MSNBC Host Makes Fun of Mitt Romney’s Black Grandson

[MuppetsRule]

http://www.thewrap.com/msnbc-host-makes-fun-mitt-romney-black-grandson

MSNBC Host Makes Fun of Mitt Romney’s Black Grandson
By L.A. Ross 14 hours ago

MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry concluded the “What’s So Funny About 2013?” segment of her Sunday show with a chorus of laughter at the black grandson pictured in former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s family Christmas photo. The chuckles were directed at baby Kieran – who was adopted by Romney’s son Ben and his wife Andelynne in September.

“One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just isn’t the same,” panelist Pia Glenn offered as a caption for the photo, which the Romneys tweeted on Christmas Eve. (Lyrics of the original Sesame Street song are, “One of these things just doesn’t belong.”)
“And that little baby, front and center, would be the one,” Glenn said.


Comedian Dean Obeidallah joked that the baby is a token.
“It really sums up the diversity of the Republican party and the RNC, where they have the whole convention and they find the one black person.”
Conservative blogs on Monday roundly criticized MSNBC and the panelists for the segment. Commentator Caleb Howe wrote tongue-in-cheek on The Right Scoop: “He’s not a child adopted by loving parents prepared to provide him with a better life in keeping with the family’s values. Nope. He’s just a token. A punchline, not a person.”

“It’s funny because Romney is white and his grandson isn’t, which is obviously hilarious. Because as everyone knows, the races should not mix,” Howe added [emphasis original].
Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain, who ran for president in 2008, also has an adopted child of a different race. McCain’s wife Cindy brought daughter Bridget home after a cyclone relief trip to Bangladesh in 1991.
Glenn acknowledged the controversy on Twitter Monday but fell short of apologizing, instead blaming the producers of the show for springing the photo on her and the panelists.
She wrote in response to a critic, “”Really? You think I’m a producer on the show? You think I chose that photo & new [sic] it was coming?”

“Yes, I sang the song. There are many children in the pic & only 1 black child. I don’t see that as mocking or attacking the baby.”
Harris-Perry and other panelists have thus far remained mum.
Ironically, the segment ends by teasing the next block, an annual “’Look Back in Laughter’ tradition of asking ‘Hey – Was That R

acist?’”

 

[Drtooth]

I find it hard to believe anyone even watches MSNBC, let alone takes it seriously.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Wow. Yeah real classy, guys.

So now this month we have both conservatives (Duck Dynasty) and liberals (MSNBC) embarrassing themselves. Think it's safe to say the sanest place in this country is right in the middle.

 

[Drtooth]

Yes, no, maybe and probably. I'll agree, they're both complete idiots that said something completely idiotic, but while neither is right or defensible, they are totally different cases.

Phil said stuff that he believed in in totally offensive manners, saying pretty hateful homophobic, racist, and now misogynistic things. These pundits made a terrible joke at an attempt to be snarky, coming off as a failed Family Guy style joke against Mitt Romney. But bad, but different levels and for different reasons.

Now, here's where I think this is going to get interesting... and by interesting, I mean it's going to go down like it always does because it's so freaking predictable.

As I said before, Phil became the victim of shooting his mouth off, claiming his free speech was violated, and he walked away with nary a scratch (in no small hand from his "supporters"). Meanwhile, these pundits are terrible terrible people for saying one stupid thing (It's cable news, where saying stupid things breeds) that one time. Perfectly cherry picked by conservatives (a conservative blog is the one whining about this) to show how hypocritical the left is (for doing the same exact crap they're doing and claiming victimization), all the while keeping an air of "our farts don't stink" when they say the next racist/homophobic/xenophobic thing on their news channel. The lefty pundits will be fired and replaced, there will be a huge outpouring of blame and nervous apologies. Like the left always does when it screws up. When the right screws up, they just point the finger in the other direction.

Essentially, hypocrites that point out hypocrisy in others are still hypocrites.

