R.I.P. Jimmy Breslin

I saw this phrase, describing Breslin himself:
"Week after week, the life of noisy desperation."

Works for the current state of newspapers, too.

 

Liberals can always excuse racism among their fellow travelers:

When Breslin found the message from Yuh, he stormed out of his office, screaming, 'She's a little dog, just a little cur, a cur running along the street. She's a yellow cur. Let's make it racial.'

Breslin also called Yuh 'slant-eyed,' according to a number of reporters who overheard the outburst, Coletti said.

Columnist Breslin reprimanded for racial slur

Tony's idolized Breslin and carried his water for 25 years.

THE REAL JIMMY BRESLIN

By TONY KORNHEISER May 9, 1990

Last Friday morning, a time of day when he's rarely at his best, a seething Jimmy Breslin burst out of his office at New York Newsday, and suddenly spouted off sexist and racist invectives against a colleague whose internal memo criticizing Breslin's recent columns drove him into a rage. Among the things he called 25-year-old Ji-Yeon Mary Yuh were "a yellow cur," "slant-eyed," and what one newspaper described as "a lewd anatomical reference."

Breslin's eruption -- overheard by stunned colleagues in the newsroom, and not denied by Breslin -- was ugly, mean, deplorable and inexcusable.

Newsday could easily fire him for his remarks.

Which would be a mistake.

There's no question Breslin hit for the cycle Friday morning; they had to wear a batting helmet in the newsroom. Breslin has long been a loudmouthed boor and abusive to his co-workers. But before anyone starts firing him, they might remember where Jimmy Breslin has stood, and who he's stood for over the years.

The year Ji-Yeon Mary Yuh was born, Breslin was in Selma, Ala., writing eloquently earthy columns about the florid face of bigotry.

THE REAL JIMMY BRESLIN

 

Michael rails against privileged, old, white men who wouldn't vote for Hillary Clinton because strong women threaten them.

But he loves Jimmy “the fucking bitch doesn't know her place” Breslin:

IrishCentral.com ten Irish American Pulitzer Prize winners

 

Kornheiser's defense is so absurd to read today.

Sure, he's an asshole in private, but don't judge him by that. Judge him by the persona he's created for himself in his writing. And, besides, he would have used a racist term to slur someone who wasn't Asian too.

Would love to see someone ask him if he still stands by it:

Some people have lumped Breslin with Al Campanis, Jimmy the Greek and Andy Rooney, all of whom came under fire for stupid remarks. The differences are in where and how Breslin spoke. Rooney's comments were made to an interviewer. Campanis and the Greek spoke on camera. Had Breslin said this on TV, or written it in his column, he would be fired, and justifiably. He launched his tirade in the newsroom; you'll have to trust me on this, the newsroom has always been one of those places where people rant and rave. To folks who work there, the inside of a newspaper, like the inside of a locker room, is not a public place -- it's more like the family den. Rowdy comments are passed there that are never intended to be brought to public light. You fire all the reporters and editors who've shouted repulsive, obnoxious taunts at one another, there won't be anybody left to turn out the lights.

Campanis, the Greek and Rooney spoke temperately, of things they believed. Breslin lashed out in rage, without thinking. It's how he's always been. "I can control the rage in my writing, which is what I get paid for," he said. "I do not control it when I'm shouting off the record." He's a saloon-meister, a rough-hewn street guy who's sat down on curbs in all five boroughs of New York City. Nobody ever confused him with Prince Charles. If that message hadn't been sent by a Korean woman, if it had been sent by the daughter of a Queens cop, a colleen who'd worked with Bernadette Devlin in the IRA, rest assured Breslin would have popped off in the same foul mouth -- and without thinking twice substituted "mick" for "slant-eyed."

 

Sounds like Breslin could be on team Trump.

 

I'm sure @doctorquant can work up an equation for slurriest insult: mick, slant-eyed, kike.

 

Hey YF, want to point out where anyone here defended Breslin on the racist remarks or derogatory comments on women.

Every obit I read included that, along with being an incredible talent, he was also an asshole. He knew he was an asshole.

Being the best columnist to ever put ink on paper and being a jerk are not mutually exclusive.

And as a Trump apologist, you have no credibility on this issue.

Guessing you're just annoyed that he took shots at your guy Giuliani. Who, BTW, did some good things but is also a huge fucking asshole.

See how that works?

 

You just knew YF couldn't let someone die without trying to tear him or her down. Only surprise is it took him this long to get on his high horse.

 

I probably shouldn't say anything. Whenever Donald Trump kicks the bucket I will not be observing any kind of waiting period before opening up with both barrels.

 

Something tells me you won't be alone ...

 

Remember to make it quick. He's going to take the rest of us with him.