Conservative "bad words" vs. Liberal "bad words."

[Monkeyleg]

This afternoon, my closest friend called to chat. He's an out-front liberal, although he doesn't pay enough attention to issues to be able to defend his positions.

Anyway, he's been away from talk radio for awhile, and didn't know what punishment was meted out to the conservative talk radio host who used the term "wetbacks" to describe illegal aliens who might have been registered to vote in November.

He also wasn't aware of the lesser controversy surrounding a liberal talk show host who referred to Dr. Condoleeza Rice as "Aunt Jemima," and Secretary of State Colin Powell as an "Uncle Tom."

The conservative talk show host was off the air for a week, while network exec's tried to figure out what to do with him, given the enormous backlash against the station.

The liberal talk show host didn't lose even a day of airtime and, unlike the aforementioned conservative radio host, didn't even make an apology.

My friend couldn't understand why one radio talker got pilloried, and the other got a walk.

I tried to explain: the conservative talker used an offensive term in an area that's largely liberal. The liberal talker used offensive terms in an area--Madison, WI--where 90% of the population hates Bush and his whole administration.

Again, I tried to explain: Republicans/conservatives/strict liberatarians are held to higher standards than liberals.

My friend refused to believe what I believe to be absolutely true.

Robert Byrd was a high-ranking member of the KKK. Strom Thurmond, despite his warts, came around to embracing civil rights.

When Thurmond died, the media wasn't shy about putting the "R" label next to his name, and at every turn.

About that same time, Lester Maddox--an Old South Democrat known for holding a baseball bat and taunting Blacks to try to enter his restaurant--died. No news story I read had a "D" next to his name.

Without a doubt, there's a bias in the mainstream media. But I have a close friend who, if I can carefully teach how to recognize truth from Bull, I might be able to save.

This afternoon's conversation was a mini-wakeup call. I'm looking to slowly convert him.

Suggestions, anyone?

 

[Nehemiah Scudder]

Who were the talk show hosts?

I remember a lot of talk about "racist" portrayal of Condaleeza on the mostly lefty board I frequent.

We all agreed that it was the worst kind of way to make a point.

 

[nico]

iirc the conservative was Michael Savage. I don't know who the liberal was. I think there's definitely a double standard. If a Democrat had a cabinet/upper level admin. officials with the racial makeup of Bush's and the Republicans criticized them in the way that the Dems have been criticizing the Bush cabinet, there's be a ton of outcry about how the Republicans just didn't like hispanics/blacks/etc. in positions of power. It seems like if a Democrat has an illegal Mexican alien for a housekeeper they're a champion for diversity and immigration, but a Republican who appoints a black woman to be Secretary of State is just trying to make it look like he's not a racist.

 

[Nehemiah Scudder]

Ah Savage.

If you take what he says seriously then you might have an issue. But that's a different topic, really.

IMO the reason for the disparity lies in the makeup of the party. When both parties become equitable then you'll see the "reaction" equalize.

Anyways, the talk show hosts I'd leave alone, the political appointees and/or candidates I'd complain about. Two different spheres.

 

[Monkeyleg]

Nehemiah, the "conservative" talk show host was Mark Belling in Milwaukee, WI. He came very close to losing his job over the "wetback" remark.

The "liberal" talk show host is Sly In The Morning in Madison, WI. Madison is only about two or three clicks south of San Francisco in terms of leftist politics.

I'll leave it to the other readers to decide why Belling almost lost his job, while Sly got to just continue business as usual.

 

[joab]

Just my opinion but doesn't wetback refer to a group of foreigners that have the audacity to illegally sneak into this country.
While Aunt Jemima and Uncle Tom describe a group of minorities that have the audacity to buck stereotypes and work within the system to better themselves.


Savage is the Howard Stern of conservative talk radio.
He's the same guy that told a gay caller that he should choke on a sausage, catch AIDS and die.
He's nothing more than a shock jock thriving on the controversy that his idiotic statements bring on

 

[Nehemiah Scudder]

I'll leave it to the other readers to decide why Belling almost lost his job, while Sly got to just continue business as usual.

