American Century Investment Racist

'Gangsta' Ad Misfires on Racist Right

Maybe it’s the eternal optimist in me, but I honestly believe that the production of any racist political attack ads by conservatives will have an unintended, salubrious effect on national politics in the 21st century. What’s more, when a rare outbreak of such attack ads occurs, it may even do more good than harm to progressive causes and candidates.

Look no further than the recent backlash resulting from a web ad produced by Turn Right USA PAC, a far-right conservative outfit, which targets the Democratic candidate for a U.S. House seat to replace Rep. Jane Harman of California. In the ad, candidate Janice Hahn is cartoonishly depicted as a Satanic stripper hanging out and suggestively cavorting with black men in full “gangsta” mode. The men rap and chant to her: “Give me your cash, bitch.”

As insulting and unflattering as the ad makes Hahn, its presence on the political landscape can only help her campaign. Let me be clear: I’m in no way condoning or encouraging the use of vile stereotypes or grossly offensive messages to peddle politics. Rather, I believe most Americans recognize them for what they are today—desperate devices that signal defeat for those who at one time might have benefited from them.

Blogger Carmel Lobello gets it right when she writes in Death and Taxes , an online magazine, that the ad is so bad it will draw sympathetic attention toward Hahn and may even boost political contributions to her campaign. “In making a low budget ad that draws negative attention to the GOP and specifically Craig Huey, Hahn’s opponent, Turn Right USA PAC essentially went around the block and back again, garnering attention and support for Hahn, who was basically unknown on the national stage until today,” Lobello wrote.

That’s not what the ad’s creator, Ladd Ehlinger Jr., wanted. Rather, he must have assumed the ad would draw favorable support from like-minded conservatives. But he overreached, making a video that only the most unredeemed racist could publicly embrace.

Slate columnist David Weigel suggests the ad is some sort of political bank shot “to create something so shocking that it would get people talking.” He even quotes an unapologetic Ehlinger, who says the ad is “funny” and refuses to apologize for its offensive imagery.

But the attention clearly backfired on Ehlinger. Yes, the ad succeeded in getting people to talk about how awful it was and how horrible it would be for anyone to embrace it. But the video became a poster child for racism among the right-wing political establishment as it went viral almost as soon as it was posted on YouTube, and was just as quickly denounced by sensible conservatives.

Racial Stereotypes in Kiddie Lit « West of the Loop

, For example, which is one of the best books for children ever written, in my view. Sometimes, however, I open a beloved book from my girlhood only to discover that it contains some really troubling racial stereotypes and use of racially charged dialect - the kind of thing that would never appear in a contemporary book. Some of the books that contain these offensive portrayals of racial minorities date from the 19th century, but many go back from only a generation or two, which reflects how much our society has changed in the past 50 years.

As an example, I was so excited for my husband and daughter to read the 1960′s classic  together because I had fond memories of my mother reading that book to me. My husband was not familiar with the story, but I was sure that he, as someone who spent formative years in New York City, would love it.  Midway through the book, however, my husband pulled me aside and asked what I had been thinking when I suggested the book.  It turned out that the author portrays a Chinese character speaking in a broken pidgin English that reflects outdated stereotypes about Asian-Americans. Oops! I hadn’t remembered that part. I had a similar embarrassing moment after I recommended the book ? Ugh. It makes this otherwise delightful film almost unwatchable. Perhaps if you are Japanese-American, not even Audrey Hepburn can redeem this film for you.

The question is, of course, what to do when you encounter one of these outdated and racially insensitive stereotypes in a children’s book. As adults, we have a context for understanding why books written 30, 50 and 100 years ago handle the topic of characters’ ethnicity differently than a contemporary book would. And we can evaluate the book accordingly. Moreover, racism is part of American history, like it or not. When high school students and adults read , for example,  understanding the racism depicted in that classic novel is an important part of understanding 19th century American history.

Yet, young children lack our knowledge and understanding of this less-than-savory aspect of our nation’s past and we may not want to introduce it to them at such a young age. How can I tell my 7 year old that it used to be okay to make fun of how Chinese immigrants speak English or call Native Americans “red men?” She is still so innocent and free from prejudice. I am not ready to expose her to some of these ugly truths. And I worry that she is not sophisticated enough to understand the larger historical context at work. So, does that mean I have to avoid these books altogether? But what if these books have redeeming value and the ugly ethnic stereotype is only a minor detour? Such is the case with . That beloved favorite appears on many “best books for kids” lists and the Chinese character’s broken English only appears on a few pages.  Should we dismiss the whole book? Is that throwing the baby out with the bath water?

Race over empire, racism and U.S. imperialism, 1865-1900

American racist, the life and films of Thomas Dixon

The African-American Century, How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country

Racism, a short history

The American century, a history of the United States since the 1890s