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Is this song racist?

Is the song "Barack the Magic Negro" racist?


  • Total voters
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The song is a racist song. Racism makes a big deal of race, it makes race the central issue. The concept of a "magic negro" ... is essentially a racist concept. discrimination based upon race is racism. when various media entities asked if Obama was "black enough," it was racism. David Ehrenstein’s article in the LA Times was racist. when Sharpton got all excited about the "good" in finally having a president that is black, it was racism. and when a comedian does an impersonation of Sharpton saying such things (using intentionally exaggerated stereotypically black delivery), it's not just a mere parody, it's also racist. it utilizes racist concepts to make a point that is racist.

cut and dried, racist song. no question.
 
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No way is this racist. The only racist element is the racist Al Sharpton who is being ridiculed for his beliefs. Speaking about race does NOT make one a racist. Noticing that someone is of a paticular race is NOT being a racist. Imitating an INDIVIDUALS personal verbal intonations is NOT being a racist.

Being a race baiter IS being a racist.
 
Funny how all the people who were crying how racist this song is haven't posted here.
i thought rush's INTENT when he played that song was racist, as his audience clearly doesn't quite understand satire, or most of them anyway. he stirred the pot, so to speak, with racist intentions, imo.
 
i thought rush's INTENT when he played that song was racist, as his audience clearly doesn't quite understand satire, or most of them anyway. he stirred the pot, so to speak, with racist intentions, imo.

Really? That's what you thought his INTENT was? Based on.....actually listening, or reading something on Media Matters?

The first time he brought it up on his show, the word itself I mean, it was clearly him speaking in reference to the story that was written and Al Sharptons comments regarding Obama, while looking at the notion of Obama as a "Magic Negro", per the literary cliche, for some on the left.

When the song first debuted it was again clearly referencing that entire segment that Rush talked about it and clearly put in the guise of Sharpton parody, from the lyrics to the way it was sung.

You sit here and insult an entire LARGE population of Americans with broad strokes with seemingly no reliable reason behind it except for you have contempt for Rush Limbaugh and anyone that dares listen to Rush Limbaugh so they must all be racist bigots who either immedietely thought "hur hur they're calling the president a nigger" or whose goal was "haha, secretly I'm calling him a nigger and that's what my listerners will think". The only way one could listen to the full situation that brought the show to bear and assume that it was meant to be a racist attack on Obama (or anyone else) would be if they're coming into it with an already biased and decided slant and preconcieved notion towards Limbaugh.
 
Really? That's what you thought his INTENT was? Based on.....actually listening, or reading something on Media Matters?

The first time he brought it up on his show, the word itself I mean, it was clearly him speaking in reference to the story that was written and Al Sharptons comments regarding Obama, while looking at the notion of Obama as a "Magic Negro", per the literary cliche, for some on the left.

When the song first debuted it was again clearly referencing that entire segment that Rush talked about it and clearly put in the guise of Sharpton parody, from the lyrics to the way it was sung.

You sit here and insult an entire LARGE population of Americans with broad strokes with seemingly no reliable reason behind it except for you have contempt for Rush Limbaugh and anyone that dares listen to Rush Limbaugh so they must all be racist bigots who either immedietely thought "hur hur they're calling the president a nigger" or whose goal was "haha, secretly I'm calling him a nigger and that's what my listerners will think". The only way one could listen to the full situation that brought the show to bear and assume that it was meant to be a racist attack on Obama (or anyone else) would be if they're coming into it with an already biased and decided slant and preconcieved notion towards Limbaugh.
i did not listen, i rarely listen. but of course i think that was his intent, what else? rush is a known racist and entertainer who craves conflict in the name of ratings, and he does his job well.

are you a rush listener? i do have contempt for rush, i'm not denying that. and yes, i think many of his listeners are stupid. i have heard the callers, for god's sake.
 
i thought rush's INTENT when he played that song was racist, as his audience clearly doesn't quite understand satire, or most of them anyway. he stirred the pot, so to speak, with racist intentions, imo.

I wonder more about the intent of the writer of the original reference to obama using the words "magic negro." I believe he was a writer for the LA times.
 
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i did not listen, i rarely listen. but of course i think that was his intent, what else? rush is a known racist and entertainer who craves conflict in the name of ratings, and he does his job well.

are you a rush listener? i do have contempt for rush, i'm not denying that. and yes, i think many of his listeners are stupid. i have heard the callers, for god's sake.

I'm in general a talk radio listener, be it hot talk, sports talk, or political talk. I do listen to Rush at times (more often now that CBS axed my hot talk station). In part because he does reveal interesting bits of news that you don't hear about as quickly from the MSM (of which I always end up going and researching myself rather than taking any of Rush's words for gospel truth), in part to hear his take on conservatism which at timse is very spot on, and in part to hear and see some of the examples on my side that I hate and like to fight against from my own stand point.

