this is good.

hilarious!

i almost missed this one! this is hilarious! i love you sarah haskins!

and...ok here we go.

It's been a while since I was irked enough to post and simultaneously near my computer with a few extra minutes. The planets have aligned (i don't think i've ever used that phrase. not sure i ever will again.) and here's a post about racist white people.

This political cartoon was in the New York Post yesterday:
WTF. Two cops saying that they're going to have to find someone else to write the stimulus bill...Who has been talking about the stimulus bill that he's been working on for months? Oh right, the new president. Obama. Who did these cops just kill? Oh, yes. A fucking monkey.

I found this out via Feministing (who linked to Racialicious, but their page has been having problems since I tried to go there yesterday) and Sociological Images. Both of these sites post really smart things on a regular basis. I should have been mentally prepared for some of the dumbfuckwhitepeople comments. Here's a taste:

This one is from a commenter who calls hirself "Eighty":

I'm a feminist, an agnostic, a liberal, a first-generation American, and member of pretty much every other left-leaning social group. I've seen Jessica speak at my university, I follow her on Twitter, I've read her books, and I've been subscribing to Feministing since before I graduated high school.

THIS CARTOON IS BY NO MEANS RACIST. It's not calling Barack a monkey. It's not calling African-Americans monkeys. It's not saying we should assassinate Barack, and it's not saying we should assassinate African-Americans. It's simply calling the authors of the stimulus (plus Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and 435 white, black, Latino, and Asian women and dudes) idiots. You know, like the figure of speech "a trained monkey could do that!".

The author warrants being (from a commenter) "questioned by the secret service" and blogreaders are being encouraged to attend a protest and write letters to the editor of the New York Post? What has happened to this blog?

Sensitivity, shmensitivity. Anyone who sees anything racist in this cartoon is deluded and grasping at straws; to the same effect, I can look at the Barack Obama for Senate yard sign hanging on my wall and find a Nazi recruitment message if I really try. But I don't, because that would be stupid.

Spectacles like this distract from the real issues, and I'm disappointed in Feministing for getting caught up in this nonsense. Remember how we all flip out when Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity get their panties in a bundle over dumb stuff That's how we're going to be judged for acting if we don't straighten up and start being rational.

Here's one from "Sly":

Also, Racialicious has been known to be out there sometimes, in PC-overdrive. I think its being hypersensitive. There's a reasonable explanation for what the Post did & while their defensiveness is a problem, I can't call this racist without more evidence.

And here's one from "Lyn" over at Sociological Images:

When it comes to credibility over social issues NOBODY should be listening to “Reverend” Al Sharpton. There is NO implied racism in Mr. Delonas’ cartoon. I hope no newspaper editorial staff will overreact to the ridiculous uproar over this cartoon. There is no reason to start trying to avoid blacks’ sensitivity. Blacks need to get over themselves they and their feelings are just not that important.

It’s not a racist cartoon it’s a political cartoon. Dissent is not racism damnit.

Now I am by no means giving all the commenters fair representation, but this to me is incredible. I wouldn't blink an eye if I were to see these comments on any mainstream media outlet's site, but these assholes seem to be convinced that they actually care about social justice. In-fucking-credible.

Okay, I'm running out of time because it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure out how to post a picture in the right spot. On the same note, though, I'm considering either starting a different blog, or just using this blog, to document my (seemingly) daily encounters with racism. From racism in media to my students' racist comments to dumbasses with signs in the union claiming that "racial preferences are dead." Racists are f'ing everywhere.

floridumb.

i'm sitting in a weird Activity Center in a retirement trailer community in Florida. no one is around which is nice, yet creepy. i decided it was worth the $2 to purchase one hour of internet time. i left Milwaukee less than a week ago to drive down here with my mom. it's shown me how reliant i am on a few things: media, the internet, my own music, podcasts, npr, internet, internet, internet. Obviously i'm also addicted to drinking with people i love, but i already knew i'd miss that while gone. these other things are somewhat surprising. Oh, turns out i also like having to run errands and walk places.
Also surprising: Crappy TV is turning me into an insomniac. the other night i stayed up until 4am because i couldn't sleep. i think it was a combination of 4 hours of Cosby Show marathon and then I happened to catch "What Not to Wear" (which i need to talk to S and A about because i know they're big fans ... i wasn't sure what to think when i saw this episode. it depressed me a little, but again, insomnia, so who knows?) and then some other mom-needs-to-take-care-of-herself-via-makeover show.
I have realized the following occurs when I am bored with my mom for a bit too long and lacking other mental stimulation: I already mentioned insomnia. I look forward to eating quite a bit. I don't want to do anything. I just want to watch TV even though that really does mean I will spend 50% of that time watching the same effing insulting and offensive commercials over and over and over. i'm boooooooooored. bored. i honestly don't think i've uttered those words in a really really long time.
i'm ready Sarah Vowel's newest book, the Wordy Shipmates. It's pretty good despite my little knowledge about the 1600s.
i'm thinking my PMS isn't helping my situation. yesterday i almost freaked out on my mom's neighbor for talking insanely loud on her cell phone. holyshitshutthefup!
i'm going to read some more stuff online before I head back to the trailer. maybe i'll take a walk and catch up on TAL or something.
i'm totally over florida for now. i know that it's really nice outside. i shouldn't complain. i'm ready to come back. i wish dathan were going to be there. balls. baaallllls. girl (meaning me) needs a drink with some interesting and funny peops stat.
xo