Great piece from the Daily Show. My favorite jokes were:- "If you follow the world of sports and/or homosexuality"- Jon going nerdy with three gay wizards: Ian McKellen, Dumbledore and Jason Collins- Video cut getting Obama to say: "[Speaking for Jason] I'm still 7 foot tall and can bang with Shaq."- Jon Stewart and Jason Jones longing for the ability to make Linsanity-like puns that ended with GESPY (Gay-ESPY). In general, I found this a good piece in that it is propelled by an intellectual point (of how a non-flashy coming out is still important and impressibe) with a little light humor around it.
Mushnick has responded to at least two media outlets, the Village Voiceand Bob's Blitz. Here's what Mushnick told the Voice:
"Did you actually read what I wrote and what I've been writing for 30 years? I don't call black men niggas; my kids never heard the word until folks such as Jay-Z came along. I'd suggest you talk to him about it. What I wrote today was on Jay Z's artistry, and only the wishful and foolish would so badly misinterpret and mischaracterize it as you plan to do. Thanks - mushnick."
Hmmm, OK. Jay-Z is the one who forced Phil Mushnick to call black people n*ggers, NOT Phil Mushnick. Shoot, if it weren't for darkies like Jay-Z, everyone would have forgotten the word completely! If only there were a way we could systematically undermine them to separate them from white society...
But that's not the end of Phil Mushnick's apology tour. He wrote to Bob's Blitz with similar sentiments:
Such obvious, wishful and ignorant mischaracterizations of what I write are common. I don't call black men the N-word; I don't regard young women as bitches and whores; I don't glorify the use of assault weapons and drugs. Jay-Z, on the other hand.....Is he the only NBA owner allowed to call black men N---ers?"
Jay-Z profits from the worst and most sustaining self-enslaving stereotypes of black-American culture and I'M the racist? Some truths, I guess, are just hard to read, let alone think about.
(Same column I provide support for Amar'e Stoudemire at a time when everyone in town is ripping him to shreds. That was my LEAD, too, but what does that matter?)
SOME OF MY BEST COLUMN SUBJECTS ARE BLACK, BOB! HOW COULD I BE RACIST?! And to answer Phil's rhetorical question, no, Jay-Z is not the only NBA owner who's allowed to call black men "n*ggers." Michael Jordan is, too, because HE'S BLACK and can appropriate that word as he chooses or chooses not to. It's not Mushnick's word to use freely, and the fact that he feels compelled to defend himself against these "ignorant mischaracterizations" of his writing indicates that he's probably not too aware of his latent racism. Or not-so-latent, in this case.
Mushnick makes matters worse by calling Jay-Z a profiteer of "self-enslaving stereotypes," which REALLY stokes the racial fire. Try not to use slave language, Phil. If only the negroes picked themselves up by the bootstraps, we wouldn't need voices of reason like Phil Mushnick to point out when the blacks misbehave.
I doubt any of this will make Phil Mushnick change his mind, but still, it's worth raising hell if only to force the New York Post to take some sort of action against Mushnick, which doesn't look likely right now. For what it's worth, Nets player Anthony Morrow called Mushnick a "clown" and a "racist bigot," which sounds about right. Morrow also called for Phil to be fired.
Do you think Mushnick should be fired? We'll include an internet-friendly poll JUST FOR YOU!
Jeff Zohn:
Phil Mushnick is just an idiot. I get his criticisms about Jay-Z's as a profiteer of "self-enslaving stereotypes," but my what a stupid way to go about it.
May 9, 2012
Bison Messink:
Accusing that Jay-Z essentially invented the N-word is the stupidest thing I've read in a long, long time. What a dolt.
May 7, 2012
Frightening Real :
You're an idiot who missed the point. Mushnick has pointed out that Jay-Z is responsible for modeling the Brooklyn Nets image after his American Gangster body of work. He quoted Jay-Z and is saying "If you're going to make American Gangster NBA gear, might as well use the rest of your lyrics from your song." But you, the ignorant fool, can only criticize the messenger for exposing the woman and gay hating lyricist that Jay-Z is. Why don't you start by reading what "Real Ni**az" do and use Google? Mushnick has protected the exploited for many years and the only thing this article exposes is how stupid the general public is.
May 5, 2012
Antwoine Pennix:
Phil Mushnick of the New York Post put this article out, his editor, Col Allan, approved it......and they both knew the kind of response they would get. This is an open attack on a black man that has gained money and fame by freedom of speech through his rap music. Here is why this is racial.........Mikhail Dmitrievitch Prokhorov is the majority owner of the New Jersey Nets, soon to be the Brooklyn NBA team. This man is Russian, from Russia, the sworn Cold War enemy of the United States. The writer of this article chose to go after the minority owner Jay-Z and attach negative, insensitive, racist derogatory terms to the team and it's cheerleader's on the basis of Jay-Z's skin color. Not every player on the team is black so why would this writer want to call them all "N*****rs"? Why does he go so far as to attack the cheerleader's and call the bitches and hoes? Because of some lyrics in his rap? As Jay-Z said, I got 99 problems and a bitch ain't 1.......... It is open season on black people. This is Jay-Z's "Nigger Wake Up" Call, telling him and any other black man or woman that no matter how big you get you are still a nigger in the eyes of the white man. Phil Mushnick has followers and supporters and the fact that his newspaper went ahead and published this crap reveals their attitude towards blacks as well. This is not about who can use a racial slur and who can not. This backhanded criticism about rap music and those that rap is tired and stupid. Don't believe me..... Check it.......If Eminem was owner or part owner of a pro sports team, you would not find any article calling for his team to be called the New York Honkies, the Detroit Po'Whites, or say the New York Fags just because he used those words in his rap. He would be celebrated for making so much money that he could afford to buy into a team at all. Never has this "white" rapper been asked to change the way he raps or hounded throughout his career for using any negative words in his rap. Phil Mushnick and the people behind him have a message for Jay-Z and anyone that looks like him.......YOU ARE STILL JUST A NIGGER TO US NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE!
May 4, 2012
Dez Austin:
Phil Mushnick your infantile ass needs to wake up and realize it is 2012. How about if the Nets pull their media privileges from the New York Post? Better yet how about the NY Post pull your employment privileges? Don't be mad that a young African american man took his challenges as a youth and transformed it into a fucking empire.. Phil go kill yourself, oh sorry you just did...
Leah Rocketto:
Even if he's not a racist (which he obviously is) he should be smart enough/ educated enough to know you simply don't say shit like that. ESPECIALLY in print!
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