Posted on 12/29/2008 10:16:38 AM PST by lewisglad
Parody author defends 'Barack the Magic Negro' December 29, 2008 12:35 EST
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The Memphis author of the musical parody "Barack the Magic Negro" says he isn't surprised the song has gotten some people upset.
Author Paul Shanklin describes the song as political satire and says it's supposed to be provocative.
The song, which is sung to the tune of "Puff the Magic Dragon, has drawn attention and criticism since Chip Saltsman -- the former head of the Republican Party in Tennessee -- sent out a CD with the song on it as Christmas presents.
Saltsman managed Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign and is now running for chairman of the Republican National Committee.
The song questions whether Obama is "authentically" black and intimates white voters wouldn't have voted for him if he had been from "the hood."
(Excerpt) Read more at wztv.com ...
“Agreed, but it’s not as bad as “Banking Queen” [Dancing Queen]. I have to turn the station off whenever that is played.”
I wish Rush would go back to “My Boy Lollipop” as Frank’s theme song. Makes me laugh out loud!
Colonel, USAFR
This is a controversy manufactured by conservatives and it’s not smart.
&&&&&
This attitude is not that of a fighter for principle, but of a desire to win in the “polls.”
That will never happen! The more conservatives apologize for living, the more the leftists will advance.
Consider two teams playing tug of war. If one team keeps relaxing and letting the other team draw a new ‘midline’, pretty soon all the members of both teams will be on the same side of the original line.
We can never win by conceding to every new ‘sensitivity’ of the left. They will always make a newer demand.
We are the Israelis who have to take the incoming, but are never allowed to fire back = according to ‘world’ opinion.
The parody is hilarious. Nobody cares what you few people who find outrage everywhere you look happen to think. Go watch Olbermann.
You can call it “rationalization” if you wish, but it remains reality.
The ignorance lies in getting caught up in the use of a word - whether or not it should be allowed, and by whom. I can guarantee you that the word Negro is used by many people and in ways that are NOT insulting. There are many reasons for it to be a source of pride rather than insult, and hopefully the day will come when the ignorance surrounding it will be done away.
The point is that the parody DOES NOT need defending. The main reason some conservatives think it has to be defended, or condemned as the case may be, is because they are letting leftists define the song and dictate the circumstances surrounding it.
You will only be able to “fight for conservative principles” and win, when you refuse to allow leftists to set the premise of the arguments.
The reason Duncan practically broke his neck bringing this to the attention of media is obvious, and I seriously doubt it has much at all to do with his being “shocked and appalled” by the song. He is running for RNC Chairman against the guy who handed out the parody CD. Trying to make an issue of this is much more reprehensible to me than anything on the CD - real or imagined. The action is rife with hypocrisy, imo. The song is less about Obama than about the hypocrisy of those blacks who took it upon themselves to decide his “authenticity” - not as a politician, or even as a liberal, but as a black man. Authentically audacious!
I don’t want Duncan to be chosen, nor Saltsman. Steele and Blackwell are the two best candidates, imo, and, as much as I like Michael Steele, I prefer Blackwell because I believe he is the more conservative of the two men, and will work harder to move the party in that direction.
Yes, and negroid is an anthropological description. Niggardly, on the other hand, has nothing at all to do with color, but some ignorant school administrators say students can’t use it because it’s offensive. Tragic that “correctness” is the exclusive province of the left...
Colonel, USAFR
The only thing that hurts the GOP is the GOP!
We can agree to disagree. The reason the RNC has to defend or say sorry is because one of their own distributed it. Like it or not-fairly or unfairly-this will be viewed as racism and diminish the GOP chances in future elections. There is no excuse for this sort of stupidity.
Again, I am not outraged by the song, but what it means for the GOP-more people believing we are a racist party.
Exactly what principle does this stupid song uphold? I want to fight for the GOP-for important principles not an idiotic song that most voters will not understand and will hurt the party.
The general public will not get the joke and it will hurt the GOP-this is my point exactly.
Hey bronxboy, not all conservatives belong to the RNC!
Tragic that “correctness” is the exclusive province of the left...
Yes, there are words that offend conservatives, but that is considered our problem, not the problem of the speaker. I refer to the common, as in “frequent” as well as in “vulgar”, language of much of modern music, movies, etc.
This is an old organization named during a much different time. The word Negro is considered racist now.
But...but...Hope and Change... and George Bush!
Freedom of Speech - First Amendment
If Larry Flynt can use the First Amendment to defend himself, surely we can.
It is not!!!!
The reason the RNC apologized for it is because they’re a bunch of cowards. That’s the reason we lost this election. On top of the fact that the head of the RNC, who showed his fake outrage, is running against this guy to retain his seat. Hopefully, that won’t happen.
How can this possibly hurt the RINOpublicans?
They have the same mentality as Mooslim suicide bombers, without the guts.
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