The Muslim thing, especially after their explanation, is painfully ignorant. Though I wouldn’t call it racist.
The illustration on the front is just bad. Aunt Jemima was rightly construed as racist because it portrayed a black person in garb that was stereotypically used by slavewomen who were the cooks. I this illustration he’s got on a collegiate look. I don’t see it as racist.
You mean besides the Stepin Fetchit caricature?
It’s a caricature. The feature that is exaggerated is his most prominent one: his mouth. In real life, it makes for a fantastic smile. When caricatured, it turns into what’s on the box. Stepin Fetchit? How is that at all like Stepin Fetchit? That persona was servile and lazy. How is that at all like the shitty illustration on the box. Caricaturing a black man does not equal racist image.
Why isn’t this front page news and mocked out of existence?
I truly can’t see how you can’t see this as racist–maybe, perhaps, if it were only one box of “waffles” you could call caricature*, but in the context of everything else at this meeting of the minds, it can only be racist. Why exaggerate his smile and lips–why not his ears? :dubious:
*which, IMO, would still be racist. Waffles and Aunt Jemima are too closely referenced for it to not be. And wasn’t Hungry Jack a black cook for awhile or is my memory failing me for all time.
Okay, I have to say that I don’t think the “waffles” part is racist. They’re trying to paint him as a flip-flopper, just like Garry Trudeau portrayed Bill Clinton as a literal waffle in “Doonesbury”. I think the waffle part is completely political.
The caricatures, however, are not.
Oh, OK. Stepin Fetchit, Ph.D. Yes, that’s much better.
I too am a bit confused by McCain’s passing an opportunity to suck some base, but I don’t think this does it. All it takes is a handful of renounce and a dash of denounce, and yer out of it. Which I have every confidence he would have done, and gotten off scot-free. He wouldn’t have alienated any of us DFH anymore than he already has, and the base will forgive him.
But not attending? I dunno, seems pretty risky to me, more risky than the minor risk of this little contretemps becoming a BHAD. Maybe he just figures that Ms Mooseolini has sealed the deal, he doesn’t have to worry. Trouble with that is, if there is no risk in attending and it might garner even 2% of the knuckle-walking vote, I expect he would crawl a hundred yards on his hands and knees on broken glass.
There’s something here we aren’t seeing, and perhaps never will.
This is truly disgusting. I’m with silenus, if it’s fair game to criticize Obama for Rev. Wright’s statements, it’s similarly fair to expect McCain to step up and distance himself from these yahoos. Even better would be an attempt, no matter how reminiscent of King Canute, to rein them in.
I don’t think this wide brush is doing your own image much good.
Just for an example, there aren’t many states more small-town than Vermont - but VT was among the first for many civil rights advances, both for racial equality and for gender equality.
I thought he windsurfed. You know, was for the bridge before he was against the bridge.
No fucking way. I’m as white as they get, and I don’t support that shit. Please tighten your focus a whole lot.
And that lack of a sense of humor isn’t doing yours much either.
Best to lighten up now. We’ve still got a ways 'fore November.
They got Palin instead, who’s probably better at sucking up to that wing of the party. She might even have inspired a few private prayers that Jesus take president McCain under his wing come February.
“Chicken and waffles” has some arguably cultural implications, that could be interpreted as racist. From what I’ve seen when it comes the level of ignorance and/or covering of their (dumb)asses that the two creators of this idiotic stunt have demostrated, I honestly can’t tell if they were ignorant of the possible interpretation or not. At the same time, I would not be surprised if they had originally come up with a “chicken and waffles” product, but decided to just go with waffles for plausible deniability.
The Church’s Chicken chain advertised their “chicken and waffles” product while I was living in Atlanta, within the past 5 years I believe. It was posted on the walls of the Marta Trains and in the buses, which seems to deflate the racist implications of using the phrase.
At the same time, references to “chicken and waffles” in the controversial social/racial commentary short Tokyo Breakfast [NSFW] seems to maintain that there is more to this phrase than it being a regional culinary thing.
I don’t know how racist chicken & waffles is. I love the stuff (if it’s the real stuff…chicken and gravy over plain waffles, not that crap that has the waffles with the usual waffles works on the same plate with pieces of chicken), and I’m 100% European-descent (except for that 1/128 Iroquois). It’s more of a “rural” thing than a black thing, I’d think.
Crap. Sorry for not putting NSFW disclaimer on that tokyo breakfast link.
According to the wikipedia link I posted, what you describe has (again, arguably) Pennsylvania Dutch origins. While the variety that you don’t like are what was advertised by Church’s Chicken and has (again, arguably) Southern/African American origin.
But I agree with the intent of your post. The food in and of itself is not “racist” but using it as part of a stereotype with racist motives would be different. I suppose the question is, has it been applied in that manner often enough for it to be a reasonable interpretation.
Gotcha, then. I have no idea what the connotations of the waffles with the works version are, since I definitely did not experience that sort but once and in a region that I wasn’t familiar with (unlike Pennsylvania, as with the good sort).
OK, so the charge of racism is arguable, Which means that Johnny Mac would not only skate on such charges, but even more solidly attach his base, who love nothing better than a story about how the liberal media is persecuting them/him. Which, in these sorry ass times, wins.
So, whatever is keeping him from the conference, this kerfluffle is almost certainly not it, And this thing is pure gravy for Johnny Mac, there is no downside, all his base are belong to him. Its better than finding money in the street.
But something is keeping him away. Gotta hunch its a doozy. Well, has to be, doesn’t it?
Put the image on a shirt and wear it on a walk through Harlem. I dare you. I fucking dare you.
Well, until that happens, why don’t you chime in. Do YOU think it is racist? If so, why? Is any caricature of Obama racist? Seriously. If this was Obama’s Fried Chicken or Obama Brand Watermelon, I would consider them clearly racist. But this product is a commentary on him changing his mind. You know, “waffling”.