So maybe you heard about this – at a Barack Obama for America fundraiser, Bobby DeNiro delivered a joke with the slightest hint at race relations:
"Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney. Now do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?"
The crowd cheered, laughed. But somehow this statement became insulting, degrading, racist even. How did that happen? By Newt Gingrich, of all people, saying it’s offensive, an insult, asking for apologies and claiming utmost outrage. Wait, is this the same Gingrich who, at the height of his career, wrote “For poor minorities, entrepreneurship in small business is the key to future wealth. This is understood thoroughly by most of the Asians, partially by Latinos, and to a tragically small degree by much of the American black community”?
It would appear so, though now he’s yelling that, after a lifetime of divisive rhetoric, it's Robert De Niro who divides people along racial terms. The fact that Gingrich sees it that way is the point that De Niro was making – that we can claim all we want racial tension is behind us, the fact is people still take see it. I've always found the ones who act the most shocked at such innocent humor are usually the most racist, the most prone to want to keep away from diversity - the white conservative community in Colorado that has not a single black man in the town but acts offended if somebody brings up race relations - that whole "thou doest protest too much" thing. People who are comfortable with other people’s differences can laugh about them. People who aren’t can’t.
After Gingrich finished saying the joke was utterly and terribly unacceptable, he muttered this tirade:
“De Niro is rich enough he probably doesn't notice the price of gasoline. He's successful enough he probably doesn't notice the unemployment rate. As the Hollywood actor, he might well be shortsighted enough he doesn't understand what it might do to our children and our grandchildren."
So De Niro is rich but not as rich as Romney. That’s divisive, Newt.
The price of gasoline is the lowest in the world in spite of the fact that we use more of it than anybody. Even more, the price is falsely propped up by all the heavy oil commodities trading, thanks to such folks as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, all the Wall Street bettors. Obama has approved every oil program the republicans threw at him, including his recent approval of a large portion of pipeline. More dishonest divisiveness, Newt.
Gingrich should look at the fact that the unemployment rate is the best it’s been since 2007. Not try to divide the country on lies.
And he should look at the fact that all Hollywood people do is preach about a better world, both ecologically and economically, for our children and grandchildren.
What’s Gingrich really doing? Trying to play the bipartisan politics game. HE’S creating a divide and, ever the master of mind games, trying to make it look like he's not.
You know when it’s gone too far? When even conservative talking head Ann Coulter tweeted "Can we please stop the fake 'offended' routine? Pls explain what was allegedly offensive about De Niro's joke."
Yeah. Ann Coulter, left-hating commentator extraordinaire, who’s vouched her support for Romney, is actually taking the opposite stance to the GOP’s loudest candidate. I won't even get started on Santorum's remark about the offensiveness (does he forget he compared gay men to pederasts and animal-fuckers? throwing stones and glass houses, whack job).
Michelle Obama's people saying this was offensive too - I mean c'mon, that's just back-pedaling. Show you have a sense of humor, will you? Otherwise, you're agreeing with Newt Gingrich. That should be considered apostate in the Obama household.
C’mon people, this is madness. Every time we get our panties in a twist about a harmless joke, not only do we further fuck up the dialogue of diversity in America, we also make ourselves more and more the laughing stock of the world. In the end, it seems to me that the only thing offensive about De Niro’s joke is the fact that our country’s fucked up political system is no laughing matter.
Stop being stuck-up assholes. Stop it. Don't feign offense for effect. Stop it.
- Ryan
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