I bet it mostly has to do with sponsors.

 

[why_me]

Belling is back on the air

And he still sucks.
Sly is on the air and he always sucked.

 

[BigG]

Boy, these yackers are some NATIONALLY KNOWN celebrities.

 

[schizrade]

Savage cracks me up. What a d*ck.

 

[R.H. Lee]

I listen to Savage every day on the way home from work. If you can get over your indignation long enough to think about what he says, you might get an education.

 

[Don Gwinn]

Savage is an idiot who thinks he's acting like an idiot and steaming the rubes.

Idiots who obviously think they're clever are not as cute as they used to be.

 

[R.H. Lee]

Savage is an idiot who thinks he's acting like an idiot and steaming the rubes.

Just for clarification, here's the definition:

id·i·ot ( P ) Pronunciation Key (d-t)
n.

A person of profound mental retardation having a mental age below three years and generally being unable to learn connected speech or guard against common dangers. The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive.

Now, how does an idiot (with a mental age below three) earn a PhD., and make a living on talk radio? (being unable to learn connected speech and all?)

 

[Delmar]

A person of profound mental retardation having a mental age below three years and generally being unable to learn connected speech or guard against common dangers. The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive.

McC...is this the preamble to the liberal wing of the DNC?

 

[joab]

Now, how does an idiot (with a mental age below three) earn a PhD., and make a living on talk radio? (being unable to learn connected speech and all?)

The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive.

In the classification that is in use today Savage is an idiot

 

[Zach S]

Just for clarification, here's the definition:

id·i·ot ( P ) Pronunciation Key (d-t)
n.

A person of profound mental retardation having a mental age below three years and generally being unable to learn connected speech or guard against common dangers. The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive.

Now, how does an idiot (with a mental age below three) earn a PhD., and make a living on talk radio? (being unable to learn connected speech and all?)

Dude, c'mon, if your gonna post the definition, post it all, not just what helps whatever point your trying to make.

id·i·ot ( P ) Pronunciation Key (d-t)
n.

1. A foolish or stupid person.
2. A person of profound mental retardation having a mental age below three years and generally being unable to learn connected speech or guard against common dangers. The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=idiot

 

[Monkeyleg]

BigG, I was just trying to compare the reactions to two very similar scenarios.

As for Mark Belling, he's a regular guest host on Rush Limbaugh's show.

And Michael Savage isn't.

 

[ravinraven]

Idiots!

I used to think that the word IDIOT was the funniest word in the language.

If McC is going to get technical, thereby ruining our fun, he could have saved a lot of space by merely saying: idiot=Algore.

I also want to comment about the following quote:

"Republicans/conservatives/strict liberatarians are held to higher standards than liberals."
Comment: These types of people are always held to a higher standard and should be. After all, they are capable of it. The libs are not capable of "higher standards" as they seem always ready to demonstrate.

I'm just warming up for the New Year's bash tonight. There'll be about 95% college liberals on hand. My hope is that I get out of there without the old gal I run with decking two or three of the (Art's Grammaw sez "idjits" is the preferred word. ).

Happy New Year.

rr

 

[thorn726]

ok to try and deal with the actual topic-

"wetback" is a word created by whites to put down immigrants, and worse, was being applied to a vast group of people indiscriminately.

the aunt jemima thing has me stumped, i dont get it at all, but the uncle tom-

that's more a name used by blacks to insult other blacks who are being too white, and even donig things to hurt other black people.
so when you call Powell an "uncle Tom" you are insulting HIM personally first of all, but more importantly, you are insulting his morals, saying he is acting like a bad person. not the same as calling him the N word.

calling a Latino a Wetback is considered almost EXactly like calling them the N word.
here's another comparision=
it is PC (although mean) to call Bush a Nazi,
but it is not ok to call him a Cracker!
ok that's not the best comparsion. oh well

 

[308win]

As for Mark Belling, he's a regular guest host on Rush Limbaugh's show.

