In November, the Rev. Jesse Jackson responded to Michael Richards’ tirade with statements that were downright prophetic. “We’ve been meeting with leaders all week since the Michael Richards meltdown, and it seems to us that Michael Richards is a symbol, not just an aberration,” said Jackson. “We must not return hate with hate. We want to assess the impact of what he said, and what Mel Gibson said. … The Richards incident is like the Katrina crisis that lifted the face off of poverty in America and opened up old wounds for new examination and debate. His meltdown is historically rooted in a disturbing trend.”
Jackson clearly saw the nasty pattern of actions and attitudes emanating from Hollywood. However, the iconic activist did a lousy of expressing his sentiments — at least by Jesse Jackson standards. This was a golden opportunity to deliver one of his patented speeches and rouse the masses. But for some reason, Jackson blew it. Maybe he was having a bad day, or he misplaced his thesaurus and rhyming dictionary. Whatever the case, here’s what Jackson might say right now:
“America looks to Hollywood for big blockbusters, but instead sees bigot blockbusters.
“We meet today at the crossroads, a point of decision. Shall we expand, be inclusive, find unity and power; or suffer division and impotence?
“When a drunk-driving Mad Max gets mad, maximum racism races out. Suddenly, anti-Semitism is all the road rage. Yet Mad Max doesn’t stop, barreling White supremacy right through Maya culture — and your culture too. The Apocalypto is indeed upon us.
“The good of our nation is at stake. It’s commitment to working men and women, to the poor and the vulnerable, to the many in the world.
“Meanwhile, Borat’s boorish, biased behavior smears entire nations, falsely projecting every imaginable phobia and ism in the guise of comedy. Sacha Baron Cohen’s cultural learnings of America make benefit for no one except himself and gloriously greedy studio executives.
“Common ground. Easier said than done. Where do you find common ground? America is not a blanket woven from one thread, one color, one cloth.
“Common ground must begin with common courtesy and respect.
“KKKramer is a c-c-cracker whose stand-up routine inspired an audience to stand up and head for the exits. The man begged for forgiveness and insisted, ‘I’m not a racist.’ Yet the infamous video showed a convincing performance to contradict his assertions. And when the victims of his verbal assault seek restitution, will Michael Richards act niggardly?
“Another third-rate comedian — the appropriately named Andy Dick — followed Richards’ explosion by dropping his own N-bomb. He quickly apologized before returning to the anonymity of ex-sitcom failure. Although the dick still owes us an apology for NewsRadio.
“Stand-up wannabe Brad Wollack’s sad attempt at humor played off the death of an Asian man who sought to save his family after their car was lost in a snowstorm. He joked the tragedy ‘just reinforces the stereotype that Asians are bad drivers.’ Wollack just reinforces the new stereotype that racist White men are bad comedians.
“Arnold Schwarzenegger — who moved from star of the box office to the Governor’s office — also joined the laugh fest earlier this year. When discussing the ethnicity of Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, Schwarzenegger remarked, ‘I mean Cuban, Puerto-Rican, they are all very hot. … They have the, you know, part of the Black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it.’ Is the Terminator a discriminator?
“Damon Wayans tried to get rich by copyrighting the N-word. Then wound up being fined and banned for using it at the comedy club where Michael Richards staged his spectacle.
“Things aren’t rosy on The View, where the lesbian comedienne who usually swallows Ding-Dongs suddenly spat ‘Ching-Chongs’ — then offered apologies that ring wrong. Her Freudian slips, like her blubbery hips, are King Kong. Especially considering Rosie’s recent ripping of Kelly Ripa, accusing Regis’ cohort of making a homophobic comment. Talk about prejudiced ping-pong!
“Most people in the world today are Yellow or Brown or Black, non-Christian, poor, female, young and don’t speak English in the real world.
“America must never surrender to a high moral challenge.
“There is no entertainment value when we devalue people. It’s time to end the theatrical dramas rated R for racism.
“Hollywood, don’t keep hate alive. Don’t keep hate alive! Don’t keep hate alive! On the silver screen and beyond, don’t keep hate alive!”
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