Comments on: NRA Uses Offensive Italian Stereotype To Promote Bob McDonnell

By: Brian Gentry

Brian Gentry — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:07:23 +0000

This just shows why THE NRA SUCKS

By: Amused Observer

Amused Observer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:26:59 +0000

Zython,
He didn’t appear offended in the original post that you linked. Jay called Ollie out on his everyone’s a racist bullshit by pointing out that he was engaging in the same thing with his stereotyped example.

What I was referring to in particular was how foolish Ollie’s allegations were considering RG’s original claim to fame under Reagan. Which you echoed and added to. It was sort of like watching the two of you pile on Lincoln for owning slaves, not much awareness of who you were talking about, just mindless slamming of someone who holds different political values.

By: Zython

Zython — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:58:42 +0000

Ok, how does that make Jay any less of a hypocrite?

By: Amused Observer

Amused Observer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:42:05 +0000

Zython,
I gave you a chance to get out of the corner you painted yourself into but you appear unaware or unwilling to acknowledge Rudy’s historical relationship with the mafia. You picked a fairly unlikely candidate as an apologist for the Mob. Back in the early 80′s long before he was a national presence, he was Reagan’s point man on fighting organized crime. As assistant secretary of justice he set up the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force to target entire mafia families not just the dirty street soldiers. Unprecedented at the time, he combined the forces of the FBI, DEA, Customs, Immigration, and state and city police. Tell the Bonnano family that Rudy’s got their back. LOL

By: Zython

Zython — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:07:04 +0000

but you seem to have no idea of what got Rudy to the place he is now.

Of course, AO fails to demonstrate how this is actually relevant to Jay’s hypocrisy. But of course, having failed the Turing test a long time ago, probably won’t elaborate.

By: Amused Observer

Amused Observer — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:39:56 +0000

Actually the topic is political corruption “back east” and the east coast. In the west, the east coast encompasses more than just the seaboard states. Not accurate perhaps but not really much different from common perceptions of “the south”.

By: Bruce Henry

Bruce Henry — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:19:54 +0000

That’s funny, AO. People in Ohio, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois will be surprised to learn they are effete East Coast Liberals.

By: Amused Observer

Amused Observer — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:03:49 +0000

Mikie,
From here on the left coast everything east of the Mississippi is the east coast, dumb ass.

By: Michael Over Here

Michael Over Here — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:52:55 +0000

Ha! AO doesn’t know that Chicago isn’t on the east coast. Priceless!

By: Amused Observer

Amused Observer — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:33:53 +0000

Zython,
The east coast is notoriously corrupt, one needs to look no further that Obama and Chicago for obvious examples but you seem to have no idea of what got Rudy to the place he is now. Are you really so ignorant of the recent past?

By: canadian bacon

canadian bacon — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:25:32 +0000

If instead of an Italian mobster there was a Muslim terrorist in full regalia after 911, for example, then I think it would be a a completely different discussion.

By: Jay

Jay — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:05:48 +0000

I’m being hypocritical? Hilarious. First of all, the ad here just happens to use a “mafia” kind of guy in the commercial in some way to make a point. The commercial isn’t very effective despite being right on point. The Mayor of NYC should not be dictating to the state of Virginia on their gun laws.

Secondly, as I said in those old comments, I wasn’t offended by what Oliver wrote, but was just pointing out his engaging of stereotypes with is Six Degrees of Separation act he used to tie Rudy to a “mafia guy.” If anybody is the hypocrite, it’s Oliver who has his panties all in a twist over this NRA ad, but had no problem doing the same thing just a couple of years ago. So thanks Zython. You just exposed the host of this blog as the hypocrite. Good work.

By: Parthenon

Parthenon — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:58:50 +0000

It’s more that they are used to create division and an enemy of sorts. Good folks of Virginia vs the crooked, fancy-dressing New Yorkers.

That’s a fair point. They are sort of beating the elitism horse. If he’s fancy-schamncy he must be crooked.

Oh, and by the way, the ’some x say y so y isn’t offensive to x’ is total, utter, bullshit. I can’t stress that enough.

Certainly. But you have to go with what you know. This is nothing like a white man saying n****r with the excuse ‘well black guys say it to each other.’ The Italian mobster is a totally acceptable social target for mediocre comedy (often starring Robert Deniro). But maybe it shouldn’t be?

By: tim

tim — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:04:10 +0000

Parthenon, while I partly agree with you, I think there is more to it than that. You’re right, lame attempt at humor, and I’m not getting worked up about it, but it is, in my opinion, offensive.

Why? It isn’t so much that people might still believe these worn-out stereotypes. It’s more that they are used to create division and an enemy of sorts. Good folks of Virginia vs the crooked, fancy-dressing New Yorkers.

Oh, and by the way, the ‘some x say y so y isn’t offensive to x’ is total, utter, bullshit. I can’t stress that enough.

By: Parthenon

Parthenon — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:33:23 +0000

I dunno. This stereotype is so worn out it’s hard to get all that worked up over. I know some Italians that like to joke about their ‘connections.’ All I see is a lame attempt at humor, another in a long line.

By: Zython

Zython — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:32:22 +0000

So I read the thread you linked to and it doesn’t really give you any ammunition The hell are you talking about. There, Jay played the race card against Oliver for criticizing Gulliani. But when the NRA uses Italian stereotypes, he gives them a pass. That's the textbook definition of hypocrisy. but the funniest thing is how RG is portrayed as sympathetic or more towards the mafia. You say that as if those accuastions were unfounded.

By: Michael Over Here

Michael Over Here — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:24:22 +0000

Yeah, there’s no difference between a television show and an ad for an elected official. They should be held to the same standard.

By: Amused Observer

Amused Observer — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:05:38 +0000

Zython,
So I read the thread you linked to and it doesn’t really give you any ammunition, but the funniest thing is how RG is portrayed as sympathetic or more towards the mafia. Given his history it makes the accuser look incredibly ignorant.

By: Zython

Zython — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:44:26 +0000

Zython’s reach into the past to paint Jay with the charge of hypocrisy doesn’t hold much water.

Translation: IOKIYAR

By: Amused Observer

Amused Observer — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:36:23 +0000

Zython’s reach into the past to paint Jay with the charge of hypocrisy doesn’t hold much water. It is rather amusing to see Ollie’s clumsy effort to tar Rudy. Does anyone here recall how Rudy made his bones as a young man?