« FRANKEN’S VICIOUS USE OF THE “N” WORD | Home | WILL LORD FARIS BE INVITED TO FARM FEST? »
FRANKEN’S VICIOUS USE OF THE “N†WORD #2
By Michael B. Brodkorb | July 23, 2008
I’ve rarely witnessed the intensity of opinions surrounding this post about Al Franken’s gratuitous use of one of the most vulgar words you could use. I must admit, I have also rarely witnessed the defenders of Al Franken make such over-the-top efforts to give Franken slack for what I believe is an absolute indefensible position.
A number of women have posted yesterday making it clear that joking about rape is never funny. I agree with them.
Earlier yesterday, someone posted a comment about wanting to hear from some “…black people” about this issue. I held my tongue hoping that others might weigh in and counter that such statements are in and of themselves reprehensible.
Why does it take an African American person to come forward to call Franken’s use of this word unforgivable? Why is it the burden of African Americans to call racism what it is, and the words that are used to perpetuate racism wrong?
I don’t need to wait for a person who is African American to make the determination that Franken’s jokes that use the “n” word are not only not funny, but continue to perpetuate stereotypes and hurt.
Al Franken’s defenders — or the Norm Coleman haters — who have posted throughout the day yesterday trying to justify Franken’s use of this word have to recognize their arguments just are not defensible.
Franken could have, had he wanted to, made his point (one that I believe is wrong) about what he thought about previous elections without having to use offensive, incendiary and grotesquely demeaning language. He’s a smart guy — I’m sure he could have figured it out.
He made a deliberate decision not to use another word. He made a deliberate decision to use that word — and then repeat it again in an audio book.
This debate will continue for some time, I am sure. But from where I stand I cannot fathom how any person can believe that Al Franken should be given any slack on this issue.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Topics: Uncategorized | 25 Comments »
25 Responses to “FRANKEN’S VICIOUS USE OF THE “N†WORD #2”
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I’m sorry, I have never really devolved into calling names on this site, but, you have to be a moron to not realize Franken’s writing is an attack on racism. It’s not different than a screen play that uses the word being said by a character who is racist. Or an author writing a book where a character uses that word. It’s not FRANKEN speaking as himself calling someone the N-Word.
Michael, are YOU some kind of moron?
I hadn’t really thought that until the posts over the last week or so.
Bravo for finding the tax issues. We can debate about how big of a deal that is, but, it showed some leg work by you. But, these posts are just stupid.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Michael is not a moron, he is trying to frame this issue in his version and if he reposts about it enough maybe more people will believe him. Keep lying until it becomes truth.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Michael thank you so, so much for your support of the African-American community here. You are a true crusader for equality and fairness and writing the wrongs of slavery. And this is on top of your already stellar defense of women against the forces of Franken’s blatant misogyny.
If more Republicans were champions of social justice like you have become for this election cycle, we’d really have a better, kinder, gentler world.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Michael thank you so, so much for your support of the African-American community here. You are a true crusader for equality and fairness and writing the wrongs of slavery. And this is on top of your already stellar defense of women against the forces of Franken’s blatant misogyny.
I threw up in my mouth after i read that Graham.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Graham- I sometimes also forget that people here don’t understand satire.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:26 pm
What satire?
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Angry Al worshipers are so predictable.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Aaron, even Porn-O-Rama himself realizes that the “satire” well has run dry.
I don’t think Porn-O-Rama Franken is really a racist, and I don’t think he’s a tax cheat. I think he’s an incredibly stupid, clueless little man who has carved himself a niche in an industry that thrives on ignorance.
How he ever came to believe that he had the mental acuity to speak with, much less for, mainstream Minnesotan’s I’ll never understand.
But his pathetic attempt to be taken seriously on anything was doomed from the start. That’s just a fact, and the sooner you and the rest of Franken’s crew come to grips with that, the sooner you’ll all be able to move on with your lives.
I wish the best for Porn-O-Rama Franken. When he returns home to NYC, and after the embaressment of having his ass handed to him by Norm Coleman wears off, maybe he can land a writing gig on the next “Jackass” movie sequel.
He’ll feel so much better after he settles back in among his peers, don’t you think?
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:45 pm
You are exactly right. If he were a criminal (tax cheat, for example), he’d be one thing. But because he’s probably not doing those things purposely it shows him to be something worse – stupid and careless. To have an elected official who would be so careless, so inattentive to detail, is dangerous.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Details, like the price of gas and rubber-stamping the war.
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Ply Dem,
Al was not “attacking racism” as you say.
He was attacking a woman.
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Nice try Clarence,
Here’s a question to you.
Is Al Franken a rapist or a racist?
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
So, what I am getting from this non-story is that republicans are offended by a satirical look at the Florida voting mess, but they are not offended by the lack of dignity provided to African Americans when the republican Secretary of State strips them of their legal right to vote.
That is what we call in the business moral ambiguity.
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Ding Ding Ding Leroy.
They have turned a deaf ear or/and a blind eye to it.
How have African American in Minnesota fared under Coleman/Bush?
That would be a nice statistic to show. Anybody want to bet against me that I know its horrible?
