Quick google search showed nuthing of the sort!
Dan Rather Makes 'Watermelon' Quip
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Quick google search showed nuthing of the sort!
The stereotype is that black people have an innate fondness for eating watermelon. What the hell does Rather's statement that Obama couldn't sell watermelon with police flagging down motorists have to do with the stereotype? Maybe if he said that Obama couldn't sell watermelon to black people I could see it, but based on what he said I just don't.
And MSNBC didn't cut him off. Neither did NBC which actually aired the program. Near as I can tell all the other panelists tried to get a shot at talking next by talking over Rather as he concluded his remarks. Have you ever watched a show with a panel discussion?
Hmm.. I may be thinking of another newsie. I thought I remembered him saying so. Oh well. One in a billion...
However the fund raiser he attended in Texas rasied $20K for Democrats. That is a pretty good indication of where he stands. (His daughter was the hostess of the event, he tried to tell people he "didn't know" it was a fundraising event... yeah, right.)
Tell me. How often have you seen people selling watermelon on the side of the highway? Maybe he should be "fetching coffee"... we can ask Bill.
Because he knew he could make a racist comment and his brethren would let him get away with it.
I take it you can't articulate what about Rather's statement invokes the stereotype of black people having an innate preference for watermelon. I'm willing to be convinced that Rather really meant to invoke a racist stereotype but I can't really see it and I've watched the relevant segment of The Chris Matthews Show, including the discussion leading up to the comment and thereafter.
And to answer your question, I quite often see lots of farmers selling their produce at farm stands on the side of the road in the summertime, including watermelons when they are in season. Most of the people that I recall seeing selling produce, including watermelons, at such roadside farm stands were white people. Is there some stereotype about black people selling watermelon on the side of the road that I'm simply unaware of?
Actually I think I articulated it well and you cannot get past your affiliation agreement and therefore are willing to offer any apology necessary. As I said before, it is pretty much equal to Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh here. As for farmers selling their produce... I can pick any number of foods they sell that are not a stereotyped food. Dan Rather made a living on words, he should have chosen his words in this case more carefully to avoid this controversy. (This has been my point throughout.)
Imagine if he had said "corn" for instance.
Let me think of a better way to say that for Dan. "Obama couldn't sell corn to starving people."
Not once did I use a stereotype in that sentence.
Where did you articulate your argument that Rather invoked a racist stereotype? Your point about Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh is that, like Sarah Palin, I don't see the transgressions of people that I like, but you haven't explained how Rather's comment invokes a racial stereotype.
Your argument is essentially that using the word "watermelon" when talking about a black person is always racist. That's stupid.
Again. The stereotype is there, obvious in the sentence and you have articulated it many times. It has been my point that Dan would have been better served to avoid that particular stereotype and thus avoid unnecessary controversy. However innocent the remark may have been, there are people who will read it this way. (This is what I said, you are welcome to go back and read it.)
His point is lost, all we speak about is the stereotype inherent in the statement and thus he has failed to communicate what he planned to communicate. It is lost in the controversy.
I don't know why you think it was a perfect statement, involving no stereotype, and that he may never have been able to avoid controversy by simply picking a foodstuff without the direct link to stereotype of the race of the subject.
If you are "arguing" with me, that is pretty much what you are saying.
It is a racial slur that dates back to my father's days as a young man. Ask any black person and they will more than likely say references to eating, selling, or stealing watermelons are a racial slur and stereotype black people.
Here's what I found with Google:
Poor blacks in the south had to eat whatever was easy to make and cheap back in the days. Watermelon was easy to grow in those seasons. Same thing goes for chitlins (pig-intestines), they were cheaper than beef and what not. It's just that families start cooking them more and more and the stereotype passed on.
The thing is that poor white people in the south ate the same thing but you know how ignorant people are? They like to make a stereotype gesture to a certain race, but the blacks did eat it more back then since it was slave times and it's what they could afford with segregration and all.
Source(s):
African American History Class
Dixie - In Memoriam
New member
I am surprised the Liberals haven't gone to the old... "He meant this is how the R's think, NOT HIM!" excuse. They've usually gone there by now! They make some bonehead statement of outrageous racial prejudice, the likes of which would permanently end most any right-wingers career, then claim they were merely 'projecting' what the right thought and felt! And the Liberals all cheer and applaud at the brilliance!
Cancel 2016.2
The Almighty
But Obama has shown the ability to give those same Eskimos free ice for a year.
Ahhh, but it's that he said without thought that PROVES he's racist to the core!
I learnned this is the logic when Trent Lott was made to step down some years back.
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Cancel 2016.2
The Almighty
I agree, I don't believe he meant it that way at all. That said, as others have stated, he is going to take a beating for it anyway.... because that is the way our society works right now.... unfortunately
They know that was obvious and therefore can not be used as any kind of excuse. He was clearly trying project, but made the mistake of not leaving it up to imagination of the audience to map out the insults.
We all know that what Dan meant was republicans are the ones saying watermelon. In other words, it doesn't matter that Dan is racist, because we know that republicans are all racists
Oops. I forgot there are no sarcasm tags allowed here
I don't know about Colorado (does it grow there?), but watermelon being sold on the roadside is very common here in Florida.
Dixie - In Memoriam
New member
Yes we know Stringy... There is nothing intended by Rather that was racist, and it's unfortunate people can't say stuff without the PC police jumping all over it... and you don't think this is how Rather intended the comment to be taken... and liberals are not generally racist people... and its a harmless comment about watermelon... and it was just one time that he said it.... and he has always been friends with black people.... and liberals are champions of black causes... and it's silly to think Dan Rather might be racist... and it's a bunch of false outrage is what it is.... really, we all know it is right wingers who have racist thoughts like this... not that it's really a racist thought... just unfortunate choice of words... words that by themselves, would have been totally harmless... black people and watermelon is only racist if you have racist thoughts... and we know liberals can't have those... because they do such great and wonderful things for black people... hell, they elected a black president... that proves Dan Rather didn't mean anything racist by his comments, even though the comments weren't really racist at all because a Liberal said it... and he was talking about Republicans who we know really do feel that way... but it's not a big deal... it will all blow over in a day or two... as soon as Sarah Palin writes on her hand or Rush says something about black quarterbacks in the NFL... because we know that things like that ARE racist.... racist thoughts from racist right-wing people who drive pickups and cling to their guns and bibles... but Dan Rather is not a racist in any way... IT HAS BEEN PROVEN!
Yeah... we know Stringy!
cawacko
Well-known member
It seems like the issue is two fold, one white and black and the other Republican and Democrat.
Can a white person make an analoogy using watermellon when speaking about a black person?
And then we get into the partisan perspective where would the response be the same if Dan Rather said it vs. someone say on Fox News? How would Media Matters react if someone on Fox News used the watermellon analogy referring to Obama?
Can a white person make an analoogy using watermellon when speaking about a black person?
And then we get into the partisan perspective where would the response be the same if Dan Rather said it vs. someone say on Fox News? How would Media Matters react if someone on Fox News used the watermellon analogy referring to Obama?