Howard Dean... Racist?
In a recent speech before the congressional black caucus Howard Dean tried to make a joke.
"You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room? Only if they had the hotel staff in here." Howard Dean.
The reason I wrote that he “tried to make” one instead of “he made a joke” is because of two reasons. One, Mr. Dean is not very good at it. And two... well, let's talk about the structure of a joke. What makes a good joke?
First and foremost, it must have some root in truth. BOTH the set up and the punch line have to have an element of truth for the humor to work.
Example: A young man in college who is not particularly popular with the girls might hear a joke like this. “The only chance that Joe Donut has to see a naked girl this year is if he mistakenly enters the girls locker room.”
The set up has to have some truth to it. If Joe Donut is a popular football player with girls flocking around him all of the time the joke is not funny. Obviously Mr. Dean wanted to highlight the low number of “people of color” who run for office on the Republican ticket, or openly claim to be Republican. He is probably concerned about the rise in African-American votes for Republicans in the last few elections. Of course this is the head of the Democratic party. The party who has not complained about a single white male nominated to the courts by the President, while filibustering a handful of “people of color”, Hispanics and women. All of whom are minorities.
But, I digress. Let's get back to the joke. If you recall BOTH parts of the joke must be founded in some truth.
The Joe Donut joke above would not be funny if the punch line were not based in truth as well. What if, for example, the joke when like this... “The only chance that Joe Donut has to see a naked girl this year is if he mistakenly enters a closet.” Not much to laugh about there. The only way the joke works is if the place he enters is a place that one would expect to find naked girls.
The same is true of Mr. Dean's joke. The only way for the Republicans to get this many “people of color” in a room would be to invite a group which Mr. Dean believes that everyone knows to have a high number of “people of color” in their ranks. Namely maids and servants. Mr. Dean expects his audience to KNOW that if one were to assemble a hotel staff (maids and servants) one would find high numbers of “people of color”.
Let's see if Mr. Dean's joke works with a different punch line. “The only way for Republicans to get this many people of color in one room would be to invite the KKK.” Not too funny. How about... “The only way for Republicans to get this many people of color in one room would be to hold the meeting in Sweden.” No, that is not funny either. The ONLY way for this joke to be funny is if the punch line includes a group that the listener knows to contain high numbers of “people of color.” Ironically his audience for this joke were “people of color.”
So, either Mr. Dean believes maids and servants to be composed of higher than average numbers of “people of color” or he has NO idea how to write a joke!
Which do you believe. Do you think this makes him a racist? If a conservative had made this joke would Mr. Dean be claiming him or her to be a racist?
Read more about it....
Think for yourself!
Make up your own mind!
"You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room? Only if they had the hotel staff in here." Howard Dean.
The reason I wrote that he “tried to make” one instead of “he made a joke” is because of two reasons. One, Mr. Dean is not very good at it. And two... well, let's talk about the structure of a joke. What makes a good joke?
First and foremost, it must have some root in truth. BOTH the set up and the punch line have to have an element of truth for the humor to work.
Example: A young man in college who is not particularly popular with the girls might hear a joke like this. “The only chance that Joe Donut has to see a naked girl this year is if he mistakenly enters the girls locker room.”
The set up has to have some truth to it. If Joe Donut is a popular football player with girls flocking around him all of the time the joke is not funny. Obviously Mr. Dean wanted to highlight the low number of “people of color” who run for office on the Republican ticket, or openly claim to be Republican. He is probably concerned about the rise in African-American votes for Republicans in the last few elections. Of course this is the head of the Democratic party. The party who has not complained about a single white male nominated to the courts by the President, while filibustering a handful of “people of color”, Hispanics and women. All of whom are minorities.
But, I digress. Let's get back to the joke. If you recall BOTH parts of the joke must be founded in some truth.
The Joe Donut joke above would not be funny if the punch line were not based in truth as well. What if, for example, the joke when like this... “The only chance that Joe Donut has to see a naked girl this year is if he mistakenly enters a closet.” Not much to laugh about there. The only way the joke works is if the place he enters is a place that one would expect to find naked girls.
The same is true of Mr. Dean's joke. The only way for the Republicans to get this many “people of color” in a room would be to invite a group which Mr. Dean believes that everyone knows to have a high number of “people of color” in their ranks. Namely maids and servants. Mr. Dean expects his audience to KNOW that if one were to assemble a hotel staff (maids and servants) one would find high numbers of “people of color”.
Let's see if Mr. Dean's joke works with a different punch line. “The only way for Republicans to get this many people of color in one room would be to invite the KKK.” Not too funny. How about... “The only way for Republicans to get this many people of color in one room would be to hold the meeting in Sweden.” No, that is not funny either. The ONLY way for this joke to be funny is if the punch line includes a group that the listener knows to contain high numbers of “people of color.” Ironically his audience for this joke were “people of color.”
So, either Mr. Dean believes maids and servants to be composed of higher than average numbers of “people of color” or he has NO idea how to write a joke!
Which do you believe. Do you think this makes him a racist? If a conservative had made this joke would Mr. Dean be claiming him or her to be a racist?
Read more about it....
Think for yourself!
Make up your own mind!