Melissa Harris-Perry, Renowned Racism Huntress
I am confident that Melissa Harris-Perry could find racism in tweezers, lightbulbs, and the letter P.
David Rutz writes at the Free Beacon, "Melissa Harris-Perry Scolds Guest to Be 'Super Careful' About Saying 'Hard Worker' Because Of Slavery":
MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry derailed a conversation about potential Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) Saturday to admonish a guest for calling him a "hard worker," arguing it demeaned slaves and working mothers "in the context of relative privilege."The exchange occurred when conservative Latino activist Alfonso Aguilar sang Ryan's praises during a panel discussion about his likely ascendance to replace John Boehner (R., Ohio).
"If there's somebody who is a hard worker when he goes to Washington, it's Paul Ryan," he said. "Not only works with the Republicans but Democrats. You know very well that I work on [the] immigration issue, trying to get Republicans to support immigration reform ... This is somebody who's trying to govern."
Harris-Perry cut in to tell Aguilar that the use of the term "hard worker" was problematic since she had a picture of slaves working in cotton fields on her office wall to remind her of when to really use that term. Her rambling response also included an attack on Republicans for demonizing working mothers.
A bit from their exchange:
ALFONSO AGUILAR: But let's be fair. If there's somebody who is a hard worker when he goes to Washington, it's Paul Ryan. Not only works with the Republicans but Democrats. You know very well that I work on [the] immigration issue, trying to get Republicans to support immigration reform. Paul Ryan is somebody who has supported immigration reform, has worked with somebody like Luis Gutierrez. Luis Gutierrez is very respectful, speaks highly of Paul Ryan. This is somebody who's trying to govern.MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY: Alfonso, I feel you. But I just want to pause on one thing. Because I don't disagree with you that I actually think Mr. Ryan is a great choice for this role. But I want us to be super careful when we use the language "hard worker," because I actually keep an image of folks working in cotton fields on my office wall, because it is a reminder about what hard work looks like. So, I feel you that he's a hard worker. I do. But in the context of relative privilege, and I just want to point out that when you talk about work-life balance and being a hard worker, the moms who don't have health care who are working-
Wish he had decided that the "interview" was shot and scolded her back.
Bob in Texas at October 27, 2015 4:17 AM
A possible response:
Will we also be talking about not ending sentences with prepositions?
Andrew_M_Garland at October 27, 2015 5:00 AM
"the moms who don't have healthcare...."
Wait! Wasn't ObamaCare going to solve this problem permanently? It sure as fuck better have, since it's skyrocketed MY healthcare costs something like 10,000%.
momof4 at October 27, 2015 5:39 AM
"So do you fantasize about black men sweating in the sun? Women?"
Bob in Texas at October 27, 2015 5:48 AM
"But you do have a picture in your office of black men sweating in the sun. And you do look at that picture often throughout the day."
Bob in Texas at October 27, 2015 5:52 AM
"have you talked to anyone about this need you have to look at pictures of ..."
Bob in Texas at October 27, 2015 5:55 AM
I'm sure that MHP would not believe that there were (and are) white share croppers who picked cotton.
Maybe you ought to check your privilege, MHP. No, no, that isn't a microaggression. That there is what we call a MACROaggression.
I R A Darth Aggie at October 27, 2015 6:15 AM
Behold the world of post-modern journalism, where the most ignorant, most mendatious, most narcissistic, and most subject to the Dunning-Krueger effect rise to the top.
Cousin Dave at October 27, 2015 6:20 AM
"derailed a conversation"
That's exactly what she did. The conversation was giving praise to a white guy; so, she had to bring it back to being about blacks somehow.
Narcissist bigots do that all the time.
charles at October 27, 2015 6:55 AM
WTF is "ya'll?"
If they mean "y'all," then spell it that way. In a contraction, the apostrophe stands in place for missing letters (i.e., don't for do not, couldn't for could not). "Y'all" is a contraction for "you all" - the missing "ou" is replaced by an apostrophe.
For what does the apostrophe in "ya'll" stand in place?
/Southerner Rant
Conan the Grammarian at October 27, 2015 9:02 AM
BTW, in my post above, I was nitpicking the Free Beacon's transcript of the show.
Nothing against anyone on this site. In reading it afterward, I realized I didn't make the target of the rant clear.
Conan the Grammarian at October 27, 2015 9:05 AM
"are you saying that no-one else has ever worked hard? Is that what you are SAYING?"
two can play at this game... the key is to be indignant. Or something.
SwissArmyD at October 27, 2015 10:02 AM
momof4: "'the moms who don't have healthcare....' Wait! Wasn't ObamaCare going to solve this problem permanently?"
That's how it was sold, but it looks more like the purpose was to enable insurance companies to collect higher premiums from more people while paying out less in benefits.
Ken R at October 27, 2015 11:21 AM
I R A Darth Aggie: "I'm sure that MHP would not believe that there were (and are) white share croppers who picked cotton."
Not only that, there were plenty of white itinerant farm workers in the 1930's and 40's, like my grandmother, aunts and their cousins (many of whom had fair skin and red hair) who picked cotton, peaches, tomatoes and whatever else there was in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and New Mexico. The men worked in the oilfields. They often worked alongside of Mexicans and Indians, but I never heard them mention black people.
SwissArmyD: "are you saying that no-one else has ever worked hard? Is that what you are SAYING?"
It really sounds like it, doesn't it? Liberals, progressives and Democrats being racist to the core, she may believe that the same work is relatively easier for white people.
Ken R at October 27, 2015 11:42 AM
"Wait! Wasn't ObamaCare going to solve this problem permanently? It sure as fuck better have, since it's skyrocketed MY healthcare costs something like 10,000%."
Be real, momof4. The democrats are going to be running on this issue for the next 50 years: "Those republicans keep getting in the way, but if you vote for us this time we're really going to get you your free health care!"
dee nile at October 27, 2015 12:04 PM
Would she settle for:
"Mr. Ryan, who works pretty hard for a white man..."
kenmce at October 27, 2015 3:52 PM
"lazy" -- the old racism
"hard worker" -- the new racism
lsomber at October 27, 2015 6:54 PM
I know I'm supposed to care, but I don't.
MarkD at October 27, 2015 7:23 PM
I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that Ms. Hyphenate Von Victimstatus hasn't seen Blazing Saddles but is outraged by it anyway.
I'm just guessing, of course.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at October 27, 2015 9:56 PM
She has managed to insult every hard worker who was never a slave, blacks, whites and all other races alike.
Matt at October 28, 2015 12:39 AM
Question - does she display photos of free black Americans working in industry, law, medicine,the arts, education, or government?
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at October 28, 2015 8:20 AM
Does MHP really need a reminder of "what hard work looks like?" Or is she trying to convince us that she can relate to the working class and recognizes that she's privileged to have the job she does?
I must have missed the point where she said the
"folks working in cotton fields" in the picture were black.
Conan the Grammarian at October 28, 2015 9:49 AM
Pot, allow me to introduce you to kettle.
Cousin Dave at October 28, 2015 2:06 PM
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