# CNN reporter calls black man "boy" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 20, 2008, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252 "2008-01-20T12:22:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/102 "2008-01-22T12:46:22Z")
[QUOTE=CarnalK] Oh Hentor, is hitting all the important points how we antagonize? [/QUOTE] If the truth doesn’t set you free, at least it makes a really kick-ass cudgel. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/103 "2008-01-22T18:46:48Z")
[QUOTE=8675309] I live in the South and “Southern boy” is a term used for males of all ages and colors, with no offense meant. [/QUOTE] In an attempt to clear the wise-assery away, this is the clearest, most direct response in this thread. Or was this a joke OP? ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/104 "2008-01-22T19:16:31Z")
Hmm, that’s funny. I just assumed that **Liberal** knew Malveaux was black. Why else would he start this thread hinting at a double standard? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/105 "2008-01-22T19:43:16Z")
[QUOTE=you with the face] Hmm, that’s funny. I just assumed that **Liberal** knew Malveaux was black. Why else would he start this thread hinting at a double standard? [/QUOTE] Like I said in my [first response](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9387020&postcount=5), I thought the double standard was being applied based on the network, not the race of the reporter. I had no idea Malveaux’s father was black, and as you know from our other discussions, I would not have considered that to be a license for her to disrespect the anchor. Quite honestly, from the tenor of the thread, I’m the person least upset about the whole issue. I’m convinced that the rationalization about “southern boy” versus “boy” and such would not have been applied to the same incident on Fox News — or as people put it here, Faux News, Fucked News, or whatever. I believe that anyone denying that is disconnected from reality, and I don’t care about the cheap “meds” jokes and so forth that will follow. I paused to answer your question because of my respect for you. Take it as you will. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/106 "2008-01-22T20:00:01Z")
[QUOTE=Ogre] Or was this a joke OP? [/QUOTE] The OP is a joke, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/107 "2008-01-22T20:20:51Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] The OP is a joke, yeah. [/QUOTE] Or another attempt at a feeble _tu quoque_ defense of [Ron Paul](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=450971&highlight=paul) and his racist newsletters. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/108 "2008-01-22T20:24:51Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] The OP is a joke, yeah. [/QUOTE] As well as someone in the past who, IIRC, has dismissed Bobby Fischer’s bigoted remarks, because the man is his chess hero. (Nothing wrong with the latter, though) ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/109 "2008-01-22T20:56:12Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Like I said in my [first response](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9387020&postcount=5), I thought the double standard was being applied based on the network, [/QUOTE] What double standard? You’ve hypothesized (plausibly or not) that some people _would_ apply a double standard under certain circumstances. But here and elsewhere you are not speaking subjunctively. Who actually applied a double standard, where? “They would have done otherwise otherwise” is something I hear alot. It seems to me it doesn’t amount to any kind of argument, but rather, is simply a characterization of a group. Yet comments like this are often offered as though they constituted arguments. -Kris ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/110 "2008-01-22T21:13:14Z")
I’m still confused about how CNN is so special that it is apparently deserving of double standard protections. Air America, CNN is not. Unless Lou Dobbs is Al Franken’s attempt at parodying conservative immigration-phobes. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/111 "2008-01-22T21:21:14Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I’m convinced that the rationalization about “southern boy” versus “boy” and such would not have been applied to the same incident on Fox News [/QUOTE] Are you kidding me? It’s not a “rationalization” at all. “Southern boy” simply does not denote the same pejorative that “boy” might in certain circumstance. It doesn’t matter whether this was on Fox or CNN at all. Had the statement been made on Fox, nobody would have said anything, either, because there’s nothing offensive at all in the statement. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/112 "2008-01-22T21:33:45Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] It doesn’t matter whether this was on Fox or CNN at all. Had the statement been made on Fox, nobody would have said anything, either, because there’s nothing offensive at all in the statement. [/QUOTE] I disagree. If it had been on Fox, this thread would never have existed. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/113 "2008-01-22T21:54:47Z")
You know, Fox News is on 24 hours a day. If the damn liberals on this board found innocuous statements on Fox News objectionable due to it being Fox News, there would be far, far more ranting on this board than there really is. Or do you think CNN would get a pass if one of its anchors insisted on calling Obama “Osama”? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/114 "2008-01-22T21:57:46Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] Are you kidding me? It’s not a “rationalization” at all. “Southern boy” simply does not denote the same pejorative that “boy” might in certain circumstance. It doesn’t matter whether this was on Fox or CNN at all. Had the statement been made on Fox, nobody would have said anything, either, because there’s nothing offensive at all in the statement. [/QUOTE] Sounds more to me like a little old lady saying, “He’s such a nice young man-so polite.” Or describing myself as a “good Catholic girl”. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/115 "2008-01-22T22:51:53Z")
Someone once referred to me as “a Jack of all trades,” which I found really quite insulting when I disregarded the “all trades” portion… ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/116 "2008-01-22T23:31:00Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] Or describing myself as a “good Catholic girl”. [/QUOTE] That’s not what I heard… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/117 "2008-01-22T23:52:40Z")
I called John Mace a John and we both got arrested! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/118 "2008-01-22T23:55:51Z")
[QUOTE=askeptic] That’s not what I heard… 😉 [/QUOTE] Depends on the meaning of “good”, there. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252/119 "2008-01-23T00:43:08Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I’m convinced that the rationalization about “southern boy” versus “boy” and such would not have been applied to the same incident on Fox News [/QUOTE] Quite - you’re convinced, despite not giving anyone the opportunity to prove you wrong. You’re willing to accept a total and complete absence of evidence as proof that you are right, and are willing to do so with out even the slightest trace of shame-facedness. You do so, assuming that everyone who responds to you is one of your boogeyman “leftists”, and that everyone is guilty of whatever arbitrary leftist crimes you’re currently tilting at. For one so apparently eager to fight the good fight against blanket accusations of bigotry, you’re _incredibly_ willing to assume that the people you talk to are cardboard cutouts of your own design. It frankly annoys me to have to specify this, but please tell me how this fits into your “convictions”: I am not a leftist, I despise CNN (for its banality more than anything), I think the “lynching” controversy is utterly stupid, and I think Malveaux’s comment was entirely innocent regardless of her race. So, kindly inform me how you come to be “convinced” that I would condemn Fox News for any similar incident. I’m agog, I really am. Is it metaphysical, or does it smell strongly of ass? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-reporter-calls-black-man-boy/434252.md?page=5)