Zatch
07-06-2011, 07:49 PM
JONAH GOLDBERG
JULY 6, 2011 12:00 A.M. | National Review
‘That’s Racist’
The accusation becomes a punch line.
‘That’s racist.”
It’s a comedic catchphrase these days, popularized by an online clip from a 2005 TV show Wonder Showzen on MTV2. It’s not as iconic as Gary Coleman’s “What ’chu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” or Fonzie’s “Ayyyyyy” or even Bart Simpson’s “Don’t have a cow, man.” But what it lacks in pedigree, it makes up for in ubiquity and social relevance.
Across the country, it’s a staple of schoolyards, Internet discussion groups, Twitter, and sitcoms.
For instance, when a character on NBC’s Parks and Recreation explains to a co-worker how to do laundry, he says, “Okay, so you always separate your lights from your darks.”
She responds, “That’s racist.”
Perhaps the greatest sign that the punch line has gone mainstream came last week when NPR’s All Things Considered reported on “that’s racist.” Correspondent Neda Ulaby explored how a phrase once considered one of the most serious accusations possible has become a gag line. The only problem? It’s not clear she actually gets the joke... [Read the rest here] (http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/271109/s-racist-jonah-goldberg)
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JULY 6, 2011 12:00 A.M. | National Review
‘That’s Racist’
The accusation becomes a punch line.
‘That’s racist.”
It’s a comedic catchphrase these days, popularized by an online clip from a 2005 TV show Wonder Showzen on MTV2. It’s not as iconic as Gary Coleman’s “What ’chu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” or Fonzie’s “Ayyyyyy” or even Bart Simpson’s “Don’t have a cow, man.” But what it lacks in pedigree, it makes up for in ubiquity and social relevance.
Across the country, it’s a staple of schoolyards, Internet discussion groups, Twitter, and sitcoms.
For instance, when a character on NBC’s Parks and Recreation explains to a co-worker how to do laundry, he says, “Okay, so you always separate your lights from your darks.”
She responds, “That’s racist.”
Perhaps the greatest sign that the punch line has gone mainstream came last week when NPR’s All Things Considered reported on “that’s racist.” Correspondent Neda Ulaby explored how a phrase once considered one of the most serious accusations possible has become a gag line. The only problem? It’s not clear she actually gets the joke... [Read the rest here] (http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/271109/s-racist-jonah-goldberg)
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