# More racism directed at Obama **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 17, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416 "2008-10-17T18:11:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/41 "2008-10-17T22:32:03Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > I took a good look at the “obama buck”. > > I’m in Canada, and I’ve heard fried chicken and watermelon associated with blacks. And Collard greens. Never ribs or koolaid. Is Kentucky Fried Chicken a black stereotype ? Doesn’t everyone eat KFC? The watermelon is pretty jarring though, but everyone likes watermelon. I’m suspicious if only for the watermelon. Just FYI: I’m black, and I absolutely hate watermelon. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/42 "2008-10-17T22:40:16Z")
Just FTR, I absolutely do not believe her innocent act. BUT I’ve never found the watermelon and chicken thing particularly hateful. It’s a stereotype, sure, but . . . well, I’ve had worse things said about me than I like a certain popular fruit and a certain popular meat. Big whoop. I’m white and those are two of my favorite foods. I don’t think stereotypes (especially neutral or positive ones) are nearly as bad as hateful, malicious racism. To be clear, what she did was jerkish, but not, IMO, “OMG you cunt GASP GASP what is this election/country/world coming to!” ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/43 "2008-10-17T23:02:19Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > I took a good look at the “obama buck”. > > I’m in Canada, and I’ve heard fried chicken and watermelon associated with blacks. And Collard greens. Never ribs or koolaid. Is Kentucky Fried Chicken a black stereotype ? Doesn’t everyone eat KFC? The watermelon is pretty jarring though, but everyone likes watermelon. I’m suspicious if only for the watermelon. Fried chicken and waterman are the classic dyad of stereotypical cuisine. KFC just happens to be by far the most well-known and recognizable brand of fried chicken.Collard greens are recognizable “soul food.” Ribs and Kool-Aid are borderline and probably wouldn’t attract much attention if they didn’t appear alongside the others and without any stereotypical “white” food, like bologna and mayonaisse - excuse me, baloney and mayo - on white bread. It’s almost inconceivable that someone who grew up in America could put together this combination of food items along with the image of a black man and not be aware of the racial overtones. > [@Cisco](#): > > I’ve never found the watermelon and chicken thing particularly hateful. It’s a stereotype, sure, but . . . well, I’ve had worse things said about me than I like a certain popular fruit and a certain popular meat. I’m white and those are two of my favorite foods. I don’t think stereotypes (especially neutral or positive ones) are nearly as bad as hateful, malicious racism. It’s not the nature of the stereotype so much as the reduction of people into a stereotype in the first place. It robs them of their individuality and trivializes them. And if one can say he MUST like fried chicken BECAUSE he’s black, it’s a step toward saying he must also fit other black stereotypes, some of which are more hateful and malicious. By the way, I’d eat fried chicken, watermelon and ribs everyday if I could afford it and didn’t mind putting on a couple hundred pounds. How come I get stuck with boloney and mayo? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/44 "2008-10-17T23:03:02Z")
Come on. I’m Canadian, grew up in a really white town, and I’ve heard of ALL these stereotypes applied to black people. The choice of those four foods would be a coincidence on par with winning the lottery. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/45 "2008-10-17T23:17:34Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > It’s not the nature of the stereotype so much as the reduction of people into a stereotype in the first place. It robs them of their individuality and trivializes them. And if one can say he MUST like fried chicken BECAUSE he’s black, it’s a step toward saying he must also fit other black stereotypes, some of which are more hateful and malicious. I’ve never heard a stereotyper say someone MUST like/do/be something. Everybody except the hardline anti-stereotypers seems to understand that they are generalizations and don’t apply to everyone. At least that has been my experience. I’m not saying it’s ok to go around saying black people love fried chicken and watermelon or whatever, but there has to be degrees. It’s sort of like how you’ve got to be careful about comparing someone to Hitler, no matter how evil they are, because it’s going to cause a lot of people to stop listening to you. Fried chicken and watermelon stereotypes are _nothing_ compared to the more active, hateful racism out there and shouldn’t be dignified with outrage, in my opinion. They should get something more like a rolleyes and a dry “oh that old bit. How original.” That said, I repeat that this lady is a jerk and a liar. If she admitted it was a joke I would have a lot more respect for her. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/46 "2008-10-17T23:35:08Z")
