In the last post I ridiculed the idea that saying "Hallelujah!" might offend anyone.
Not so fast.
I almost forgot that almost anything can be taken as racially insensitive. Or inflammatory:
ALBANY, April 13 -- Raoul Felder, a celebrity divorce lawyer who is chairman of a state commission that oversees judges, has been given a unanimous vote of no confidence by the other nine members of the commission for helping to write a book they said is racially and ethnically inflammatory.
I read the piece carefully, and while I could find nothing which I would consider racially inflammatory, I'm assuming the reference must have meant these criticisms of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton:
Mr. Felder and Mr. Mason, longtime friends, appear as cartoon superheroes on the cover of the book, which is titled "Schmucks! Our Favorite Fakes, Frauds, Lowlifes, Liars, the Armed and Dangerous, and Good Guys Gone Bad."
They take shots at a number of public figures and ethnic groups. Barbra Streisand is dubbed "Mentl" and the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is "Botox-addicted." Chapters in the book take on Tom Cruise and France and have titles like "Al Sharpton, Praise the Lard."
The authors write that Mr. Sharpton, who has been one of Mr. Imus's leading critics, could be the first president impeached before being elected.
They add, "Who thought it was a good idea to make Jesse Jackson the arbiter of racial healing? That makes as much sense as Ted Kennedy being a lifeguard at a girls' school."
The tone of the book is a familiar one to fans of Mr. Mason, who has been condemned by various groups in the past for jokes that veered over racially sensitive lines.
Sorry, but I don't see any racial epithet or racial slur there -- either overt or covert. What I do see is political satire -- criticism of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.
But is it based on race? What's racial about saying "Praise the Lard"? Exactly the same phrase could be uttered to mock the girth and religious sincerity of Jerry Falwell, but because he's white, no one would see any racial component.
Is there some new rule that all criticism of Al Sharpton is racist?
If so, then it's probably racist for me to say "Hallelujah!" within ten words of "Al Sharpton."
But I should count my blessings. At least it's still OK to make fun of Thetans in a post mentioning Tom Cruise.
posted by Eric on 04.17.07 at 09:39 AM
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It is forbidden to use the term al-sharpton (literal meaning: Chock full o' Thetans) within fifty words of the name of the anti-Thetan, i.e., Tom Cruise. The Defenders of Goodness And Guardians Against All Else have taken an interest in this matter.
Robert Beck · April 17, 2007 10:14 AM
Oddly enough I was joking with some of my Latin students about thetans today.
And of course thetans are responsible for perceptions of racism.
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
Don?t bang your head!
It is forbidden to use the term al-sharpton (literal meaning: Chock full o' Thetans) within fifty words of the name of the anti-Thetan, i.e., Tom Cruise. The Defenders of Goodness And Guardians Against All Else have taken an interest in this matter.