Dan Rather Makes 'Watermelon' Quip

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!

Yes, I argue that all conservatives are racist. Sure.

As I said in the other thread. I have never heard any stereotype about blacks selling watermelons. The stereotype is they like to eat them. I realize that it is probably a bad idea to even mention watermelon in connection with a black person, but still I don't see any clear sign of racism.

This does not even come close to Rush's comments. Yes, the fact that Rather does not have a long history of racial slurs (not true of Rush) is relevant.
 
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?

With false outrage.
 
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?

If anyone on the right said something similar, they would be lighting the bonfire beneath them as we speak! Their career would have been over before they finished the sentence! Any person who DARED to even TRY to excuse it, or explain it, would be ostracized as a racist bigot sympathizer, and the same fate would befall them as well!
 
With false outrage.

Yeah probably. I always thought Rather was funny in the sense he would have these sayings/analogys that I wouldn't really hear anywhere else. We are in such a partisan PC world now where it seems everyone wants to label everyone else something negative and race is obviously a big one.
 
If anyone on the right said something similar, they would be lighting the bonfire beneath them as we speak! Their career would have been over before they finished the sentence! Any person who DARED to even TRY to excuse it, or explain it, would be ostracized as a racist bigot sympathizer, and the same fate would befall them as well!

:palm:

You have to go way over into crazy, don't you? I am sure they would do the same thing you are, but not much more.

And you have a lot of room to talk about the duplicity. Rush could have said "he could not sale watermelons to black people" and you would excuse it as satire.
 
:palm:

You have to go way over into crazy, don't you? I am sure they would do the same thing you are, but not much more.

And you have a lot of room to talk about the duplicity. Rush could have said "he could not sale watermelons to black people" and you would excuse it as satire.

All Rush ever said about Randal Cunningham, was that the media in Philadelphia cut him a lot of slack because he was black, and I believe that was the truth! This cost Limbaugh his gig as a football analyst... not that he needed the gig, but *poof* career over! That's what happens when a right-winger says anything that can be remotely thought to be "racial" in ANY way shape or possible form!

I am sick of the damn double standards and hypocrites... the ones who will fly all over the most innocent remarks (i.e. Trent Lott) and turn them into "clearly" racist intent... then when it's the Liberal asswipe... OH... he didn't really mean anything by it...just an unfortunate choice of words...it's terrible how people are so sensitive to the least thing...nothing here to see, move along now!
 
I honestly don't see how anyone can say with a straight face that making a white guy watermellon analogy about a black man is anything but racist. Even if you are personality not offended, you should have the ability to intuit the overt racism in the comment.
 
THat looks to me like it was an attempt to sterio type the President, but again whats offensive about the steryotype.....?

Whats wrong with liking watermellon?

What your conservative friend Rather was doing was not even an attempt to striotype.

I find myself defending a Republican on this issue, what Rather said was not offensive.

Oh please Jarod, this is stupid. I'm sure someone has called you on this by now but Dan Rather is NOT conservative and I would pretty much bet he isn't a republican. What are you trying to prove here?
 
All Rush ever said about Randal Cunningham, was that the media in Philadelphia cut him a lot of slack because he was black, and I believe that was the truth! This cost Limbaugh his gig as a football analyst... not that he needed the gig, but *poof* career over! That's what happens when a right-winger says anything that can be remotely thought to be "racial" in ANY way shape or possible form!

I am sick of the damn double standards and hypocrites... the ones who will fly all over the most innocent remarks (i.e. Trent Lott) and turn them into "clearly" racist intent... then when it's the Liberal asswipe... OH... he didn't really mean anything by it...just an unfortunate choice of words...it's terrible how people are so sensitive to the least thing...nothing here to see, move along now!


Rush's career is not over, it was McNabb and he was wrong. His comments were CLEARLY about race. Rather's are not. Try again Dizzy.
 
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
Yes. I just can't believe that a person who made a living by communicating didn't run that through their head first as well. Just one word change could have avoided all of this and his point would be what we are talking about, instead we're going to type the word watermelon more than we ever have...
 