Even if she was honestly ignorant of the stereotypes, by the time the controversy exploded, she certainly was aware of them. At that point I think she should have apologized profusely and sincerely and not as she did, “I absolutely apologize to anyone who was offended. That clearly wasn’t my attempt.” Saying “I apologize to anyone who was offended” always seemed wrong to me. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/47 "2008-10-17T23:49:08Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Even if she was honestly ignorant of the stereotypes, by the time the controversy exploded, she certainly was aware of them. At that point I think she should have apologized profusely and sincerely and not as she did, “I absolutely apologize to anyone who was offended. That clearly wasn’t my attempt.” **Saying “I apologize to anyone who was offended” always seemed wrong to me.** (bolding mine) And it is wrong. It ducks responsibility. Can you imagine a murderer saying “I apologize to those who felt sad because I killed that guy”? :smack: The apology should be “I am sorry I killed that guy”. The killing is wrong, not the fact that it caused sorrow. In this case, the whole thing is wrong, not the fact that it caused offense. I’m not sure that these chowderheads are capable of understanding that, tho. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/48 "2008-10-18T00:21:04Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Well, the food is because they weren’t “Obama bucks”, they were parodies of food stamps. Yeah, kinda like I said in Post #12. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/49 "2008-10-18T00:49:37Z")
From [http://www.pleasegodno.com/](http://www.pleasegodno.com/) > [@](#): > > In May I posted a satirical article regarding a fake Obama food stamp plan. This article was complete satire and I wanted to let anyone reading this know that this was not a slight on Obama at all. It was a satirical look at all the Fox News watching right-wingers out there that are afraid of a government that sponsors welfare type programs. > It was intended to poke fun at the unrealistic fears and agenda of racism that a fringe element of Republicans strongly embrace. > Evidently, people that did not take the satirical nature of the article in to account and not exploring other posts on this site forwarded my “Obama Bucks” food stamp image to their racist right wing counterparts. > So now this is a major news story. > Some dumb ass from the right wing group Chaffey Community Republican Women led by a housewife named Diane Fedele, thought it would be a good image to include in their Republican newsletter. > What a complete moron. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/50 "2008-10-18T01:09:21Z")
> [@Seven](#): > > From [http://www.pleasegodno.com/](http://www.pleasegodno.com/) Well now I’m fucking more outraged. So some unidentified idiot poking fun at Republicans for the benefit of providing jollies to like-minded liberals explicitly and knowingly employs black stereotypes to foster an image of the Republican stereotype. Lots of laughs here:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/51 "2008-10-18T01:16:19Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > Well now I’m fucking more outraged. So some unidentified idiot poking fun at Republicans for the benefit of providing jollies to like-minded liberals explicitly and knowingly employs black stereotypes to foster an image of the Republican stereotype. Lots of laughs here:rolleyes: [del]Boy[/del]Man, have I got a magazine cover for you: > **[Barry Blitt](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/barry-blitt)** > > Barry Blitt is a cartoonist and illustrator. Since 1992, he has contributed illustrations and more than a hundred covers to The New Yorker. In 2020, he won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning, for work that included several covers for the... ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/52 "2008-10-18T01:21:28Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > Well now I’m fucking more outraged. So some unidentified idiot poking fun at Republicans for the benefit of providing jollies to like-minded liberals explicitly and knowingly employs black stereotypes to foster an image of the Republican stereotype. Lots of laughs here:rolleyes: Translation: “someone made a joke and I’m pissed because I donated my sense of humor to a dying boy scout years ago”? ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/53 "2008-10-18T01:51:35Z")
Ya really gotta wonder about this ol’ shuffle and step Har Har Watermelon Negra humor in, what, the 21st century?.. “Hey, cuz, like these Darkies like to eat, urm, um hrrmm…Heh Heh… well, That’s What They Eat!..” Laff-a-riot. The best response to this idiocy I heard today was from [Frangela](http://frangela.com/), an excellent comedic duo, who, if ya haven’t heard of 'em, ya oughta; They are sharp and funny gals. On the Stephanie Miller Show, they addressed this particular crap, and then owned it. Basically, said(paraphrasing), “Umm, Hmm, well, why don’t they just go for it? They’re Lazy. Why not have a bone in his nose, maybe a loincloth?? They’re Lazy with this watermelon chicken crap…” A joy to hear. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/54 "2008-10-18T03:12:56Z")
