"The troubling viral trend of the hilarious black neighbor"

Interesting thoughts here. Basically, the columnist uses the video of the neighbor in Cleveland as a jumping-off point to discuss whether the spate of viral videos of, um, expressive men and women of color is condescending and racist:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/05/07/charles_ramsey_amanda_berry_rescuer_becomes_internet_meme_video.html

 

I thought he was hilarious. It was nice to get a light moment in during such an amazingly disgusting case...

Also, if I'm not mistaken, this guy is a hero.

 

i think it's more about white people being boring.

 

She has a point. We're certainly laughing at these folks as much as we are laughing with them.

But, (surprise, surprise) I think it's as much a class issue as a race issue.

These videos would go just as viral if they starred a hilarious "white trash" neighbor.

The "people of Walmart" photos mock people who are different than us. I think these video are along the same lines.

 

This is what I think, too.

 

Personally, what makes him funny is not that he's black. It's that he seems to be himself 100% of the time, even when he's got to know hundreds of millions of people are hanging on what he's got to say.

He's a funny guy who happens to be black.

 

I agree with this... He does make multiple references to being black, but I just found him very refreshing. I didn't watch him and think, "Oh what a dummy..."

The guy is a hero and I'll never fault someone for being themselves. He's not putting on an act. I'll take a guy like this every single time over someone who is buttoned-up and boring. It's refreshing to see some personality.

 

Don't think it's a big deal, and I'll applaud the guy all day, but . . . .

"I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man's arms. Something is wrong here. Dead giveaway. Dead giveaway. Either she's homeless or she's got problems. That's the only reason."

Laugh at it all you want, but it's an inaccurate and racially insensitive statement. A statement that could not be made had the interview subject been a white witness who saw the girl run into a black man's arms.

If you're a black man who has adopted one or more white little girls, then something is definitely not wrong when she runs into your arms, and it's not a "dead giveaway" for anything.

 

I heard a lot of people watch Duck Dynasty for its introspective thoughts on the separation of church and state.

 

The racial argument is a lot easier to make if you ignore the white people who have done the exact same thing and got a lot of attention for it.

 

I'm guessing the author is white? Because the white guilt is dripping in this story.
Plus, there's this:

Yes, Kai the hitchhiker had the same treatment. Just because you don't think so doesn't make it true.