Sorry, Sarah: Blackface Still Ain't Funny
Min. Paul Scott
I never watched Comedy Central's the Sarah Silverman Show until today. Somehow, a show featuring a white chick who kinda reminds me of a cross between Mary Hartman and Pippy Longstocking doesn't seem all that funny to me. But I was curious about the "Black Face" episode so I bit the bullet and suffered through it.
For the millions of people who actually have lives, let me hip you to what happened. Seems that Sarah felt that she was the victim of a hate crime because she wasn't allowed to join a tennis club because she was Jewish. When a black waiter overhears her moanin' , he starts cryin' about how hard it is being black and challenges Silverman to walk a mile in his shoes. So after a friend hooks her up with some charcoal makeup she begins her adventure thinking that she looks like Queen Latifah. (Yeah, I know Latifah is light skinned but I suppose that was part of the humor.)
Now, maybe I'm still a little upset about the whole Jena 6 thing or the video being circulated on the net with the 16 year old black girl getting pommelled by the big white security guard has me a overly sensitive, but I did not find the show amusing.
Not only was the whole Aunt Jemima thing over the top but it trivialized our experience as black people in this country.
Now, I know that a lot of white folks are reading this sayin' ,
"It was only a TV show. You neg.., I mean, colore...I mean...well, what ever you call yourselves these days are just soooo sensitive!"
Yeah, so sue me!
I don't remember too many Jewish people rappin' along with Public Enemy after the Professor Griff /Washington Times interview or moonwalkin' to Michael Jackson's banned song "They Don't Really Care about Us."
Black people will no longer allow our culture to be belittled by Hollywood or anyone else. We are facing some real Funky issues in 2007 and we will not allow anyone to make a mockery out of our historical suffering.
So, You think that hate crimes are funny?
Ask Megan Williams who was recently tortured by a gang of white folks in West Va...
I doubt if she will find it amusing.
Min. Paul Scott's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com
To watch the clips click http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/videos.jhtml?cat=season_2