The “fried chicken and watermelon” stereotype is more than just speculation about people’s favorite food. It is shorthand for a whole host of stereotypes- mostly along the lines of “Black people are simple, uncomplicated, childlike and unambitious people. Their biggest pleasure and biggest concern in life is the source of their next bucket of fried chicken. They aren’t really concerned with or even able to comprehend larger political issues. Hell, they were probably happier on the plantation where they could eat all the watermelon and play banjos all day.Politically, there is no need to take their concerns seriously- just make sure there is plenty of chicken at the next church picnic and they will be over the moon.” ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/55 "2008-10-18T07:22:42Z")
Something like this happened about 16 uears ago at aduty station I will not mention. I was single then and living in the barracks. A buddy of mine that was an MP stopped me on my way to the commisary (walking) and told me it was closed. You see it was Black History Month and some nimrod set up a display with MLK, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas pictures etc…on a table with black eyed peas, watermelon, chicken etc…I didn’t see it but according to my friend it set off a miniature riot when some of the customers got upset about it. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/56 "2008-10-18T08:05:34Z")
I never got how watermelon got to be associated with blacks as strongly as it is. _Everyone_ likes watermelon, especially fresh Southern watermelon on a hot afternoon with some sweet tea to wash it down. In fact, the people we should abhor are the lonely, half-assed freaks who _don’t_ like watermelon! _They_ should be stereotyped! 😃 (watermelon-eating grin) ```auto The true Southern watermelon is a boon apart, and not to be mentioned with commoner things. It is chief of the world's luxuries, king by the grace of God over all the fruits of the earth. When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat. It was not a Southern watermelon that Eve took; we know it because she repented. -- Mark Twain, "Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar" ``` ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/57 "2008-10-18T08:09:45Z")
I’ve been told that the stereotype of Blacks liking fried chicken and watermelon used to come with the assumption that the chicken and the 'melon were _stolen._ In other words, the people involved were too lazy to work, so they learned to like food that was easy to steal instead. Charming, if true, but I’d like to see more evidence for it before I believe that was a common belief and not just a few people’s spin on it. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/58 "2008-10-18T11:51:48Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > I’m originally from Arkansas, and whenever I come across a story like that, I’m going “Oh, God, it’s going to be somebody from Arkansas” while the link’s loading, then scan the article and go WHEW! when I find out it isn’t. That ever happen to y’all wrt your home state? Yes, although in my case it’s “please don’t let it be a foreigner, please don’t let it be a foregner…” ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/59 "2008-10-18T13:24:16Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > I’ve been told that the stereotype of Blacks liking fried chicken and watermelon used to come with the assumption that the chicken and the 'melon were _stolen._ In other words, the people involved were too lazy to work, so they learned to like food that was easy to steal instead. Charming, if true, but I’d like to see more evidence for it before I believe that was a common belief and not just a few people’s spin on it. The stereotype of “Soul Food” arose in the 30s and 40s when huge numbers of poor southerners–white and black–left the South and moved to the urban centers of the north to look for work. They took Southern foods north with them. For reasons that are not clear to me (but that I suspect have to do with the concentration of northern African Americans in small areas where as white migrants were more dispersed), those foods in the north became associated with African Americans. The stereotype spread back south. I honestly think the foods pictured, however, are the least of it: calling them bucks (a very old, southren racist term implying an over-sexed, animalistic black man) and making them _food stamps_, associating African Americans w/ welfare, both seem more offensive to me. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416/60 "2008-10-18T13:33:47Z")
Personally I would have found her explanation a little bit more believeable if the food had been Haggis,Curry and Sushi but there is something more important that we should be thinking about. Isn’t it our duty to call the emergency services when we’re in the the presence of an on going suicide? In this case of the Republican Party. At least this election they’re showing consistancy in that the grass roots are obviously as dumb as their leadership. What the hell is going on? Has the Republican first team all buggered off on an overseas holiday? I want Obama to win but in all fairness the Republicans do have some very intelligent people in their organisation,not that you’d think so at the moment. Maybe they’ve all been abducted by aliens and are at this very moment being serially probed in a mother ship somewhere. Yes that seems to be the most plausible explanation cos I’m fucked if I can think of another one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-racism-directed-at-obama/468416.md?page=4)