So, when and if, this becomes any kind of issue, we’ll just be sure to show how Norm’s spin guy may care and rightfully get upset when the N word is used in satire, his boss, Norm Coleman, has done nothing but ignore the policies that affect more black Minnesotans.
I would tell ol’ Norm not to even think about bringing Dan Williams out of the moth balls but, he got rid of Dan a while ago.
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Leroy, what did the SOS in Florida do to keep people from voting in those Democrat precints? Allow Democrats to run them? If that is the case I would have to agree, what idiot would put a Democrat in charge of anything? I mean besides you…
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
“I’ve rarely witnessed the intensity of opinions surrounding this post about Al Franken’s gratuitous use of one of the most vulgar words you could use.”
Michael. You don’t have a clue.
I’ve lived in the south, played in the south, and visit a kid that goes to college in the south. And I can tell you that I’ve heard Southern Crackers talk EXACTLY what Franken’s ripping; from the early 1970’s until my last trip to Louisiana, last fall.
And down south, there are reasons why blacks vote democratic; one of which them Southern Crackers that still today have no problemo drippin’ the big “N” tend to be registered Republicans.
What you’re trying to do with this story is disgusting; but hey – when your candidate sucks, you have to do what you have to do and there is no doubt your candidate sucks.
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Michael B. Brodkorb (MBB): “Why does it take an African American person to come forward to call Franken’s use of this work unforgivable?”
___________________________________
Caucasian man, MBB, it seems as though you may be are ruling out AFRICANS with your “an African American” unforgivable comment.
My perception is that a naturalized USA African citizen, would not fit your definition as an African American.
Can you think of any more groups of people that you may be ruling out?
It seems to me that what you have here is a pre-planned agenda, or some kind of trial balloon before a next political ad.
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:45 pm
lest we forget, al franken and evan cohen signed a settlement agreement acknowledging air america had diverted funds from boys/girls club in NYC to support franken’s show.
what part of the city did this club serve? inner city with majority of minority children. why would franken divert funds for the benefit of a minority group for his professional benefit if he really cared about them?
another example supporting franken’s disregard for minorities, much like his use of the “n” word.
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:51 pm
more evidence of franken’s support for minorities: of the 112 employees franken hired or directly influenced the hiring of 1 black person.
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Tommy, your saying that everytime someone down there uses the “N” word you run and see how they are registered? You serious? I find many people that I talk to out here in West Central Mn appear to be Republicans but then find out they are Democrats. They believe in the same things I do but for some reason when they walk into the voting both their mind goes dumb and they vote Democrat. Pro-life. Pro-gun. Anti-Tax. Anti-goverment give aways to every Tommy, Dick, and Harry. Pretty much everthing. Hell, look at Bill Clinton. He proved himself to be a racist in this campaign and he is your leader.
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:02 pm
ansel
prove it
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Regarding post 18.
Al Franken had nothing to do with taking funds from the Gloria Wise Club in NYC. Al Franken was an just an employee of the company. It turns out that the reason Al Franken had to sign the settlement agreement was because he was waiving his claim to pay for work he had done. The settlement agreement clearly states that Al Franken was NOT an investor in the company. Al Franken has stated that he came to believe that Evan Cohen was a crook. The workers at AAR were told that they had enough capital to go for 3 years, while in reality the capital was enough to last about 3 weeks. Franken had nothing to do with getting the money from Gloria Wise, and said that AAR had a moral obligation to pay it back. The money was repaid to Gloria Wise. To recap, the only reason Franken had to sign the document was because he was waiving his right ot collect money that was owed to him by the company running AAR. Nice attempt to make someone that was harmed by criminals, to be the person that was responsible for doing the crime.
July 24th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Never spent any amount of time down south, eh, Pete?
July 24th, 2008 at 7:25 am
You Know folks for those people who think blacks have been treated badly because of whites do you remember that nonrape case in 2006 I believe. A black woman said she was raped by three white men and even though defense lawyers were showing that there was no credible case without the dna evidence they were still being prosecuted.
The reason being that the prosecutor was about to have a primary and he wanted to show blacks that he cared by prosecuting and destroying the reputations of three innocent white men. Professors at their school declared them guilty. The school team was ordered disbanned.
All in the name of we have to make sure those guilty whites were punished. Where’s your outrage over that Leroy, Yoni, Tommy, and others.
Plymouth Democrat. One thing to keep in mind. I have been trying to sell writing for years (yes I will admit that I’m unsold). One thing you fail to understand is that the writer controls what he puts on the paper. There are ways not to be offsenive or use insulting language.
In the most recent story I wrote I had a major debate with myself about including one scene where two characters in the screenplay I was working was shown in bed having sex. Normally I wouldn’t even had that scene, but I had to have this scene since the upset reaction of the woman who discovered these two people having sex caused two things that were critical to the plot of the story.
The issues Franken wanted to raise he could’ve easily done it without doing that stupid thing that he did. And keep in mind Franken is working on the premise that Katherine Harris was being told on how to steal the state of Florida for George Bush which was a lie to begin with.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
July 24th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Well, Okay, you lefties convinced me that Al is really and intelligent stand up guy and brilliant satirist. I guess I’ll have to vote for him and his socialist agenda. /sarc.