There are several videos of this around the Interwebitubes with an assortment of images attached. This one is up on YouTube. A more inflammatory version can be found on AlterNet.
On March 19, 2007, David Ehrenstein of the LA Times wrote a column about Hollywood and politics. The headline of his column: “Obama, the ‘Magic Negro.’” Then on March 21, 2007 the Rush Limbaugh show aired a parody produced by Paul Shanklin, imitating the Rev. Al Sharpton singing, “Barack The Magic Negro.”
Rush is still on the air and Imus isn’t. How odd.
#19 Ever hear of an organization called United Negro College Fund?
http://www.uncf.org/
Doesn’t seem as if anyone there is ashamed of the word, or feels foolish. Remember, a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
This story just proves that Rush is Right! He predicted that he’d be tarred and feathered, and the LA Times would get a pass.
Thanks Uncle Dave for making his point for him.
I don’t have time to listen or watch everything on the radio or web, my point is that this was used in a negative way to belittle a person who is a success. Just because he doesn’t act “black” doesn’t mean anything. This was a negative and stereotypical political dirty trick. The Republican party has many other things they can use to go after a candidate, but drug addicted radio talk show hosts with no credibility go after the person, not the issues. Seems to me they like it when its not them being drug through the mud. When its their turn, they think that they can get by with some small apology and everything will be ok. Well, it isn’t ok. Fools like Imus, Stern and Rush should be tuned out and forgotten. That is, unless you enjoy listening to hateful, shallow people using shallow logic and gullible people willing to line their pockets with their hard earned dollars!
Wait, it’s the same thing to call a team of women “nappy headed hos” as it is to mock the people who are treating an unproven and unexperienced politician as the magical cure for all political ills?
Really? Those two things are exactly the same?
Huh? I don’t get it? Does he have magical powers or what? Can he fly?
#19 When did the word “negro” become off-limits to white people? Is there a website or something that I can check on for updates for words that white people aren’t allowed to use? Hmmmm. “Words” that “white people” can’t use…. that sounds almost as racist as “Bathrooms” that “black people” can’t use.
#23 I like how you don’t understand who the parody was mocking. But I really like how you chastise Limbaugh for making a personal attack, while in the same sentence making a personal attack on Limbaugh. It’s my opinion that YOU should be tuned out and forgotten.
Rush might be racist, I don’t know. But since we all know he’s a first rate jackass, do we really care what he thinks or says? Yeah, not so much.
There are some good responses that explain why the two situations are very different really well. I am bewildered about how anyone would think a verbal assualt on late adolescent girls and a mockery of a major public figure are equivalent. Even the law of slander and defamation sees the difference.
I think the more interest question is: Why are people like Uncle Dave still defending Imus? Why do they think they are losing something of value if a multimillionaire is not allowed to verbally abuse innocent young women to his heart’s extent? Uncle Dave, if you read this comment , I would really appreciate an answer directly from you.
Well, thats about the worst parody I have ever heard. But, it’s just that….a parody of Al Sharpton, and to some extent of the Left in general.
I also wonder when the word negro became a nasty word.
And, stop the presses here…..I agree with Podesta(shaking my head in disbelief at that)….there is no comparison of what Imus did and this so called parody.
The fact that a member in good standing of the liberal elite left wrote the original story that this so called parody came from, just goes to show what most people with a brain have known for 30 years, that the Left has plenty of racists of it’s own.
“…just goes to show what most people with a brain have known for 30 years, that the Left has plenty of racists of it’s own.”
#28 hits it right on the head. The racism is not exposed as such though. If the original column from the LA Times had been written by a Buckley or Medved or Stossel, they would have been summarily excoriated by the media.
Well this is once again Dvorak running his mouth off. He knows why Rush wont be touched. Rush Reports to no one. The Rush Limbaugh show is owned and produced and record by the EIB network…. Who owns the EIB Network well none other than Rush Limbaugh.
Also since Rush is on Clearchannel and Cox , and ABC radio and other indapendents. So it would take alot to down Rush. Dvorak knows this he is just leaving flame bait open like to do what he does best get people alll huffy puffy. While I am completely against rush playing that stupid parody Stupid blog post like this is not needed either
30. Rob- Did Dvorak post something here? Where, I dont see it. Please tell me so I can read it, I too want to get all Huffy Puffy.
