The Curious Case of Blacks & Monkeys

I wrote about the New York Post's monkey cartoon over on NBC New York.

Much like the post I wrote for Fanhouse around this time last year when LeBron and Gisele Bundchen posed for a controversial Vogue cover shoot, I don't really get the hubbub. These images strike me as racial Rorschach tests; they reveal more about your own personal racialized perspective, than actual objective truth on malicious racist intent.

Also, in the post I didn't get to include my two scientific nits on this matter:

1. monkeys and chimps aren't the same. check the wiki.

2. monkey scientists are telling us there's only 2% difference between the DNA of chimps and humans, so technically, the insult wouldn't be that far off from the truth. And is universally applicable to blacks, whites, asians etc. So, like, Irina Shayk is almost a monkey too! It's really not such a bad deal in that case, right Al?

anyways, that's all kind of silly and beside the point. But I do wonder, especially here in NYC, when will Black people get the monkey off their back? Will there ever be a time I can call my president a monkey, and have it just be a corny joke about how he walks to the bathroom on all fours with weight on his knuckles or something? If any city should be able to roll their eyes at this, you figure it would be NYC. It's not like we think Obama's stressing any of this, right? If Irina Shayk doesn't care if you call her a monkey, why should Jessica White? All seems a little silly, or curious.

Anyape, give me a banana, some hi-fives from a cute girl, and I'm all good-- racial associations be damned.


Post Cartoon Is Not Worth Protesting Over [NBC NY]
Related:
Vogue Is Not Saying Give LeBron A Banana [TAN, AOL Fanhouse]

Michael Strahan: From Defensive End To Emmy?

Former Giant and Nicole Murphy sack-artist Michael Strahan is rumored to be in negotiations to star in his own sitcom. Which is kind of bananas, as the kids say.

I blog about it on NBC, coming up with some sitcom-corny storylines and names.

(also, between Strahan and SI swimsuit models, gap-teeth might be en vogue right now.)

My favorite is the idea of pairing Strahan and office linebacker Terry Tate. I think that's the only one with a legitimate chance of being funny. At least for a few episodes.

Here are the audition reels, first the once-and-future-thespian Strahan:



Hmmm, I guess this whole post is a scam to run the original Terry Tate sketch. Classic:



image: via

From the Slums of the Super Bowl

there was a Super Bowl yesterday, and it was fairly amazing (i came in with no special rooting interest, but by the end I think I was rooting for the Cards; I wonder if a lot of people experienced that)...

here's some posts for NBC NY

Will Steelers Thank Jints for Santonio? -- (i didn't get to explore it all, but Ben vs Eli, Plax, Steelers trading with NY to get Santonio, there are a few interesting connections between the teams)

Ben vs, Eli II -- Ben's in another league again. Hopefully Eli can follow.

And in honor of the second African-American head coach winning a Super Bowl, and maybe even more in honor of no one giving that angle much pub, we take a trip down memory lane to remember the raging hubbub and furor over Negro Bowl I:

New York City's Cookie Monster Offers Tasteless Insensitive Treats

this has been a hot item today, On: NBC NY
via: Gothamist

Clearly one of the challenges in the post-election will be determining a new threshold for sensitivity to racism. In the Bush era, America 'twas a town ruled by fear and inflammatory sound bytes. At the drop of a stereotype, the race police would be at your door.

But with our new African-Articulate President, the rush to racist judgment is tempered, just a little, by a desire to be... thoughtful. We want to emulate his consideration of context and intent and code-switching. Yet and still, we know the racists will play....

And so sets the stage for one of NYC's first WTF??? moments in the Year One of Our Lord Obama 2009, courtesy of a little downtown bakery named Lafayette French Pastry.

Fox's Arnold Diaz is the reporter on the case, outing the shop as a shelter for insensitively-named confections, and catching tasteless Bakemaster General Ted Kefalinos, uh, black-handed, distributing inflammatory crumpets he calls "Drunken Negro Face" cookies to an unsuspecting public. ("Hey, this looks like Black-Jimmy when he gets drunk!," said Sarah as she bit into the cookies' choco-nappy-sprinkles head.) The exposé breathlessly premises the question: has a more pernicious proprietor of perversely prejudiced pastries ever, uh, existed?

Well definitely not since Obama's been in charge.

continued, with proper/better editing, at NBC New York


Oh, and here's video and an After-cookie mint update:



I couldn't expound there, but I do think this and the Larry King incident highlight a newfound tolerance for this sort of nonsense. It's like: forgive them Obama, for they have sinned. They know not what they do...

It also underscores a new rule for racial politicking: Everyone gets one shot at oblivious denial.

The old Martin Luther King era racism was open and blatant and proactive. You asked people if they were racist, and they'd salute you and say, "you goddamned right i'm racist, and proud of it! Sun always shines a little brighter without any darkies around."

Those are the people that start real trouble. And if you ask them on camera about their racism, they won't act as our PC-challenged donut-maker here does. This guy has obviously switched hats from cookie maker to master cookie marketer/PR guru (when was the last time a cookie got this kind of pub), so y'know, he's fairly harmless, just trying to use freedom of speech to help line his wallet.

And honestly, if a cookie is delicious enough, you can name it whatever you want. We should judge them by the content of their character/recipes, not by, well whatever, moving on...

