I don't even know what to say to this. Believe it or not African Americans are people. To imagine a restaurant owned and primarily populated with African Americans being calm, and not having people going crazy and yelling "MFer get me some iced tea, is not hard to believe, and to assume that it would be like that is completely off base. To assume that one race of people wouldn't go into a restaurant and eat following the same social norms as others in the nation is definitely a horrible ignorant, stereotype that promotes racism. I've been to Africa and the Caribbean as well. Nothing I saw there or that I've seen in the U.S. justified O'Reilly's statements.
I don't think O'Reily was saying they are not people, or that they are not civilized and yell curse words when they want iced tea. Certainly his experiences wtih Blacks are very limited for him to be surprised, but make sure you are really understanding his statements first before you interpret their meaning in such a negative way.
Why the hell is this story a story at all? The guy's job is to offend people...why are you surprised that he said something like this?
but africa and the caribbean arent america. Its about african americans, not all black people. But there is some difference, in general,to cultures. Doesnt make it racist. Stereotype? sure but everyone lives with and deals with stereotypes and they dont have to automatically be racist or even bad. Even you saying "MFer get me some tea" is a stereotype that you just tossed out there. I know your point, but you still thought of that when thinking of "acting black"...something to consider. sociol norms in a restaurant? chopsticks?
O'Reilly's comments in and of themselves aren't necessarily racist ...but it sure speaks volumes to his background. Considering he's supposed to be a thought leader for many conservatives, it's frightening to think that his positions are rooted in such ignorance. I respect people with differing opinions as long as their opinions are based on reality. O'Reilly clearly demonstrated that he basis his opinions in something other than reality ...at least on the topic of African Americans.
i agree, but it speaks about alot of peoples backgrounds and how many people think. Whether right or wrong, it is how many people view and stereotype african americans. And its not necessarily their fault or their bad, but it is just a reality that is very common. Why is it a common view, would be a better question to ask. These views werent just pulled out from thin air, there is a cause and I think that that is what important here. Not who said it and how it was said. It could have been more gracefully discussed but just because it wasnt doesnt mean there isnt a good point there. And i kind of get the feeling that was the point of the story. That many people arent familiar with said culture/race and that it is because of lack of experience and openess that these views exist. Due to that lack of experience, these false, or broadly sweeping, views are formed.
you can even go further and say that many blacks may feel that a "white" restaurant is all up-ity and proper with kenny G playing in the background...or a white bar has a bunch of pencil pushing racists that are dancing badly and out of rytheme
Actually, that's pretty much exactly what he said. If I'm suprised that a particular group of people don't act in a certain way, that means my expectation is for them to act that way. His expectation was for the black patrons to act likes uncivilized thugs. There's simply no other way to interpret it.
But O'Reilly is supposed to be a thought leader. As such, you gotta hold him to a higher standard than "alot of people". Had O'Reilly presented it as purely informative to his audience, that would be one thing. But he didn't. He was presenting "new" information as if he was previously unaware. THAT is the scary part. We all know there are stereotypes. But it is shocking that O'Reilly is so ignorant about basic things in his own country ...given that he shapes the opinions of millions in the American political climate. O'Reilly isn't "alot of people". He should be better than that. Since we now know he isn't, what does that say about the rest of his opinions?
Actually stereotypes of whites with Kenny G and upity aren't nearly as offensive. Stereotypes of whites haven't been used for hundreds of years to keep them out of power, uneducated, deny whites chances at jobs, promotions, get them longer prison sentences etc. Sorry but given the history and result of the stereotyping the two, it just doesn't make it an equal playing field.
thought leader? dont confuse an on air personality with thought leader. Hold him to a higher standard? i dont think that he was actually saying that he expected a certain thing, he just commented that it was a "normal" enviroment. so now we are going to try to establish an order of offensiveness? being uptight and "nerdy" isnt as offensive as being "hip hop" and more free spiritited? you are splitting hairs now. you are right, white stereotypes arent the ones you listed. They are stereotyped differently. So you are saying thats ok? a little consistancy would be nice. Plus, you are lumping all white people together. Are you going to tell me the Irish, italians, jews, etc dont and didnt get stereotyped? Everyone lives with such things. Its not only religated to a darker color pigment.
So it's ok to stereotype one race but not another based on how much they have suffered in the past? This is why I don't like PC - because that's exactly what it's about. Catering to feelings and sensitivities instead of fostering a truely open discussion where people get ideas out in the open to be debated and considered versus just used as a means to tar and feather people as racists - usually by others who take a high moral road but are racists themselves (like Jesse Jackson and Al Shapton). Stereotyping isn't racism. Bill O'Reily didn't injure the African American community, he was trying to pay it respect. That's the irony of it all. He was showing that he was impressed and that his stereotype was wrong. And yet people still go after him. I say applaud the guy for being able to be open-minded enough to expand his view instead of condeming him for his misguided view before.
Don't get bogged down in semantics. Bill O'Reilly's job is to express opinions and obviously a lot of people listen to his opinions or he wouldn't be on the air. So I'll call it a thought leader ...you call it a "personality". Either way, given his job description, O'Reilly should be held to a higher standard than an average person. So let's look at what YOU just said. O'Reilly was expecting an "abnormal" environment simply based on the color of people's skin. You're okay with that? huh? No, I'm not. I'm only talking about O'Reilly. And given's O'Reilly's position (his job is to form opinions about America and states them publicly), he OBVIOUSLY doesn't understand his own country very well.
Except his comment comes off as a backhanded compliment. I mean it would be like me going to NYC and saying, "its a really nice city. I didn't even get mugged." Yes that is a compliment to NYC but its a complement only that I am acknowledging a pre-existing bias towards NYC. So yes O'Reilly's comment at face value could be read as a complement but it is one based off a pre-existing bias which is at worst racist and at best ignorant.
There's nothing wrong with Black culture being hip-hop oriented and a lot of people think this way. But he was just saying that he was surprised to find blacks hanging out in what is typically a white type of scene. Afterall, the dining environment probably comes more from European culture...so that may be a surprise to someone who has not seen it before. I think he's saying that this shows blacks think for themselves and don't buy into the ideas Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are trying to preach. I don't see his remarks as that big of deal
