Posted on 09/17/2012 12:59:52 PM PDT by DogByte6RER
Rodeo clown was behind racist joke about Michelle Obama
It was rodeo clown Mike Hayhurst of Barstow, not announcer Ed Kutz of Arroyo Grande, who made an offensive, racist joke about first lady Michelle Obama over the public-address system of the Creston Classic Rodeo, a rodeo board member confirmed Sunday.
Spectators initially believed and reported that Kutz made the comment Saturday. Both he and Hayhurst were on microphones at the same time.
Speaking Sunday on behalf of the rodeo’s nine-member board, Mike Barrett said the rodeo is not responsible for the joke and will ask Hayhurst for a letter addressing the issue and a public apology. The board will discuss at its next meeting whether it will fire Hayhurst, and it will review scripts for future performances by any clowns.
“We probably won’t be using his services in the future,” Barrett said of Hayhurst.
The joke, as told by Hayhurst, went like this: Playboy is offering Ann Romney $250,000 to pose in the magazine, and the White House is upset about it because National Geographic only offered Michelle Obama $50 to pose for them.
According to rodeo board member Tom Hansen, the joke fell flat.
“Creston didn’t find it funny. This isn’t the kind of thing we trade in,” Hansen said.
Hayhurst was not performing at the rodeo Sunday. He was taken to an area hospital Saturday evening for head injuries, Barrett said. He did not know whether the injuries were related to an incident at the rodeo Saturday in which a bull tossed Hayhurst into the air.
When reached on his cellphone Sunday and asked whether he wanted to apologize for the joke or explain his comment, Hayhurst said: “I cannot believe how insensitive you are. I am in the hospital.” He then uttered a vulgarity and hung up.
Hayhurst has performed at the Creston event for several years but is an independent contractor and not officially affiliated with the rodeo, Barrett said. According to Hayhurst’s website, prorodeoclown.com, he has performed as a rodeo clown since 1977. He was once a city police sergeant and is now a charter school administrator.
Kutz, who was erroneously identified as the one who made the comment in initial reports, declined to speak to The Tribune on Sunday.
At the rodeo Sunday, as organizers distanced themselves from the comment, several people in attendance said they were not offended by the joke and did not believe an apology was necessary.
A woman who refused to give her name but said she lives east of Creston said, “It’s called freedom of speech. I don’t think (Hayhurst) did anything out of the ordinary. ... Let’s not blow things out of proportion.”
Another man who lives in Creston, who also declined to be named, said, “It’s not racist at all. It’s a joke. If these people are offended by that, then they don’t need to come to our rodeo.”
But one woman, who also would not identify herself, said, “It’s offensive on many levels. It’s also offensive to women, and it’s not an appropriate comment for a public forum.”
" ... he (Rodeo Clown) informed them on the rodeo's PA system that Playboy had offered Mitt Romney's wife Ann $250,000 'to pose in the magazine.'
But shock soon turned to horror when Hayhurst went on to say that 'the White House is upset about it because National Geographic only offered Michelle Obama $50 to pose for them.'"
At first ... I thought it might have been this clown that told the "offending" joke.
How was that joke racist?
I think the National Geographic reference is one of those “code words”.
Ditto.
Why, that's even racist for you to ask!
geez, i think it’s kinda funny
“How was that joke racist?”
Because it was about EmpERROR Zero’s wife.
Natgeo magazine is known for featuring photos of naked African and aboriginal women.
Well, it’s not very nice to make sex jokes out of the two contenders for FLOTUS, but I fail to see why it is racist.
what was so offensive ???
Well, its a little stretch. Think of the “naked native African villagers” pictures in National Geographic in the 1960’s-1970’s.
So, which clown told the joke?
***...only offered Michelle Obama $50 to pose for them. ***
That is mild compared to some of the Rodeo jokes I heard 45 years ago!
That joke feels a bit squatchy.
I remember as a kid that National Geographic showed the breasts of black women but never white women.
Well, if they only had pics of white women wouldn't that be racist?
:-)
This clown is used to dodging the bull. But the muzzy’s in the white hut will be throwing a lot of bull his way now.
You can’t make fun of the won.
This shows how little liberals understand or support the 1st Amendment. They are now just like those terrorists who are demanding a world law that bans freedom of speech.
ping
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