Mmm, Tasteless Racist Cookies Available Downtown [NBC NY]
"Drunken Negro Face" Cookies On Sale At Greenwich Bakery [Gothamist]

Is The Media Cracking Down On White Women Pols In The Age Of Obama?

some TAN overlap at NBC ...

Upon news of Caroline Kennedy's shocking withdrawal of her name -- The Name -- from consideration for the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton there's a new question: Is the media crack-down on middle-aged white women in politics a permanent part of "Change" in America, or is it just a temporary thing? ...

Three's A Trend: Another Caucasian Female Pol Goes Down [NBC New York]

Knicks Curry At Center of Spicy Sex Scandal

ah, love the tabloid headline game ...

I wrote about this Curry "gay-sex" scandal scam last night for NBC. But I didn't get to use this picture, which I love for the story.

It also reminded me of a line intended for a Knicks preview on freedarko, something to the effect of, "this is a man who rebounds like the back of his jersey should read 'No Homo'."

I did get to intersperse some groans without going offensive (nullus), noting the irony of Curry's driver filing harassment charges on a guy who wouldn't know how to harass a basketball, or opponent driving the lane, let alone this dude.

But the writing is a little soulless since it feels so obviously like a con-job by Mr. Kuchinsky. And not even a well conceived/thought out fraud. Dude basically made up the most egregious homosexual slanders he could think of and then asked for a $100K hoping it would be a small enough amount for Curry to not think about (correction, he asked for more, the $100K is just for back wages). So even annoying jokes feel as slimy as the charges in the suit themselves.

Anyways, poor Eddy Curry. He and Stephon should go start a team together.

Curry Charged With Being More Offensive On The Court Than Off It [NBC New York]

The Tao of the Eagles Giants Game

Jotted some of the oppositional Yin Yang forces at play in the Eagles Giants game. Not included there, but somewhat TAN related-- this may be the last bid for the recent generation of black mobile quarterbacks. From Randall to Vick, Culpepper, McNair, McNabb etc. None of them made it happen.

Just sayin'...

The Tao of the Eagles-Giants [NBC New York]

If Plax Isn't Actually Stupid, Then What Is He?

here's the nut of my take on Plaxico-Gate

And if Plax isn't actually stupid, then what is he? Is he unlucky? Is he an obnoxiously selfish a-hole? Is he a big proponent of the second amendment, and an armed populace? Is he too invested in male machismo? Does he have daddy issues? Is he aloof, such that he might overlook the immediate and unnecessary danger simply possessing a gun in a crowded club creates?

I have no idea on these questions, and have gotten little help from the coverage on PlaxicoGate; so it seems much like a young athlete who has all the tools but lacks the focus, blogs and the media at large are failing to maximize their potential. This is a story with serious issues a the heart of it -- gun culture, rights/rules for the rich and/or famous etc. -- by covering this from an angle that prioritizes stand-up routines over insight into how such a reckless accident can occur, we are in essence dropping the ball, and/or shooting ourselves in the leg.

it's not all wagging a disappointed finger at the media, some plax jokes in there also. after all, who can resist....

If Plax Isn't Stupid, Who's Really Dropping The Ball? [NBC New York]

Did the Days of Chivalry Leave With Sir Isiah Thomas?

The Cavs beat the Knicks down Tuesday night, like a boyfriend tired of fools flirting with his girl.

When you think about it, Cleveland had to do something. The New York media hard-on for James was such that I was afraid to touch a newspaper for fear of getting LeBron-gunk on my hand. It crossed the line into rudeness; you can admire some guy's girlfriend from afar, but you can't just start licking her the way everyone has lapped LeBron's booty the last couple media cycles.

in final edit I got to say hard-on, but no gunk! baby steps....

LeBron and Knicks Need To Get A Room [NBC]

Can Obama Fix An America That Pays Stephon Marbury $22M To Do Nothing?

There's limited space blogging sports for NBC, and in this recent musing about Marbury and Obama and reevaluating values, I couldn't include the point that makes Marbury such a paradox. That is, despite being vastly overpaid, and fairly dysfunctional, he's also one of the most giving philanthropic-oriented players in the NBA.

His move to put his name on $14 sneakers, in this era of $200 LeBrons and whatnot, along with the reputed donating this year's salary to charity, don't get enough pub in the face of all the more sensational hubbub he creates.

I've fallen victim now too, but at least I can clear my conscience a little here.

Can Obama Fix An America That Pays Stephon Marbury $22M To Do Nothing? [NBC New York]

NBC, New York, Sports Crack... It's Good For You

Been doing some sports blogging for NBC recently, they have new localized sites, and I'm playing the role of B.A. Baracus for the New York A-Team. I'll probably figure out some widget or link to keep the posts streaming over here at some point before the reign of Emperor Obama is over, but for now, since I didn't post anything else today, I'll just link some of the recent hits from the sports-crack pipe.

The Curse of Mike Mussina (sorry Muss, just sayin'!)

A Tale of One City, 3 Quarterbacks

Hal Steinbrenner is Antagonizing Sabathia For No Reason

ARod for MVP: Madonna's Valuable Player

$4M Is Going Rate For A Quality Reliever, Ahem, Omar Minaya

McGahee Would Not Make The Giants Band of Earth, Wind, and Fire

Brook Lopez, Bidges

and I still hold a torch for The Rehiring of Willie Randolph


NBC New York Sports [NBC NY]