersonation of Sharpton singing through a bullhorn:

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. paper

Said he makes guilty whites feel good

They’ll vote for him, and not for me

Cause he’s not from the hood.

Now that you know that, three questions for you:

1) Who do you think is the target of this song parody (All black people? Barack Obama? Al Sharpton? Liberal media types such as Ehrenstein?)

2) Is this in the same ballpark as hoping someone dies of kidney failure?

3) Do you think David Ehrenstein is a racist?

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Bruce — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:45:28 -0000

seriously..."terrorists are entertainers"???

That IS retarded...

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

sgwhiteinfla — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:33:23 -0000

Here is Rush Limbaugh saying President Obama was part 2 of 9-11.

http://mediamatters.org/clips/200904270023

Funny how you didn't hear any handwringing from conservatives over that.

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

PhoenixRising — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:26:16 -0000

Wanda's performance was far from her best, as she seemed nervous and conscious of the forum.

However, she opened with something so funny I was crying--yeah, after awhile when Barack starts getting the blame, he's going to be the mulatto President!

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Maya — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:33:26 -0000

I didn't think she was completely ON and she actually seemed a little nervous. Has anyone seen the riff on detachable vaginas? Brilliant! One of the funniest comedy riffs ever -- both hilarious at the obvious level, and deeply political when you start to think about it. To the potential rapist in the bushes when you're out jogging: "Sorry, I have absolutely nothing of value on me. I'm pussy-less!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8FfFwtL91Q&feature=PlayList&p=53C0244440CA28EC&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=50

But to echo all the others here, was she "over the line" about Rushbo? Are you fucking kidding me with this question? The best way to confront a bully is to punch him in the mouth. She did just that.

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Juba — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:09:55 -0000

True but that last sentence gives it that visceral thrill!!

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Juba — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:08:39 -0000

I had that exact same reaction to the kidney failure line.

Its not a death sentence, jeez. How ignorant can people be?!

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

mjwilstein — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:07:57 -0000

Here's the full video of Wanda's speech in case you missed it:

http://www.gotchamediablog.com/2009/05/wanda-sykes-at-white-house.html

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Miles Ellison — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:01:08 -0000

Wanda Sykes was over the line when she brought up Rush Limbaugh? Like when Limbaugh imitated Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's tremors? Like when he said he hopes Obama fails? Like when he said that Barack The Magic Negro was funny, and got angry at anyone who dared state that it was offensive? Like all of his racist, homophobic, and misogynist utterances?

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Texior Enabler — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:54:21 -0000

I concurr!

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Texior Enabler — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:53:27 -0000

Love Wanda Sykes since i saw her on the Chris Rock Show on HBO!

People know what they are getting when they bring Wanda in! So stop complaining.she is a very acquired taste.

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Josh Jasper — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:51:44 -0000

And now we get to use the response Rush and his defenders have always used when saying vile things about liberals, ethnic minorities, gays, etc... "Dude, it's just comedy, she's just an entertainer, Can't you take a joke? Where's your sense of humor"?

I will have my self a slice of schadenfreude pie with whipped irony, and a nice frosty glass of sonofabitchhaditcoming.

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Kylopod — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:49:30 -0000

Obama is one of the more serious of recent presidents, and when he tries to be funny, he often steps over the line. (The Nancy Reagan quip, the "special Olympics" quip, and now this.) In any case, he is a politician, not an entertainer. Limbaugh's career, in contrast, is built on a form of discourse that blurs the line between entertainment and commentary. It isn't all that different from what Bill Maher and Keith Olbermann do.

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

rikyrah — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:39:30 -0000

I enjoyed Wanda. She's a comedian. Plain and simple.

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Incertus(Brian) — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:38:17 -0000

Yeah, I about fell over with that one--"yeah, I robbed a bank, but look at all these bills I paid!"

Re: Limbaugh As The 20th Hijacker

Incertus(Brian) — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:36:14 -0000

Scott,

Apparently, much of his audience doesn't get that what Stephen Colbert is doing is satire, so I'd say the chances that they're taking what Limbaugh says as entertainment are minimal.