Megyn, We Hardly Knew 'Ye

[Judge]

Interesting. Seems things are heating up by the hour for Megyn Kelly, over her comments regarding wearing a blackface for Halloween.

And whether or not NBC has either already fired her, or is intending to do as such or simply cancel her show. Having seen the broadcast from yesterday, all I could do is cringe. Whatever her social/political opinions may be, she should have never gone there. Rookie mistake for anyone in the public domain.

Has Megyn Kelly broadcast her last show on NBC? - CNN

 

[Mattymatt]

Megyn Kelly is about to get her 15+ minutes of unwanted fame. I believe her true colors really showed.

 

[Judge]

Megyn Kelly is about to get her 15+ minutes of unwanted fame. I believe her true colors really showed.

Well, if she does get to keep her $69 million from NBC I suppose she can always become a Hollywood shut-in and trade war stories with Roseanne Barr and H. Ross Perot.

For someone so steeped in broadcast media, you'd think she'd know better.

 

[pamelaperejil]

Megan Kelly has always seemed like something of a joke to me, but I wouldn't consider that a cringeworthy comment coming from an average person. It only shows ignorance, which is unforgiveable from her because she's a newsperson. (I didn't know what blackface was either before I started posting on social media a few years ago, and only then because of all the fuss about Halloween.) Personally, I found it difficult to take Kelly for an authority before all this.

I have to wonder though, why this keeps coming up. Who's wearing these costumes? I have NEVER seen anyone wear a blackface costume for Halloween, and most of the stuff they protest about just seems silly.

 

[Judge]

Megan Kelly has always seemed like something of a joke to me, but I wouldn't consider that a cringeworthy comment coming from an average person. It only shows ignorance, which is unforgiveable only because she's a newsperson. Personally, I found it difficult to take her for an authority before all this.

I have to wonder though, why this keeps coming up every year. Who's wearing these costumes? I have never seen anyone wear a costume I would've called "blackface", and most of the stuff they protest about at Halloween just seems silly.

It's not about costumes or Halloween. It's the very discussion of being in blackface. The sort of thing that tends to be towards the top of the list of racism for many black people. The sort of thing best left unsaid- period. The things that can have real consequences as in this instance in terms of public relations and lost advertising revenue.

Granted, white people can all argue all day long about what constitutes "political correctness". However there are some instances where the black community isn't likely to be so forgiving. That threshold of things in which to them is simple racism no matter what others choose to call it to the contrary. Where their perception counts far more than ours.

 

[Mr Allen]

If she was almost anybody else, nobody would care, but because she's married into the Royal Family, she has to be SO proper and not "rock the boat" with the media.

 

[Judge]

If she was almost anybody else, nobody would care, but because she's married into the Royal Family, she has to be SO proper and not "rock the boat" with the media.

No Rich. Not Megan Markle. This is about Megyn Kelly. A former talk show host.

 

[Pats]

It's not about costumes or Halloween. It's the very discussion of being in blackface. The sort of thing that tends to be towards the top of the list of racism for many black people. The sort of thing best left unsaid- period. The things that can have real consequences as in this instance in terms of public relations and lost advertising revenue.

Granted, white people can all argue all day long about what constitutes "political correctness". However there are some instances where the black community isn't likely to be so forgiving. That threshold of things in which to them is simple racism no matter what others choose to call it to the contrary. Where their perception counts far more than ours.

You know I got written up once because a confused patient who thought it was 1943 told a day shift nurse that "Patty said black people were not fit to work in the mill." I didn't say it and the one nurse working with me that night had that patient at the desk all night and kept saying my name repeatedly to her, but my boss wouldn't believe my co-worker who said I did not say that because she was a 'friend' of mine and would lie for me. But one Christmas someone hung a black santa with a noose in the break room and it was not a problem????
But then this was the same boss who questioned my attendance, holding a computer print out with the computer printed name scratched off and my name written in with pen.
And, yes, especially with the shame game today, she should have known better than to use that one.
So what letter are you dressing up as this year?

 

[pamelaperejil]

It's not about costumes or Halloween. It's the very discussion of being in blackface. The sort of thing that tends to be towards the top of the list of racism for many black people. The sort of thing best left unsaid- period. The things that can have real consequences as in this instance in terms of public relations and lost advertising revenue.

Eh. The conversation was about Halloween costumes, and it was obvious Kelly didn't know the history of blackface. She later apologized. Granted, she should have known better.

They can fire her if they want, they have that right. I'm not in change of running a company, and I'm confident I would not make a good media persona or CEO but, personally, I think the outrage about this is overblown, as is so much public outrage nowadays.

It makes me long for the good old days (if such days there were) when people actually got upset about real things.

 

[Judge]

It makes me long for the good old days (if such days there were) when people actually got upset about real things.

Trouble is, a few of us remember those "good old days".

