Is This Satire Too?

I'll talk a bit about the alleged double-standard that was brought up at the Media Matters site after you take a listen to this. Tell me whether or not you think this is racist.



Rush will likely attempt to hid behind his cloak of "I was just repeating what Harry Reid did" even though this discussion has not one thing to do with Harry Reid.

Is this racist? You're goddamn right it is. Was their a security reason why The Dali Llama was taken out an alternate entrance? More than likely, yes. Does Rush consider this? Absolutely not, as it would not fit into his agenda.

But here's something else.

In the comments section of the Media Matters site, it would proposed that Eddie Murphy does a decent impersonation of a Jewish person and he was never castigated for this. Highly unlikely that he wasn't frowned upon by some, but this comes down to Limbaugh's ( and most conservative's ) favorite word when they have to excuse something that they've done or said - Context.

Nevermind the fact that those conservatives that use that term have no inkling as to it's clearly defined meaning, but let's look at the context of Rush using "negro dialect" and Eddie Murphy impersonating a Jewish person. For the sake of continuity, here's Eddie's famous scene from the film "Coming To America".



Now, was that inherently racist? Not at all. Eddie was not portraying the Jewish people in a negative light nor stereotyping them as a people that lack the ability to do anything or speak in a manner that is odd or outside the "norm". It's comedy.

As far as Rush Limbaugh is concerned, he is looked upon as a man who provides "serious" and legitimate" commentary. He even fancies himself a man who utilizes facts and speaks "truth". He's not a comedian nor a satirist. He's a commentator who has attempted to pass of for over 20 years that he is speaking for the "values" of the conservative movement. In that context, his statements are a pure form of racism.

Some would like to argue ( like Sarah Palin ) that his commentary IS satire. I can almost see how that is a valid statement, but you have to look at how Limbaugh's show is structured and it's intended themes. While he may attempt to poke fun at one particular situation or another, his program is designed as a talking-point generator, not a joke machine.