| Tuesday, July 08, 2008 |
| If you don't believe that there is racism in the world, read this article |
Or rather, scroll down to the comments. Trust me, you will be aghast... The article is about Radio One sibling TV One's decision to cover this year's Democratic convention, but not the GOP's. There are commenters in the thread who are literally erupting with rage, with some accusing black Americans of being racist, and then calling all blacks "niggers" in the same paragraph... unbefreakinglievable. Here's a small sampling:
WELL FIRST OF ALL NOT ALL BLACKS ARE DEM. AS STATED MANY TIMES BELOW....JUST THE ONES THAT WANT THE GOVERMENT TO SUPPORT THEM. ALSO THIS IS NOT A BLACK NET WORK ITS A NIGGER ONE...YEA I SAID IT AND I AM NOT GOING TO KISS JESSIE JACKSONS ASS FOR IT EITHER.
Wow.
It strikes me tonight that most Americans don't know one another very well. If you live in the suburbs, or in certain very "blue state" environments, it's easy to forget just how much abject, naked racism still exists in this country. I suppose sometimes it's good to be reminded. My kids and I had breakfast in a bagel diner in a very white area north of Fort Lauderdale this morning, and though my kids were thankfully oblivious to it, I was very much aware of how "uncomfortable" many of the people in that diner were with our presence. Even the waitress was stiff as a board, until we spoke up, and proved to be quite pleasant and well spoken ... you know ... "not those kind ..." By the end, she was very relievedly complimenting me on my children's impeccable manners. And so it goes. I guess it's a good thing they didn't pull an O'Reilly and scream "m-en-effer, I wan't some m-en-effin' iced tea!" These little junkets, not all that far from home, are always an interesting experience, and one that most white people cannot understand, just as black people (myself included), fail to appreciate the rage many whites feel at what they consider to be blacks' special place in America. (We don't think it's so special, by the way...)
By the way, permit me to testify that TV On'e decision has nothing to do with "reverse racism" or some special love for Barack Obama. The folks who own and run Radio One/TV One are Republicans (I know this first-hand ... I used to work for them) and those at the very top ... if you know what I mean ... have no love for the Senator from Illinois.
This is about ratings, and about business. The foundering former media giant sold off its talk radio assets literally a couple of months before the Obama phenomenon took off, including both stations and national (as well as local) talent. They don't even have Joe Madison anymore. Meanwhile, they've got this cable TV network with very little programming on offer, and BAM! Along comes an easy ratings opportunity. Ask yourself: what would you do if you were the CEO, catering to an audience that is 93% black in a year that features the first black man to become the nominee of a major political party? Conversely, what would covering the GOP convention merit TV One, besides a few nights of abysmal ratings (more abysmal than usual...)
Let's try it another way.... Would Bravo, which is also an entertainment network, cover either political convention? Nope. But if Charlie Crist were to become the vice presidential nominee, Bravo might think twice... You see? It's called "narrowcasting."
| Labels: race in Ameica, racism |
posted by JReid @ 9:27 PM   |
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