The mayor of a small Southern California city says he will resign after being criticized for sharing an e-mail picture depicting the White House lawn planted with watermelons under the title "No Easter egg hunt this year."
Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose issued a statement Thursday saying he is sorry and will step down as mayor at Monday's City Council meeting.
Grose came under fire for sending the picture to what he called "a small group of friends." One of the recipients, a local businesswoman and city volunteer, publicly scolded the mayor for his actions.
Grose says he accepts that the e-mail was in poor taste and has affected his ability to lead the city. Grose said he didn't mean to offend anyone and claimed he was unaware of the racial stereotype linking black people with eating watermelons.
He was "unaware of the racial stereotype linking black people with eating watermelons"? WTF?
Then why in the hell would he have sent the picture out in the first place?
I mean really how dumb does this guy think we are?
We are learning every day just how ingrained racial stereotypes and insensitivity is in our society. I think it is safe to assume that these kinds of "jokes" have been exchanged for years with no backlash.
I can't help but wonder if Americans will start cleaning up their act altogether now, or if the hurtful jokes will continue right up until the subject gets THEIR shot at being President of this country.
- So blond jokes are fine until Hillary gets elected.
- Jokes about Jews are acceptable so long as we keep Lieberman out of the White House.
- Funny stories about bad Asian drivers are still hysterical as long as Jackie Chan is not our Commander and Chief.
- Making fun of wetbacks is still a rib tickler until Bill Richardson gets his shot.
- And until Dolly Parton finally achieves her Presidential destiny jokes about boobs are perfectly reasonable late night fodder.
I guess my point it why does it seem okay to make fun of any group of individuals until they achieve the power or influence to punish you for picking on them? In this day and age shouldn't we all just know better?
One group of folks who no one seems to care are insulted are the overweight - but that is a whole other issues
ReplyDeleteComedy is always risky, and using racial stereotype material not really funny - plus I think when you are in a public position you need to err on the side of caution and not share this kind of humor about any group through an email that is sent to everyone
I'm not outraged by the email, it is certainly not the end of the world (now the cartoon of the monkey being shot - that I was outraged about) - but I do think it was in poor taste - and since it came from a public figure, it's out there and will be a focal point for discussion - if it can contribute to a constructive dialogue on race that would be good
What a fricken A-hole! Better he step down than get strung up or tarred and feathered!
ReplyDeleteDidn't know....what moose pucky. Well that's one way to get rid of the repub taliban.....
I think it is just showing how racist the entire republican party really are. No matter what they say.. .they are. And for him to say he was unaware...my bullsirt detector is going crazy. Like you said why send it then.. it wasn't just because it was a pretty picture...lol
ReplyDeleteThere isn't any kind of joke that puts a stereotype on someone and belittles or makes fun of them that is funny. No matter who it is.
My response to stereotype jokes has always been, "Put Martians in the joke, and tell it again." Would this have been funny if watermelons were growing on Mars? How many Martians does it take to change a light bulb? This is a good "litmus" test for stereotyping.
ReplyDelete'He didn't know it was racial cartoon' - YEAH, RIGHT! Just last year, there was someone in an official position in the greater LA area that got canned just for a joke like that. (Check out 'Obamabucks' from last October...
ReplyDeletehttp://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/10/local-gop-group.html
Whenever you see a Southerner on TV or in a movie, s/he will be stupid or evil or both. It's a convenient shorthand... no character development needed.
ReplyDeleteYou should try having a Southern accent. Some people are patronizing, and others feel free to confess hateful racism, assuming I feel the same way.
Sheesh!
P.S. What's up with all the strawberry plants in that photo? If you're going to be offensive, you ought to leave extraneous details out!
It didn't bother me at all, I would love to have a front yard full of watermelons and I do think that there is a movement to turn some of the White House (actually the People's House now) lawns into gardens. That is what I thought this picture was at first.
ReplyDeleteIt may have been intended as a racial slur but it does not have to be taken that way. People need to lighten up. Who doesn't love watermelon, anyway ?
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAHHHH bs I was looking up watermelons and saw this picture.. thought it was pretty neat. Then I saw a MAYOR STEPS DOWN, I'm like what?, as reading it, I relized what the issue was.. now I think the picture is even funnier.. I mean come on people... Grow up.. weather it was intended that way or not...
ReplyDeleteRacisim is a state of mind ONLY... African American, Asian American... well?? then where's my box for being an German-Irish-Scandinavian-French-Polish-Jewish-"Native"..ect American..
Yes this world needs to grow up and stop making comments like, "that's shows how Racist the reb party is... one man says it and, the whole thing blows up.. STOP and just think people... because even if you don't think you do things that are.. or at least could be taken that way by SOMEONE your wrong. simple as that.