A Mind Is A Terrible Thing: Hidden Figures/Hidden Fences
Of course we should all do what half of Twitter is now doing -- assuming that Tom Hanks' and Jenna Bush's movie title flubs are racism rather than a common memory retrieval error. For example...
P.S. I do this sort of slippie sometimes, especially when I'm tired. I'll need a word and some lazyass library worker in my brain will just grab for the closest word back in the stacks that has the same starting consonant or consonant sound as the word I need. So, for example, I end up substituting Columbus Avenue for Colorado Boulevard, or vice versa. (I did that with those two words not long ago -- I just [heh] can't remember which I substituted for which.)
The Left version of dumb Rednecks.
Bob in Texas at January 9, 2017 5:46 AM
Many years ago a comedian named Larry Miller used the "The mind is a terrible thing" line in a joke. Nobody got their panties in a twist. Bet he doesn't tell that one anymore.
If you're wondering, it was hilarious.
Kat at January 9, 2017 6:04 AM
Years ago California then Lt. Governor, Cruz Bustamante (D), was giving a campaign speech at a United Negro College Fund event. Only, instead of saying United Negro College Fund, Bustamante slipped and said the N-word.
He apologized profusely. No media campaign was organized against him. No political fall out happened. He went on with his political career with no repercussions. Nothing in his history indicated he was a racist, except his membership in La Raza, but that was Progressive-acceptable anti-white racism.
Sometimes, when you're trying very hard not to say something, it's the only thing you can think of. I'm sure no racism was intended on Keaton's or Bush's parts, as none was intended on Bustamante's part.
They may have been thinking of all the movies up for awards featuring African-Americans and gotten the two mixed up. Perhaps they were happy there were so many movies featuring African-American themes, marveling at how far Hollywood has come from its racist past.
Conan the Grammarian at January 9, 2017 7:29 AM
So, does this mean all the times they have gotten the title of movies starring white people wrong that they were racist against whites?
lujlp at January 9, 2017 7:36 AM
And of course, John Travolta's latent antisemitism came out when he butchered Idina Menzel's name :)
Brian at January 9, 2017 10:30 AM
As a kid, I used to confuse Cat Stevens with Elton John.
It certainly wasn't because of their looks, their music, or their identical city of origin. Maybe it was just because they both had T in their names?
lenona at January 9, 2017 11:26 AM
Remember Bob Nelson's classic routine on the Rodney Dangerfield comedy special on HBO like 30+ years ago.. where he did the line-up of a college football team?
"The mind is a terrible thing.. and it must be stopped, in our lifetime!"
It was the bit where he used a helmet and balloons, with other classic lines like "my helmet and my shoulder-ma-pads"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_7tIBk_DfQ
Miguelitosd at January 9, 2017 5:47 PM
The link you sent says it was Michael Keaton, not Tom Hanks as in your description. ALL WHITE PEOPLE DON'T LOOK ALIKE!!!
;)
Colt at January 10, 2017 12:06 PM
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