Well now, there is a ringing endorsement! Might as well have stated that he takes the dishes out of the sink before he pisses in it.

And while I am on my rant, let's stop using conservative and republican interchangeably, the Republican party today is authoritarian not conservative IMHO.

 

[Don Gwinn]

308, your language.


Riley, I don't know how many Ph.d's you've worked with, but your awe for them is misplaced.

And radio hosts? What exactly is so fantastic about radio personalities? You've never heard truly dumb people (not people you disagree with, dumb people) making a living on the radio?

Fine for Michael Savage that he's making lots of money on the radio, but that doesn't make him anything more than an arrogant jerk with a very low ratio of intelligence to self-esteem. You like his show, fine. I don't. You probably wouldn't rate most of my entertainment very highly, either.

 

[R.H. Lee]

The only PhD I know is my brother who worked hard for a lot of years to earn it. They don't give them away, and I have a certain amount of respect for anyone committed enough to earn a Doctorate (in anything other than Education).

You seem to have a visceral dislike of Savage and that's fine. But I think it's more of a dislike of who he is than what he says. It may be cultural, for all I know.

Awhile back, I got involved in Primerica. Ever hear of it? It's basically insurance sales. It's an ok company, a subsidiary of CitiBank, probably the biggest company in the world. Anyway, part of the training was done via satellite and video from the headquarters, down South somewhere. The guys who did the training, high-ups in the company talked with heavy southern accents and sounded like complete goobers to me. I couldn't take what they said seriously, I couldn't get around the way they said it.

Sometimes, perception is reality.

 

[BryanP]

The guys who did the training, high-ups in the company talked with heavy southern accents and sounded like complete goobers to me. I couldn't take what they said seriously, I couldn't get around the way they said it.

*sigh* This kind of thing really annoys me. Several years ago I was working very late when Cisco sent a tech out to help troubleshoot a problem we were having. At the time my knowledge of things Cisco was nada - I didn't know an enable command from a stinky sock. This guy really knew what he was doing. However, I have a basically neutral "middle-America" accent courtesy of moving around a lot as a kid as my dad was stationed at one Air Force Base after another. This guy had a rural Tennessee accent so thick you could ... well, let's say you'd have pegged him as a complete goober.

Anyway, we had to make a call to some telco people up in New Jersey. He asked me to do all the talking. He fed me questions, I relayed the answers. Why? Because every time he had talked to these people in the past they would assume he was a complete idiot.

These days my knowledge is a bit better than that, but the guy who sits 3 feet from me at work is much better than I am - I freely admit that. He also has a nice thick rural TN accent.

Me, I try to judge gooberosity by the content of the speech, not the accent. I've listened to Savage once or twice. He may not be an idiot, but he is highly annoying and a goober of the first order. Feh.

 

[Ivy Mike]

Again, I tried to explain: Republicans/conservatives/strict liberatarians are held to higher standards than liberals.

Not all of us Libertarians are totally on the right end of the spectrum.

 

[Brian Dale]

thorn726, you wrote,

"wetback" is a word created by whites to put down immigrants etc.

No. "Wetback" is a word created long ago by Border Patrol Officers, who have always come in many different colors, to describe anybody who had swum into this country to avoid entering at an authorized Port of Entry. In years past, that meant the Rio Grande and a majority (but by no means all) of the illegal entrants were Mexican and South American nationals. The term soon came to refer to anyone who had metaphorically "swum" the River, the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Lake of the Woods, or any other place that wasn't an official border crossing, and later to refer to anybody who was working here illegally.

I am sure that the term has been misused as you describe. Still, "wetback" means a person of any other nationality who is either present in this country illegally or working here illegally. For example, there were quite a number of Irish "wets" here in the 1980s.

Etymological scoldings are always welcome, but please check your facts before the next one.