Posted on 03/18/2015 9:20:43 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Raven Symone sat in as a co-host on ABC News The View Tuesday and defended the TV host who lost his job for saying Michelle Obama looked like a character from Planet of the Apes.
In an exchange with fellow panelist Rosie Perez, who was infuriated by the comments about the First Lady, Symone tried to say that the remark was not racist in intent.
As The Grio reports, the former Disney and Cosby Show child star didnt see racism in the comment because the host voted for President Obama:
But was he saying it racist-like? Symoné interjected. Because [Figueroa] did say he voted for [Michelle] later and I dont think he was saying it racist.
Oh please! Perez fired back. Thats like saying, Im not a racist, but I have black friends.
The host in question, Rodner Figueroa, released an open letter to the first lady stating, I want to clarify that Im not racist and in no way was my comment directed at you, but rather the work of the [makeup] artist, which left much to be desired.
He went on to assert that hed been an activist for causes in favor of minorities. He also said hed been discriminated against in the past because he is gay.
During the exchange on The View, Perez suggested that Figueroas offensive remarks were in-line with some cultural norms in Latin America:
There is a secret in the Latin community, specifically the Caribbean, South American, Central American Latin community. They are very racist. They never want to be in the same group as black people. And he did say Michelle Obama looked like a cast member of the Planet Of The Apes.'
After quite a bit of debate, Symone then summed up her defense of the questionable remarks with a curious assertion:
But some people look like animals. Is that rude? I look like a bird so can I be mad at somebody that calls me Toucan Sam?
Figueroa has not been reinstated in his old position, despite penning the apology letter.
That is NOT Raven Symone.
Pig-man comes to mind.
I was driving in my neighborhood the other day on my way to the grocery store and I saw a woman walking a Bassett hound who looked just like her. The color of her red hair was the exact same shade as the hound’s red spots and they both jiggled excessively whilst they walked.
He got fired.
He’s lucky the Wookie didn’t rip his arm off.
Well, all people ARE animals!
J Edgar Hoover looked like a bulldog. Rosie O’Donnell looks like a Boston terrier. Rosie Perez looks like a Pekinese pug.
Et cetera
I think Michelle “bybell” Obama looks like a Wookie. If that is racist, then I apologize to all Wookies.
.
Bush looks like a monkey! (Not racist)
Obama looks like a monkey! (Racist, Racist, Racist!)
Why?
Did Raven Symone make it through Disney morally intact? If so, she may be the first.
“Goony Goo Goo.”
She does play for the other team, though.
DeFazio? He certainly looks like something from New Jersey. I’ve been out of Oregon for a long time ....
“Michelle Obama looked like a character from Planet of the Apes.”
Whoa, did this person just insult innocent apes around the world?
One of our younger relatives has felt that Michelle looked and acted like a Wookie from Star Wars.
And John Kerry looks like a horse.
That is NOT Raven Symone.
Yes it is. Why do you say it isn’t. I just watched just because you said that and that is her 100 percent. She did lose some weight and granted does’t look 6 anymore like you may remember from the Cosby Show, but she is a grown up woman on the View for that episode.
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