I think his prejudice is so ingrained in his brain that he would be surprised that a black-owned restaurant is different than any other restaurant.

People just tend to stereotype. I know a confederate flag waving white guy who is fifty years old and I was just startled one day when I was at what most people would call a redneck bar down south and a discussion about music started and this guy got on the subject of hip-hop music and then all of a sudden he got all excited about his hip-hop favorites-knew the lyrics, a slew of the artists, and then showed me his car stereo and started showing me his CD collection. Maybe the guy picked it up from his kids or from some co-workers. But that guy, who most Beltway types would have taken one look and called him a white redneck just loved his hop-hop music. Totally enraptured if you will.

..but I've seen interviews with O'Reilly when he's not doing his show and he seems like a real civilized guy. Most of those TV "news" guys are just actors playing to an audience. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson do the same thing. Bill O'Reilly has created his own stereotype. Therefore people won't take him seriously or even listen to him even if he makes valid points on rare occasions.

..but if you live down south for any length of time you will discover that you have white rednecks and what I call black rednecks who just hate the other culture and people will stereotype a whole culture because of the behavior of a certain segment of the population. That's what we humans tend to do. Same thing happened with the Jews in Europe in the early twentieth century and look where that led.

But the news media pushes these stereotypes on us. They could do Jewish stereotypes too. But that won't fly anymore.

But one thing I need to add: O'Reilly didn't give Sylvia's enough credit. I've never been to the restaurant, but the canned and frozen food that lady (or is she just another Betty Crocker?) puts out is exceptional. Sylvia's has the only collard greens I can eat right out of the can. They're as close to fresh cooked as you'll find anywhere in America. Your local Wal-Mart probably has them. (which is one of the reasons I still shop at Wal-Mart).

"... people will stereotype a whole culture because of the behavior of a certain segment of the population. That's what we humans tend to do. Same thing happened with the Jews in Europe in the early twentieth century and look where that led."

It's happening with Muslims right now, all over the "Christian" world.

Jeremy, quit being such a liberal and listen to the tape again. If anything, hearing his remarks in context makes them more egregious. His whole rap, so to speak, is blatantly paternalistic and patronizing, implying that black people haven't been "thinking for themselves" lo these many years, but now are realizing that if they loose themselves from Jesse and the Rev Al and work hard and get educated, they can finally be assimilated into the (read: dominant white) culture. And his trip to the restaurant in Harlem just goes to show that the black folk can act just like the whites if they want to! This is bigotry at its most insidious because it seems almost reasonable on its face (it did to you!) until you examine the words and see the perpetuation of the same ugly stereoptypes grounded in ignorance that have existed in this country since the beginning.

Sorry, make that ... "is any different than other restaurant." LOL. I need more coffee.

BTW, This blog is pretty cool. Jeremy, you da man!

myth

Well, gee, thanks. Keep coming by, Myth.