Mr. Dvorak, I normally agree with you. I am, however, severely disappointed at your lack of research on this one. Limbaugh predicted that that people would do EXACTLY what you did in response to the song.
***Latching onto L.A. Times Op-Ed, Limbaugh Sings “Barack, the Magic Negro”***
From Media Matters for America, March 22, 2007
On the March 19 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, host Rush Limbaugh highlighted a March 19 Los Angeles Times op-ed that described Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) as “running for an equally important unelected office, in the province of the popular imagination — the ‘Magic Negro’” — a term used by critics of pop culture to describe certain benevolent African-American characters.
Limbaugh stated: “The term ‘Magic Negro’ has been thrown into the political presidential race in the mix for 2008. And the term ‘Magic Negro,’ as applied to Barack Obama has been done by an L.A. Times columnist, David Ehrenstein.”
Limbaugh later asserted: “I’m going to keep referring to him as that because I want to make a bet that by the end of this week I will own that term,” adding, “If I refer to Obama the rest of the day as the ‘Magic Negro,’ there will be a number of people in the drive-by media and on left-wing blogs who will credit me for coming up with it and ignore the L.A. Times did it, simply because they can’t be critical of the L.A. Times, but they can, obviously, be critical of talk radio
You want to contact sponsors? Steer them to the LA Times and David Ehrenstein.
This isn’t racist at all, RTFA (or rather, Watch the $^#% Video)… it’s making fun of Al Sharpton, and is a satire of black leaders who claim Obama isn’t “black enough”, whatever the hell that means.
Some black leaders — not Republicans, blacks — have gone as far as to claim Obama is not really black at all, because he’s a first-generation American citizen and not descended from slaves.
That kind of stupidity deserves a mocking song such as this.
Sorry for the triple post… #25, The One:
Magical Negro is a literary term that a liberal L.A. Times columnist used to describe Obama. That is what the song is about…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_Negro
Mark,
by posting this article on his site dvorak is promoting it. He poses a question in his blog post about Imus and he being in media business knows why rush could go off and say the N word all day long and not be canned.
Just like any other time Dvorak is not happy unless is is a stirring up a fight with rabid fans. Be it Rush , Apple , or other.
Rush and his ilk are on notice.The powers that be showed Rush, Hannity and the rest what they can do to someone.I think the boys will back off for 2008.
#30, 32, 35: Where do you see John’s name on this post? I’m responsible for posting it. I guess the multitude of big news organizations that reported this as well did so only because they wanted to “promote it” and “stir up a fight.”
And rob, I suggest you leave the decision of the direction of this blog to John and the rest of us editors until you get your own blog read world-wide by many tens of thousands each day who don’t seem to have a problem with a “stupid post” like this one. Just my stupid opinion, of course.
i’m with #12, #33 & 34
-other than that.. its a non-issue. i failed to find find anything inflammatory, or more inflammatory with the alternative version ether. i think it’s just another silly political parody song, big deal. its a little funny because like all “proper” humour, it’s based in truth.
Imus should not have been fired, neither should Rush… if anyone had played the whole Imus thing in full, you would have found that Imus was actually trying to pay a compliment to the team -he was trying to be cool,..-however -he forgot that only blacks and “boys in the hood” are allowed to use racial slurs towards each other.
if you think about it..kids today have the right idea, they have diffused the word nigger and made it meaningless as a racial slur. they turned it around and made it a term of endearment for the most part..
It’s only the media and those seeking political gain who desperately want it to keep its “nuclear power” as a slur. -without it, they have little left in their arsenal to attack with.
The BIGGEST mistake that was made was firing Imus, because now it’s open season on all media people.. -now any group that doesnt like what some media or radio personality says has precedent to get them fired.
i mean really..are we that thinned skinned these days?
-what ever happen to the kindergarten adage: “sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never harm me”?
if i didn’t no better, i’d think i was in Bizarro land.-this is all stuff that 5yr olds might cry about, not us “adults”. all of this stuff is pathetic, especially the term and idea political correctness.
-lighten up people. and for christ sake, grow up already.
-soundwash
Do you think Rush Limbaugh has even met a black person before?
#32 –
LA Times : circulation area Los Angels, CA
Rush Limbaugh : coverage area National Radio
Of course more people thought he originated it.