Reach out to the sponsors of race baiting rhetoric

Remember the “Concert for Hurricane Relief”? It was a live telethon and concert, that was produced by NBC News. The live broadcast was run on NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC. Kanye West was paired with comedian Austin Powers (Mike Myers) and was not scheduled to perform, but to read from a script prepared by the network. The segment began with Myers speaking on the devastation of Katrina. Then Kanye, who was looking hella nervous, departed from his script and said (in short):

“…blah, blah, blah… George Bush don’t care about Black people.”

The network cut Kanye’s comments about Bush from their west coast feed and quickly distanced itself from him. Kanye’s basis for his comment – all of the black folks left stranded in squalor after Hurricane Katrina.

Compare that to Glen Beck stating that Obama has:

"…over and over again" exposed himself as "a guy who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture. I don't know what it is..." "…I'm not saying he doesn't like white people, I'm saying he has a problem. This guy is, I believe, is a racist."

Glenn Beck’s overt racism rages on over at Fox News unabated. Beck’s basis for his comments – none. Obama is half white, raised by white folks, has a white sister, uncles, etc... and basically loves him some white people (see the Kennedys). Beck’s comments are so incendiary, so extreme, so stupid, that Glenn Beck clearly needs an intervention.

Reach out to Beck through his advertisers. Tell them it's past time for an intervention. Encourage them to drop sponsorship of the Glenn Beck race baiting rhetoric. Do it for Glenn, sign the petition here.

Where would we be without Court Jesters?

As I sat watching CNBC’s, Jim Cramer get eaten alive by Jon Stewart on the Daily Show, I could not help but be a little embarrassed for Cramer. There was no way Cramer could win this argument. What made him decide that he was willing to be the fall guy for all that CNBC had gotten wrong? Stewart paraphrased a Carly Simon quote when he told Cramer “this ass-whoopin' isn't about you”.

The fight was originally between Stewart and CNBC Business News’ on-air editor, Rick Santelli. Santelli was intelligent enough to cancel his interview with Stewart - he was mocked for a couple of days and then people forgot about him. Then, for some reason, Cramer steps in and begins to bash Stewart for mocking CNBC for their so called “objective financial journalisim”.

Stewart made blow after blow at Cramer and CNBC’s “financial programming”, he even clowned Cramer on Letterman – the case was/is solid. So, what in the hell was Cramer thinking when he decided to go on Stewart’s show? Did he actually think he could match wits with Jon Stewart? Doesn’t he know that you don’t start fights with the Court Jesters of society? Certainly not this particular Jester (Stewart), who is much beloved and has beat down many highly placed individuals on his highly viewed television show.

These satirist / comedians / jesters – (Stewart, Fey, Ferrell, and Colbert) don’t have to play by the rules – they will eat you alive. How credible is CNBC now that Cramer has admited to being a “snake oil salesman labeling his wares as vitamin tonic”?

Many think of a Court Jester as simply a clown employed to entertain the King. Oh contraire, the role they played entailed much more than playing music and doing handstands.

Whenever loss of freedoms are at stake, the Court Jester is necessary. The Jester can say anything because it is in jest – he can be frank. Count on the Court Jester to challenge what you see presented before you, by making fun of it. The Jester will trivialize an idea to the degree we are left wondering exactly who is zooming who. He will parody the players involved, so we can see them in a different light.

In the instance of Tina Fey parodying Sarah Palin, Jesters may even reverse thinking, by exposing the audience to the facets of a personality that have been polished so bright you can’t look at them.

In Medievil times, it was a thin line a Jester walked to not be seen as a “fool”, because he had to hold the council of the King. The position of the Joker playing card, which has no fixed place in the hierarchy of King, Queen, Knave etc. might be a remnant of this position of the court jester. This lack of any place in the hierarchy meant Kings could trust their councel more. They had no vested interest in any region, estate or church. (from Wikipedia)

The look of the Court Jester may have changed, but their role in society is just as important. So thank you Jon, Tina, Will and Steven…