Essay 156

MultiCultClassics Minutes presents all the news that’s shit to print…

• A new brand of Chinese condoms has been launched, bearing the names Clinton and Lewinsky. “We chose the name because we think Clinton is a symbol of success and a man of responsibility. And Lewinsky is a woman who dares to love and dares to hate,” said a company official. Also in test markets: Bob Dole Male Enhancement and Linda Tripp Tampons.

• Sen. Barack Obama continued to criticize President Bush over Hurricane Katrina. “The incompetence was colorblind…What wasn’t colorblind was the indifference. Human efforts will always pale in comparison to nature’s forces. But [the Bush administration] is a set of folks who simply don’t recognize what’s happening in large parts of the country.” Not convinced the Whites in the House are cognizant of what’s going on in small parts either.

• DiversityInc.com presented a story about the commitment to diversity at Toyota. The article detailed the company’s alleged progress and the advisory board created in response to Jesse Jackson’s threats of boycotts after Toyota ran a print ad featuring a Black Man with a gold tooth. Funny, the carmaker’s Black ads haven’t really improved over time — contradicting its “Moving Forward” tagline.

• California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed bills to fight human trafficking and slavery. The legislation is designed to combat slave rings that force people to execute menial and debasing labor in sweatshops and worse. McDonald’s probably opposes the new measures.