Or, "British Tabloids: You're Doing It Wrong"

[omorka]

Oh, good grief.

So can we just call it Faux Pas News now?

First, they call a fist pound a "terrorist fist jab" in a bumper (and, let me just say, does it sound to anyone else in the interview segment like the interlocutor is trying to set it up as a gang sign?). Now, when Penny Arcade is more hip than you are, as a major media outlet, you are in serious trouble. (Also, looks like someone else thought the same thing I did about the 'gang sign' thing.)

Then they call Michelle Obama a "baby mama" on TV; worse, try to claim that "out raged liberals" call her that. (John Scalzi calls them out on it here; thanks to next_bold_move for the link.)

Because, of course, all that they can really say about Obama is "psst . . . he's black!" They never really imagined anyone other than Hillary being the nominee. Fortunately, I suspect that they're going to get some pretty strong reminders that, unlike blatant sexism (unfortunately), blatant racism is considered rude in everyday USian society.

Comments

[quantumduck.livejournal.com]

Far from being considered inappropriate - BOTH racism and sexism are still entrenched parts of modern television. Sure, a few people tend to send in complaints when things are WAY over the top insulting - but the complaints mainly come from women and minorities.

As to Scalzi's reaction, I think citing the urban dictionary as a source automatically fails the post. Every entry in that thing is so insulting and reactionary as to make it pretty much useless. Trying to tie together Fox's attitude with a definition like that is a stretch. I think a safer connection would be the Universal Studio's release of a movie with the same name. That movie is whiter than white, and put the word into the 'safe' column for white appropriation, much like bling.