Monday, January 29, 2007

I say, "Ah, Washinton" :-(

There's nothing like a good old insincere apology to let you know that someone is truly full of crap... And sometimes desperate. This year the media has been full of them. We've had what in my opinion was the least offensive which was Mel Gibson who apparently let some racist remarks slip while he was drunk. Then we had the most offensive which was Michael Richards who went on an awe inspiring tirade against black people later in the year. Then falling somewhere in between was Isaiah Washington who called one of his co-stars on Grey's Anatomy a derogatory word for gay people.

I find it interesting that the media chose to make an example of these people this year. But what's most interesting is the worthless apologies we get afterward as these celebrities desperately try to save their career. I don't know what Mel Gibson's apology was like but Michael Richard's was just hilarious. After saying that black people should be hung upside down with forks in their ass he claimed that he "wasn't even a racist." Of course, he doesn't have a job to lose. Isaiah Washington's going to some kind of counseling? That's interesting. It all reeks of desperation.

So what exactly are we playing at here? Are we pretending that we're a society of tolerant nice people when clearly we're a load of bigotted monsters? Do celebrities now serve the extra role of being a scapegoat for what's inside of us anyway?

I'll tell you what bothers me most. Rosie Odonnel says ignorant things every week! Most recently she said that American Idol was a show about making fun of the mentally challenged. Who is she to say the people on the show are mentally challenged? Who is she to say Clay Aiken is gay and Kelly Ripa is a homophobic? And if she's so righteous why was she mocking Asian people a few weeks back? I'd like to say this isn't another I hate Rosie rant... but for the record I hate Rosie.... rant. She can get away with being consistently ignorant now? Why? Because she's a gay, woman. The mantle of saying whatever the hell you wanted in the media used to belong to the black people. Anyone who's seen Eddie Murphy's delirious knows that. Oh, the things he said about gay people back in the day. 50 cent, Beanie man even P.Diddy have had lyrics in their music that would be offensive to gay people. But when Eminem used the "f word" he was quickly reprimanded. Ah yes, it was quite a time to be black not long ago.

But those days are over. Isaiah Washington (and Mel Gibson) was punished for saying in private what Rosie Odonnel says on a weakly basis in front of billions of people. What a world. I guess it's a good thing that we're more vigilant about what we say, but it seems like there's a lot of pressure building up. As if biting our tongues for so long is going to result in an unleashing of verbal hatred so foul it will destroy the world in one all encompassing slurr. Soon, all the bigots of the world will go into the streets and scream the word "ChakiNaggot-Bitch!!!" (that's my attempt at putting several racial epithets into one word. You like?) and all the minorities of the world will cry. Maybe everyone living in a multi-cultural society needs counselling.

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