Wednesday, May 17, 2006

THE MARKUP

In her article about Tony Snow's first press conference, Alessandra Stanley leads with the following paragraph:

Tony Snow said he didn't want to "hug the tar baby," and then he did just that by using the expression in his first televised White House press briefing yesterday.
The tar-covered doll that Br'er Fox used to ensnare Br'er Rabbit in an 1881 Uncle Remus story is used as a metaphor for a sticky situation, but for some it also carries vague racist connotations — it has been used as a derogatory term for a black. In a society where a District of Columbia councilman can be accused of racism simply by using the word "niggardly," most politicians and TV commentators prefer to avoid tar baby references. When a reporter playfully asked him to explain the term, Mr. Snow mumbled that it could be traced to "American lore."
It was a minor snag in an otherwise smooth, polished performance, but it was nevertheless a reminder of just how sticky the job of White House press secretary can be.

I don't get it — Stanley just explained the literary origins of the word "tar baby" and made it clear that Snow did not use it in a racist way, yet she still describes it as a "minor snag" because we live in "a society where a District of Columbia councilman can be accused of racism simply by using the word 'niggardly.'"

If only there were some way to change our society so that race-baiting ignoramuses had less credibility — like, maybe reporters could stop treating their concerns as legitimate news stories.

05/17 11:43 AM Share