What I've realized is that the VAST amount of criticism of Rush that I see from many on the other side is over exaggerated, over blown, and often times created simply out of a view point and a preconcieved belief of what he "really means" and "really thinks" and thus they take what he says...completely ignores the context that it is said in and the context presented throughout his general show attitude and statements...and try to misrepresent or simply misinterprit what he's saying into something that fits their world view of him.

When this whole thing with the Magic Negro broke I went onto an account of a person I know who has access to his site. I had listened to the original segment talking about the news paper on the radio and went and listened to the segment debuting the song. The context was bluntly obvious, the intent was bluntly obvious, to anyone that actually took the time to not ASSUME his intent based on stereotypes, preconcieved notions, and partisan hatred and actually took the time to intelligently, and unbaisedly (there's nothing more unbiased then listening to the exact words without spin being put on them from either side) judge and decide what was being said.

He had repeatedly, clearly, pointed out that who originally labeled him the "Magic Negro". He repeatedly, clearly, pointed out what the term was in a literary sense (for those that don't understand...its a literary device where there is a black character who ends up solving the problems or giving the answer to the main white character. This isn't an old phenomina, as even recently "The Legend of Bagger Vance" had Will Smith in the "magic negro" role). He repeatedly, clearly, was criticizing Sharpton for saying Obama's not "black enough" and not "down for the struggle", highlighting that while they're simultaneously trying to push Obama as the first legitimate black candidate there's people in the black community trying to downplay him as not "real" enough. And the song was done in a parody voice of Sharpton, someone whose he parodied similarly in song in the past, with lines clearly referencing the news article that he's talked about numerous times, and lampooning the entire situation.

The only way one could listen to all this and immedietely say his INTENT was to be racist would be to do it on nothing but their own stereotypical, extremely partisan, preconcieved biases against Rush Limbaugh because no actual FACTS back up the notion that this was his "intent".
 
I'm in general a talk radio listener, be it hot talk, sports talk, or political talk. I do listen to Rush at times (more often now that CBS axed my hot talk station). In part because he does reveal interesting bits of news that you don't hear about as quickly from the MSM (of which I always end up going and researching myself rather than taking any of Rush's words for gospel truth), in part to hear his take on conservatism which at timse is very spot on, and in part to hear and see some of the examples on my side that I hate and like to fight against from my own stand point.

What I've realized is that the VAST amount of criticism of Rush that I see from many on the other side is over exaggerated, over blown, and often times created simply out of a view point and a preconcieved belief of what he "really means" and "really thinks" and thus they take what he says...completely ignores the context that it is said in and the context presented throughout his general show attitude and statements...and try to misrepresent or simply misinterprit what he's saying into something that fits their world view of him.

When this whole thing with the Magic Negro broke I went onto an account of a person I know who has access to his site. I had listened to the original segment talking about the news paper on the radio and went and listened to the segment debuting the song. The context was bluntly obvious, the intent was bluntly obvious, to anyone that actually took the time to not ASSUME his intent based on stereotypes, preconcieved notions, and partisan hatred and actually took the time to intelligently, and unbaisedly (there's nothing more unbiased then listening to the exact words without spin being put on them from either side) judge and decide what was being said.

He had repeatedly, clearly, pointed out that who originally labeled him the "Magic Negro". He repeatedly, clearly, pointed out what the term was in a literary sense (for those that don't understand...its a literary device where there is a black character who ends up solving the problems or giving the answer to the main white character. This isn't an old phenomina, as even recently "The Legend of Bagger Vance" had Will Smith in the "magic negro" role). He repeatedly, clearly, was criticizing Sharpton for saying Obama's not "black enough" and not "down for the struggle", highlighting that while they're simultaneously trying to push Obama as the first legitimate black candidate there's people in the black community trying to downplay him as not "real" enough. And the song was done in a parody voice of Sharpton, someone whose he parodied similarly in song in the past, with lines clearly referencing the news article that he's talked about numerous times, and lampooning the entire situation.

The only way one could listen to all this and immedietely say his INTENT was to be racist would be to do it on nothing but their own stereotypical, extremely partisan, preconcieved biases against Rush Limbaugh because no actual FACTS back up the notion that this was his "intent".
what's hot talk?

btw, i know what "magic negro" means, and i find the words distasteful. i admit i am biased about rush, but it's because what i have heard is unduly inflammatory, and i didn't listen to that show. i did READ the lyrics, however. is it your contention that rush innocently whips up his audience?

i listen to music and sports, almost exclusively, and i read.
 