And yes. Cable news is idiotic. Doesn't matter if you're the easy target of Fox, or the ridiculous new version of CNN (that has more moronic, useless, and annoying CGI graphics than a George Lucas updated film)... they all suck. They're all corporate owned, and there for the CEO's put their own bias in there because they spent the money for it.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I'll agree, they're both complete idiots that said something completely idiotic,

And that's as far as I'll agree with you, lol. That's where we tend to differ, I just don't believe in a lesser of two evils when it comes to political sides. I won't judge Robertson as the devil just for some stupid words. I won't judge MSNBC for a tasteless joke. But neither is particularly worthy of defense.

 

[Drtooth]

Evil or not, there is difference. The right is very unapologetic, while the left is so incredibly neurotic.

Look at it this way... Americans supported a wasteful, pointless, pork barrel of a war yet freak the heck out when they're offered health care. In any way you want to judge either party as evil or not evil or both exactly evil, the right has better marketing. Not to mention how easily forgivable their actions are. Comparison? Edwards cheated on his cancer stricken wife. He's the worst person that ever lived ever. Newt Gingrich did the same thing a decade ago, and he's still a beloved star in the GOP. Anthony Weiner- a complete horrible person and favorite punchline for late night comedians... UNELECTABLE! That guy who preached family values that ran off to Rio with his mistress. Forgivable! He recently won an election. I can't even remember his name. Back in 2008... Obama's main religious supporter was a rambunctious preacher that spoke out against war. Dangerous wacko! McCain's main religious supporter was an anti-Semite. NOT EVEN REPORTED! You see what I'm getting at here.

So Phil's going to be off the hook no matter what he says, MSNBC is going to be pleading on its knees for forgiveness. The difference is clear.

 

[CensoredAlso]

There have been many times when MSNBC refused to apologize for stupid things, just as there have been many times conservative types tried to rationalize things. I just don't agree with you that there's a huge difference between the two sides.

 

[Drtooth]

You're seeing black and white. All I'm saying.

The issue?

TV Star says something racist, homophobic, sexist, and over all idiotic for hateful reasons- victim.

Pundits say something vaguely racist for passive aggressive reasons - horrible people.

Add to this layer...

Those who supported Phil and found nothing wrong with that he said and feel he's a victim of liberals taking away his free speech-

A) Passive Aggressively cherry picked this story to prove a point about how liberals aren't above it all (no argument there), while saying that cherry picking what Phil says is wrong and passive aggressive (hypocrisy)

B) Are pulling this out of their quiver for how terrible liberals are while when they do the same exact things they're victims when someone calls them out (hypocrisy)

C) Agree with Phil's statements (in different terms), but are overly offended by this one because it calls out someone they like (hypocrisy)

So, yeah... they are kinda worse here. Two wrongs don't make a right, but two wrongs when the greater wrong points out how wrong the other wrong makes a REALLY big wrong.

 

[CensoredAlso]

If saying I want nothing to do with either side is being black and white, so be it, lol. You're saying the other side is being hypocritical. The other side is just as likely to make the case that your side is being hypocritical. Meanwhile exactly zero has been accomplished. I don't believe either conservatives and liberals are doing any good for this country. It's all a pointless competition of who hurt who more. The reality is both sides are ruining this country, as far as I'm concerned. Agree to disagree, end of story.

 

[MuppetsRule]

If saying I want nothing to do with either side is being black and white, so be it, lol. You're saying the other side is being hypocritical. The other side is just as likely to make the case that your side is being hypocritical. Meanwhile exactly zero has been accomplished. I don't believe either conservatives and liberals are doing any good for this country. It's all a pointless competition of who hurt who more. The reality is both sides are ruining this country, as far as I'm concerned. Agree to disagree, end of story.

At least somebody gets it. This country has lots of problems and it would serve everybody good if we started finding solutions rather than placing the blame. One of my all-time favorite quotes:

"Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future." - JFK

It would have been interesting to see the reaction if instead of MSNBC we substituted Fox News. Me thinks we'd be seeing a different reaction. Wrong is wrong, regardless of race, gender, sexual preference or politics.