Blackface Joe Update: Evidence Disappeared, "Artist" Explains His Work

Tom Maguire notes that Jane Hamsher's blackface picture has been deleted from the Huffington Post.

There's nothing suspicious in this, Tom. A lot of Jane Hamsher productions disappear rather quickly in a squeaky fart of embarrassment, like Double Dragon.

He also notes that the only people who seem to be discussing this are those on the right. Which, frankly, just shocks me.

Is it just me or is there a lot of intrasphere sniping and argument on the right, whereas on the left, there's just this creepy speak-no-evil silence?

Note that a "diarist" or whatever at TPM Cafe did slam the picture very hard (a bit melodramatically, if you ask me, but why quibble over a brave voice of dissent in the left?), but basically, more Townhouse style silence. And lefty blogger "Roger Ailes" criticizes the pic because the righties "can (and will) run gleefully off to the mainstream media with." Cost/benefit analysis, he suggests.

Way to make a principled stand, Roger.

I don't really think the bulk of the left needs Townhouse to tell them to shut up about their fellow bloggers' excesses. It's just kind of understood that partisan loyalty trumps all other considerations.

For what it's worth, I don't think Jane Hamsher or "DarkBlack" (the photoshopper) intended to denigrate blacks. But that's not the point, is it? We've been collectively lectured that blackface is so monstrously offensive to black people that we ought never trade in such images, no matter what the intent. And, even when one can't be proved guilty of racism or race-baiting, using blackface is always racially insensitive, a term which liberals use to mean "racist" when they can't quite muster the evidence for racism.

Either that's the case or it's not. Either it's racially insensitive to use an image that offends black people or it's not.

If there's some nuance here as to when blackface images are or are not appropriate in context, please share the rules with me. I don't think I've got any blackface gags or photoshops in me just dying to get out, but I'm never averse to having one more socket-wrench in my Big Ol' Comedy Toolbox.

I'd thought that such images were too painful and hateful to be used in almost any situation, but if I've been misled, please put me some information.

Strong. Tough.

Silent on racial insensitivity.

Layers.

An Open Letter To Arianna Huffington: At Decision '08.

Robert McEnroe keeps saying that the HuffPo commenters' antisemitic postings are now being purged, now that antisemitism is a club with which to beat the hated one Mel Gibson. Before, antisemitism was pretty cool and funny, at least to Arianna Huffington; only now, due to political expediency, does it become censurable and censorable.

Seems that if Arianna was really that anti-antisemitism she could have said something about it prior to the Mel Gibson outburst.

Ohhh... More discussion rounded up at the ever-vigilant Memeorandum, though I'm not sure what more needs be said besides "Jane Hamsher is a drooling imbecile with the all the common sense and political savvy of a deer chigger."

My open letter to Jane Hamsher:

Dear Jane,

You know how you think you're being pretty gosh-darn funny in a witty sort of way, makin' up "funny" names like "Rape Gurney Joe" and putting up blackface pictures?

You really need to stop that.

I know, I know. Three or four times in your life people have said "You have a good sense of humor" or forced a chuckle at something you said.

They were just being nice, dear. If you actually had the funny, honestly, you'd have a lot more people saying "Jane Hamsher gots da Big Funny!" instead of, oh, for example, "Jane Hamsher gots 'da crazy-eyes.'"

Ha-Ha Charade Ya Are,

Ace of Spades

posted by Ace at 08:01 PM

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