Interestingly enough, boyfriend and I were talking about this very subject at lunch today. And, I'd never heard the song, and had no idea what it was about. Thanks, Zyphlin, for a very helpful post.
 
what's hot talk?

btw, i know what "magic negro" means, and i find the words distasteful. i admit i am biased about rush, but it's because what i have heard is unduly inflammatory, and i didn't listen to that show. i did READ the lyrics, however. is it your contention that rush innocently whips up his audience?

i listen to music and sports, almost exclusively, and i read.

Then I suggest before you go and pass judgement on Rush and us who dolisten to him, you take the time out of your busy day and listen to what he does say and not what the White House and the Left Main Stream Media claims he is saying. Question for you are you on record saying that anyone that listens to Rush is A) A Racist,B)Dumb and Stupid.

As for teh topic far from being Racist it's funny when this all happen it was a Black reporter from the LA Times who wrote the article and when Rush played it was pointing this out. Far from being the So-Called racist some of you claim he is.
 
i thought rush's INTENT when he played that song was racist, as his audience clearly doesn't quite understand satire, or most of them anyway. he stirred the pot, so to speak, with racist intentions, imo.

I'll take "Making Sweeping Generalizations About People Who Disagree with Me" for $200 Alex!

Seriously, I haven't seen a better example of partisan left wing superiority complex in quite some time.
 
The song is a racist song. Racism makes a big deal of race, it makes race the central issue. The concept of a "magic negro" ... is essentially a racist concept. discrimination based upon race is racism. when various media entities asked if Obama was "black enough," it was racism. David Ehrenstein’s article in the LA Times was racist. when Sharpton got all excited about the "good" in finally having a president that is black, it was racism. and when a comedian does an impersonation of Sharpton saying such things (using intentionally exaggerated stereotypically black delivery), it's not just a mere parody, it's also racist. it utilizes racist concepts to make a point that is racist.

cut and dried, racist song. no question.

So by discussing race, this thread is racist?
 
what's hot talk?

Basically life-style talk. Stern, Opie and Anthony, that kind of genre. Though I'm not really a Stern fan, and O&A got taken off my station. Only national one I listened to was the Don and Mike Show / Mike O'mera Show though I prefered The Junkies and Big O & Dukes.

i listen to music and sports, almost exclusively, and i read.

Wow, you have my respect. I'd be afraid to wreck if I read in the car or get fired if I read at work. ;)
 
The title suggests that it is in extremely poor taste.
Not really racist, but very disrespectful, about what I would expect from todays conservative Republicans.
 
i did not listen, i rarely listen. but of course i think that was his intent, what else? rush is a known racist and entertainer who craves conflict in the name of ratings, and he does his job well.

are you a rush listener? i do have contempt for rush, i'm not denying that. and yes, i think many of his listeners are stupid. i have heard the callers, for god's sake.

Limbaugh epitomizes what is wrong in our nation, and I do not think the Liberals are that much better.
We need more intelligent discussion and less so-called entertainment.
Many years ago I listened to Rush, he was interesting at the time.
Now ?
I miss the Three Stooges.
 
The title suggests that it is in extremely poor taste.
Not really racist, but very disrespectful, about what I would expect from todays conservative Republicans.

Really? Do you expect ignorant overassumptions by "todays liberal 'independents'" because that seems to be what you're doing, and it appears you're enjoying over exaggerations.

Seeing how the only change to the title done by a "conservative republican" was to change "Obama" to "Barack". Otherwise the title, "Obama the Magic negro" was done by David Ehrenstein, who by all accounts I have been able to find is a Democrat (and black).

So how exactly are you going to make an over arching insulting comment towards all Republicans based on completely misinformed information that somehow the title was "created" by one of them....unless its the change from Obama to Barack that offends you?
 
So by discussing race, this thread is racist?

You're confused, the topic isn't this thread. Discussion of race doesn't automatically make anything or anyone racist, and I never said it did. Making conclusions solely on race, using race or racial characteristics to deride others ... these things are racist.
 
You're confused, the topic isn't this thread. Discussion of race doesn't automatically make anything or anyone racist, and I never said it did. Making conclusions solely on race, using race or racial characteristics to deride others ... these things are racist.

That's all well and good but the song made fun of Al Sharpton and his characteristics. Unless Al Sharpton is the black everyman, I don't see how you come to the conclusion that the song is racist for making fun of a single man.
 
The title suggests that it is in extremely poor taste.
Not really racist, but very disrespectful, about what I would expect from todays conservative Republicans.

The phrase was coined by a black columnist from Los Angeles, who accused Obama of not really being black. Does that change your opinion?
 
The phrase was coined by a black columnist from Los Angeles, who accused Obama of not really being black. Does that change your opinion?

The phrase wasn't even coined by him. You can find it in literature text books going all the way back to the turn of the century. Hell, it is even used in reference to black figures all throughout world literature, not just here in America.
 
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