I was raised in the South on the tail end of "Jim Crow" when institutional racism was a very real thing that people took for granted. Looking back on it all, it was quite grotesque. Even then I observed overt racism right up into the early 70s and went to grade school where forced busing occurred in the 60s.

For some of us, overt racism is still something we can never really blot out from our memories. Then consider how those of color who were truly victimized by it feel about it even today. A very "real thing".

Real enough as well for NBC to kiss a $69 million investment good-bye.

 

[Pats]

Trouble is, a few of us remember those "good old days".

I was raised in the South on the tail end of "Jim Crow" when institutional racism was a very real thing that people took for granted. Looking back on it all, it was quite grotesque. Even then I observed overt racism right up into the early 70s.

and THAT was a real thing to get upset about.

 

[Judge]

Even Jackie Gleason would have been offended if it meant losing corporate $ponsor$.

 

[Gritches]

I almost choked when she said "Santa is white and Jesus was white". Just...the way she delivered it, so matter-of-factly...she was clearly riled up and that's when a person drops their facade and shows their true colors.

 

[Isadoorian]

I almost choked when she said "Santa is white and Jesus was white". Just...the way she delivered it, so matter-of-factly...she was clearly riled up and that's when a person drops their facade and shows their true colors.

The new Nancy Grace confirmed!

 

[pamelaperejil]

...Where their perception counts far more than ours.

But does it?

This fuss about Halloween happens every year. I've never seen anyone wear a blackface costume, never heard of anyone doing it. If someone did, I could understand people's outrage. But that's not happening, as far as I can tell.

What people seem to be getting worked up about is children wearing Indian costumes and sushi in the cafeteria. I don't agree those are legitimate grievances, and I don't believe the fact that I'm not Native American or Japanese makes my opinion less relevant than another person's.

 

[pamelaperejil]

I almost choked when she said "Santa is white and Jesus was white".

Yeah.

Though, for the record, Jesus was probably not white and Santa isn't real.

 

[Judge]

But does it?

This fuss about Halloween happens every year. I've never seen anyone wear a blackface costume, never heard of anyone doing it. If someone did, I could understand people's outrage. But that's not happening, as far as I can tell.

The fuss wasn't over Halloween happenings per se. It was that Megyn Kelly condoned the notion of doing blackface in general and perhaps worse, thought nothing of it when questioned. Ouch. Though some 24 hours later someone higher up at NBC gave her a very clear understanding of what she had done with her tearful public apology.

I think you'll find most black people consider much of anything pertinent to doing a blackface as a racial taboo, no matter what the occasion. She shouldn't have even brought it up, let alone condone it. But she did. That is what caused the outrage.

Even Al Roker was upset about it. Insisting that she apologize to people of color everywhere. He's normally quite a jovial personality at NBC. But not today.

 

[pamelaperejil]

I think you'll find most black people consider much of anything pertinent to doing a blackface as a racial taboo, no matter what the occasion. She shouldn't have even brought it up, let alone condone it. But she did. That is what caused the outrage.

Ah. I always assumed blackface referred specifically to a degrading caricature done specifically to dehumanize or demean black people, the way they used to do in the old theaters. I didn't realize it was also used more broadly, to mean any skin painting to mimic another race, even as part of costume. I'm surprised to hear that would cause such offense, but since it does, I can understand your position, and theirs.

 

[Judge]

Ah. I always assumed blackface referred specifically to a degrading caricature done specifically to dehumanize or demean black people, the way they used to do in the old theaters. I didn't realize it was also used more broadly, to mean any skin painting to mimic another race, even as part of costume. I'm surprised to hear that would cause such offense, but since it does, I can understand your position, and theirs.

Your point is taken regarding such distinctions.

Though in this instance I just don't see many people of color even bothering to make the distinctions of context you've brought up. It's just my personal observation that there's just a few core terms that seem to remain "taboo" where it's best to respectfully avoid them in their entirety.

Though granted, we've discussed other terms here from time to time which admittedly continue to be argued over in terms of how they are perceived for better or for worse by both the black and white communities.

 

[Pats]

I understand the sensitivity behind the 'black face' (I don't even like writing that.) White people painted their faces for acting and comedy and for filling roles of black people because they were not permitted to be actors and such (until Sammy Davis made such a big step in this culture). You never seen white people paint their faces to portray and other race. It was meant to be degrading then and is still degrading today because there can be no other way to look at it.
And Jesus was not white - he's from the middle east. But think about this - Adam and Eve were created and from them came every color, nationality, physical trait. Their genes had to be perfect and abundant. And with Esau and Jacob - Jacob used a sheep skin for his blind father to think he was his brother - so Esau must have been pretty hairy, while Jacob (his brother) had hardly any hair on his body.
So my point is we all come from the same place and if one person is disgraced, we all are.
Just go green.