Tony Snow gently hugs 150 years of American Culture
One media briefing into his tenure as White House Press Secretary, Tony Snow already has a verbal scandal to his name. For those of you who don't know, back on Tuesday, during his press conference, Snow frequently...well, twice, anyway, used the phrase "hugging the tar baby" or a varient thereof.
Now, speaking as a member of the theoretical South, we all know damn good and well what the phrase "tar baby" refers to. It's a phrase used to refer to black people, particularly black women and girls. It is also common in some literary theory to give the Tar Baby, probably the most famous of the Uncle Remus stories, the place of the lowest plantation worker.
So, for Snow (and how ironically funny is THAT name in this context?) to start tossing out stories of the Tar Baby and how he doesn't want to get caught like Brer Rabbit is just crashingly wrong.
Not that Snow would admit it. After his huge mess of a press gaggle last Friday, he figures actually admitting screwing up would be an even bigger mistake. Thus, we have the, "Well, slavery and degredation of black people is a part of American culture, but since people are obviously so touchy about it, I'll remove it from my stock of verbal bon mots, but I'll do it with bad grace." Scroll down for all the racist goodness from the new thin white lips of the White House.
You just have to love someone who can come up with a response like this when asked about his use of the term:
"Well, apparently, what's happened is, apparently some people are unfamiliar with the pathways of American culture, and don't realize the old Uncle Remus story where somebody hugs a tar baby."
No, Snowy, we're familiar with the "pathways of American culture" whereas you are sadly unfamiliar with the Uncle Remus tale that you claim gave you the term. Given, the it can be used to convey what you were going for, an inextricable problem or situation. However, as a Press Secretary, we would expect you to choose your words with more care.
Although, after the 6 years of this administration and it's nightmare parade of idiots prancing behind the podium, I guess there really is no reason to feel this way.
Now, speaking as a member of the theoretical South, we all know damn good and well what the phrase "tar baby" refers to. It's a phrase used to refer to black people, particularly black women and girls. It is also common in some literary theory to give the Tar Baby, probably the most famous of the Uncle Remus stories, the place of the lowest plantation worker.
So, for Snow (and how ironically funny is THAT name in this context?) to start tossing out stories of the Tar Baby and how he doesn't want to get caught like Brer Rabbit is just crashingly wrong.
Not that Snow would admit it. After his huge mess of a press gaggle last Friday, he figures actually admitting screwing up would be an even bigger mistake. Thus, we have the, "Well, slavery and degredation of black people is a part of American culture, but since people are obviously so touchy about it, I'll remove it from my stock of verbal bon mots, but I'll do it with bad grace." Scroll down for all the racist goodness from the new thin white lips of the White House.
You just have to love someone who can come up with a response like this when asked about his use of the term:
"Well, apparently, what's happened is, apparently some people are unfamiliar with the pathways of American culture, and don't realize the old Uncle Remus story where somebody hugs a tar baby."
No, Snowy, we're familiar with the "pathways of American culture" whereas you are sadly unfamiliar with the Uncle Remus tale that you claim gave you the term. Given, the it can be used to convey what you were going for, an inextricable problem or situation. However, as a Press Secretary, we would expect you to choose your words with more care.
Although, after the 6 years of this administration and it's nightmare parade of idiots prancing behind the podium, I guess there really is no reason to feel this way.
posted by QuakerJono | 9:35 AM
1 Comments:
I read the Uncle Remus stories when I was very young, so my first experience of the "tar baby" was extremely positive. It was not until much later in life that I learned that the phrase was used insultingly as a racial slur. When I found that out it made me sad, as this cast a significant negative light on what are marvelous stories, on the same level as Aesop's Fables.
None of this is intended to apologize for Snow's blunder. As a supposedly savvy marketing/propaganda type he certainly should know that a significant portion of our society would react negatively to the phrase. I suspect he did this on purpose to create a frenzy over a non-issue to distract from actual issues. This is a standard neocon/Republican tactic.
B.
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