I don't know about Colorado (does it grow there?), but watermelon being sold on the roadside is very common here in Florida.
It's more common in the South.

From what I read (yeah, I actually went and looked this crap up because I wasn't sure that I was right about the terminology, when I asked that question is was an honest question first because farmers markets are not just "on the side of the road" secondly because watermelon is just not sold that often here), this is because of the growing season. Oddly enough this is what created the stereotype.

Watermelon is easy to grow and therefore "cheap" in the South, as well as some other stereotyped foods (chitlins, greens, chicken, etc.). The poor often ate these foods, however being racially motivated back then the snobs associated these foods specifically with black people, ignoring that poor whites also ate the foods or using it to make poor whites as equal to the inferior n-words.

Basically, talking about "selling watermelons", etc. was a definite racist term once the stereotype was set. While the term isn't as grossly racist as the n-word or others, it was a way to talk down black people....

Nowadays the terms are not taken as often as directly racist, but the statement sure could have been modified to avoid even the appearance and to make the actual point. Using racially charged terms when speaking of the current President isn't the wisest of moves. Had he changed just one word...
 
Oh please Jarod, this is stupid. I'm sure someone has called you on this by now but Dan Rather is NOT conservative and I would pretty much bet he isn't a republican. What are you trying to prove here?

He was a member of the Conservative Corporate media for a LONG time...
 
It's more common in the South.

From what I read (yeah, I actually went and looked this crap up because I wasn't sure that I was right about the terminology, when I asked that question is was an honest question first because farmers markets are not just "on the side of the road" secondly because watermelon is just not sold that often here), this is because of the growing season. Oddly enough this is what created the stereotype.

Watermelon is easy to grow and therefore "cheap" in the South, as well as some other stereotyped foods (chitlins, greens, chicken, etc.). The poor often ate these foods, however being racially motivated back then the snobs associated these foods specifically with black people, ignoring that poor whites also ate the foods or using it to make poor whites as equal to the inferior n-words.

Basically, talking about "selling watermelons", etc. was a definite racist term once the stereotype was set. While the term isn't as grossly racist as the n-word or others, it was a way to talk down black people....

Nowadays the terms are not taken as often as directly racist, but the statement sure could have been modified to avoid even the appearance and to make the actual point. Using racially charged terms when speaking of the current President isn't the wisest of moves. Had he changed just one word...

This post, I agree with. Did I mention I LOVE watermelon, Chicken and Greens.... Not one for chitlins though!
 
Basically, talking about "selling watermelons", etc. was a definite racist term once the stereotype was set. While the term isn't as grossly racist as the n-word or others, it was a way to talk down black people....


Leaving all the rest out because I agree.

There is no stereotype about "selling watermelons." The stereotype is about them eating it. Blacks did not have much extra produce to sell in those days.

I can't even recall seeing a black person selling watermelon in that way. I am sure it happens and I may have even seen it, but it is not so common that I can recall it. It's usually some white redneck doing the selling.
 
Leaving all the rest out because I agree.

There is no stereotype about "selling watermelons." The stereotype is about them eating it. Blacks did not have much extra produce to sell in those days.

I can't even recall seeing a black person selling watermelon in that way. I am sure it happens and I may have even seen it, but it is not so common that I can recall it. It's usually some white redneck doing the selling.

I honestly dont remember what ethnicity those around here who sell watermelon are... Ill have to pay attention next time I stop.
 
This post, I agree with. Did I mention I LOVE watermelon, Chicken and Greens.... Not one for chitlins though!

Same here... or turkey neck, ewww. I would tell my mom we are not THAT poor. Then I would bring out the Bible and tell her that God does not want me to eat this. :)
 
I honestly dont remember what ethnicity those around here who sell watermelon are... Ill have to pay attention next time I stop.

Around here it's all white folk...from stands on the side of the road. Get some good melons from them.
 
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