White House Disagrees With Larry Wilmore On Obama’s Use of ‘Thug’
One of many media subplots to the recent unrest in Baltimore has been the popularity of the word “thug” among members of the media, and the racial connotations thereof. The debate over that particular word began with the much more clear-cut example of the Seattle Seahawks’ Richard Sherman being labeled a “thug” for behavior that’s usually called “fiery” or “brash” when white players do it.
Since then, though, the label has been applied to peaceful protesters and violent rioters alike during periods of unrest over police violence, but not to white rioters at pumpkin festivals. In both instances, context matters, but more so in the latter. It is into that debate that the White House press corps has waded for several days now, attempting to extract an apology or a walkback from Press Secretary Josh Earnest on several (five) occasions for President Obama’s use of the term at a press conference Tuesday. Earnest has, thus far, resisted, but at Thursday’s briefing, the press corps enlisted the aid of Larry Wilmore, host of Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show.
Wilmore lodged an objection to the word “thug” on the most recent episode of his show, capping a montage of media figures using it with the clip from President Obama’s speech:
“Et tu, Obama?”
That quote found its way into Thursday’s White House briefing, as McClatchy‘s Lesley Clark became the latest reporter to try and eke some news out of this (but not the last). Earnest absurdly…READ MORE
Copyright 2015 Liberaland
By: Tommy Christopher
Tommy Christopher is The Daily Banter's White House Correspondent and Political Analyst. He's been a political reporter and liberal commentator since 2007, and has covered the White House since the beginning of the Obama administration, first for PoliticsDaily, and then for Mediaite. Christopher is a frequent guest on a variety of television, radio, and online programs, and was the villain in the documentaries The Audacity of Democracy and Hating Breitbart. He's also That Guy Who Live-Tweeted His Own Heart Attack, and the only person to have ever received public apologies from both Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.
6 responses to White House Disagrees With Larry Wilmore On Obama’s Use of ‘Thug’
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rg9rts May 1st, 2015 at 05:12
On what planet do these people reside….thug has never had a racial connotation…just like hoodlum…please find something relevant to worry about.
Suzanne McFly May 1st, 2015 at 06:35
Because a certain segment uses these words instead of the “N” word, then none of us are allowed to call a spade a spade. It is idiotic and detracts from the real problems so that makes some feel a sense of momentary safety.
rg9rts May 1st, 2015 at 08:02
Maybe they could use Saint Ronnie??
FatRat May 1st, 2015 at 15:53
It’s better optics to say Thug or Urban Types. The dog whistle word ‘Thug’ is pretty damn loud to some. Call a spade a spade, it’s the purposeful use of weasel words. (no pun intended with the word ‘spade’.)
http://www.thenation.com/article/170841/exclusive-lee-atwaters-infamous-1981-interview-southern-strategy
You start out in 1954 by saying, “N*gger, n*gger, n*gger.” By 1968 you can’t say “n*gger”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “N*gger, n*gger.”
Budda May 1st, 2015 at 07:52
“Thug” has become the word/term de joire. Its connotations vary from Fox to here at Liberalland. These Presidential daily press conferences have become simple sparing matches for the press vs. the White House. Just petty in many ways.
pignose4.0 May 1st, 2015 at 12:06
I’m lost on this one if someone acts like a thug what does color have to do with it, a trug is a thug period.