Monday, January 14, 2008
Racism in the news
No, this post isn't about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It's about the latest "scandal" sweeping the news - the alleged use of steroids by a number of performers, all of whom (all the names I've heard, anyway) are black - Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Timbaland and Wyclef Jean. But the possession and consumption of human growth hormone is not illegal! How can there possibly be a "scandal" about people consuming drugs which are legal?
But here's the real kicker - news reports about the story refer to "performance-enhancing drugs." Really? You sing better on steroids? Do you blog better, too? Maybe I should look into this stuff.
Give me a break. A lot of people on the left cried "racism" when the steroid scandal touched such stars as Barry Bonds, and to the extent that that scandal totally bypassed the generally (or perhaps entirely) white owners of the teams, many of whom had to have been aware of what was going on, they were right, although that hardly excuses what amounts to cheating on the amount of the athletes. But when it comes to smearing someone like Mary J. Blige or 50 Cent for perfectly legal activities, I can't help but think the story is racist to the core.
