Now I am no defender of the good Reverend Sharpton, but at no point did he make any of the statements Ms. Obenshain claims. As Ta-Nehisi Coates so ably points out:
"Hey, Barack Obama has picked up another endorsement: Halfrican American actress Halle Berry. "As a Halfrican American, I am honored to have Ms. Berry's support, as well as the support of other Halfrican Americans.""That would be Rush Limbaugh talking. The same Rush Limbaugh who we are to believe was defending Barack Obama from this mythical claim by Sharpton. Amazing."
Satire very much as a place in politics, you see, the problem here is not an issue of satire gone awry, it of simple bigotry. The whole construction of the "Magic Negro" fable is to assuage a sense of guilt. The sort of bigotry that needs a fictional construction of a people to help ameliorate feelings of discomfort. A way of saying, "I can like individual black people, but I don't have to like 'black culture'!". But here, you can read the original article (which as opposed to the lyrical milieu is actually insightful. ) written by David Ehrenstein here.
Anyway I give Ms. Hall much credit for handling the situation with grace. I would have lost it and probably went all Wayne Brady on her ass.
-cheers
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