During his monologue he had a joke that went something like this (hopefully I don’t butcher it too badly):
“So, Obama was in Minnesota this week talking about health care reform. He warned that citizens should not fall for right wing ‘scare tactics’ when it comes to health care debate. Scare tactics? What about sending a black man to Minnesota!?”
Are Minnesotans supposed to be afraid of black people? (“What’s wrong with him? Why doesn’t he have blond hair and blue eyes?”) Or are black people supposed to be afraid of racist Minnesotans?
Being from Minnesota, I’m not offended. It’s just a joke. It seems like the joke would work better if it referenced a state that had some notable history of racism. I’m just confused…
Minnesota has one of the smallest percentages of black population of any state, and its total population is far larger than any state with a smaller percentage. That gives it claim to being the “whitest” state in the nation.
You don’t need more than that to make a late night joke.
Seeing as we elected (and re-elected) a black guy to Congress, and the only Muslim in Congress, I don’t think Minnesotans are all that scared by a black man.
Obama got his first big push in the campaign just below us, in Iowa. And he was actually here in Minnesota when he learned that he was going to win the nomination.
But expecting anything like reason or logic in late night comedy is pointless.
A girlfirend I had in college, who is black, did a summerstock stint in NW Minnesota and met people who had, literally, never seen a black person in real life before. The reactions that she got tended to be less hostile and racist and more curiosity. It was like people from the south or southwest seeing snow for the first time. Granted these people were the exception to the rule and came from the more distant rural areas of the state.
I think the joke might go over better if it was on Utah or Idaho.
As an aside, I knew a couple of guys who referred to the 1990 Senate election by saying “There are two Jews in Minnesota and they are both running for the Senate.” So maybe Minnesotans like to emphisize their own WASPiness. Of course I dont think Conan is from Minnesota either.
There are less than 50,000 Jews in Minnesota, something like 9/10ths of 1% of the population.
Yet we have have had a Jewish Senator for the last 19 years, and will have for the next 5 years. So basically the last quarter-century with at least one Jew representing us in the Senate.
(Maybe we think they can do better for Minnesota in the wheeling-dealing in Washington. Like Archie Bunker, who said if you’re going to court, hire a good Jew lawyer!)
Some comedian: “I here they now have the Klan up in Alaska. I wonder what they say at those rallies, 'We need to get rid of Eric. Eric is the cause of all our country’s problems.”
More than that, actually. Boschwitz was first elected in 1978, so its been the last 30 years. The only time since 1978 that the holder of Franken’s seat hasn’t been Jewish was when Dean Barkley was appointed in the wake of Wellstone’s death.
