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Friday, February 27, 2009

Chow / News Today in Watermelon

Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 10:57 AM

Please note: Claiming that you are "unaware of the racial stereotype that black people like watermelons" is not a viable excuse for sending out a hi-LAR-ious email depicting the White House lawn planted with said melons (image and initial story over here). Even if—especially if—you're a mayor. Mr. Grose, don't let the door etc.

"Lost Watermelon" by prima seadiva from The Stranger's flickr pool.

Comments (29) RSS

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If he was supposedly unaware of the stereotype, why the hell would he make a "joke" of the white house with watermelons everywhere? How is that funny? Like if he put eggplants everywhere... would that be funny?

What a moron.

Posted by Urgutha Forka on February 27, 2009 at 11:02 AM

@1, My thoughts exactly. I can't find how that joke is funny without a racial context.

Posted by @ on February 27, 2009 at 11:03 AM

The thing is, the picture doesn't even make sense, if not in the context of a racial stereotype. If you're "unaware" about the "black people like watermelon" stereotype, why would that picture/caption be funny enough to forward on to friends?

Posted by Julie in Eugene on February 27, 2009 at 11:04 AM

@#1
Exactly. If it's not a race joke what is it?

Posted by poster Girl on February 27, 2009 at 11:05 AM

I agree completely with 1-4. I just wish that people asked the follow-up questions when someone comes up with the "I didn't know it was racial" defense. I would like to hear them explain the "humor" in these sorts of things if it's not racial.

Posted by zee on February 27, 2009 at 11:08 AM

What a stupid fucking joke, racist or not.

BTW - I'm white and gay and I happen to love eating watermelon. So perhaps a new homophobic joke could be that fags love to eat watermelon and *part of male anatomy that would be most degrading and hilarious*...

Posted by skylark on February 27, 2009 at 11:15 AM

stupid joke, even stupider 'cover' lie. who the eff is this tool? how come you can be too dumb to get a job at a target or a bank, but never too dumb to win elected office?

Posted by ellarosa on February 27, 2009 at 11:20 AM

Gotta love the OC.

Posted by DOUG. on February 27, 2009 at 11:23 AM

I think I'm post racial,but still a hippie because I saw that and thought "nice, they're planning to grow their own fruit and vegetables at the white house".

Posted by unred on February 27, 2009 at 11:25 AM

Obama should plant a watermelon patch- plus corn, potatoes, apples, anything sustainable. How many small farmers are going broke putting food on our tables? I'm not talking about giants such as A and E. Most small producers have switched to organic and cash crops- such as watermelons. How about dedicating a p-patch on white house to encourage healthy , homegrown, and local produce?

Posted by kat on February 27, 2009 at 11:29 AM

He should consider himself lucky to leave through the door. He deserves a defenestration.

Posted by BP on February 27, 2009 at 11:33 AM

Yeah, and I'm sure this tool thinks burning crosses on the lawn is just a way to summon the clans, with no racial implications.

Dumb fuck oughta be tarred and feathered. Any public employee that sends out this kind of idiotic "humor" email should be reprimanded, at the very least. In most government jobs, you can be fired for much less.

Posted by Geni on February 27, 2009 at 11:37 AM

@10 - Agreed. If they actually started growing food on the White House laws, I'd be ecstatic.

Posted by Hernandez on February 27, 2009 at 11:37 AM

I love watermelons.

But it is a racist pic.

Posted by Will in Seattle on February 27, 2009 at 11:42 AM

@9, @10, @13
Actually, there is some momentum behind this excellent idea:
"Eat the View" is a campaign to urge the Obamas to replant a large organic Victory Garden on the First Lawn with the produce going to the White House kitchen and to local food pantries.
www.eattheview.org

Posted by blue barberpole on February 27, 2009 at 11:44 AM

The "African-American race?" Since when is that a race???

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty on February 27, 2009 at 11:48 AM

When we line up and see who can get to the picnic table first, silly @16.

Posted by Will in Seattle on February 27, 2009 at 12:24 PM

That crop looks like arugula....

Posted by Sam on February 27, 2009 at 12:24 PM

It's a racist picture, but it's not like the mayor made it himself. Maybe someone forwarded it to him and he just thought it was cute? I'd never heard of that stereotype either, so it's not too hard for me to believe it was an accident.

Posted by lo on February 27, 2009 at 3:38 PM

lo... you have never heard of that stereotype? Really?

Either you are an idiot, a lying sack of shit or you were born and raised in the Antarctic.

So, which is it?

Posted by downtown clown on February 27, 2009 at 4:19 PM

@ 19, 20: I had never heard of that particular stereotype of African Americans until I came to Seattle--and I'm from the SE US (I don't really feel like I'm a Southerner, though.). But it was pretty easy to figure out once I was made aware of it.

But yeah, if they--or anyone--wants to have a small garden on the property, sweet.

Posted by whatevermind on February 27, 2009 at 7:48 PM

*on their own property

Posted by whatevermind on February 27, 2009 at 7:49 PM

@20: Why would I have to be an idiot to not have heard of something? It's weird when people make assumptions like that--something is familiar to them so it must be familiar to everybody.

Posted by lo on February 27, 2009 at 10:59 PM

I also have to agree with 20 - I remember watching old Warner Bros. cartoons that used that watermelon stereotype. And even as a kid I knew what that meant - maybe because I'm from Arizona - and maybe because I was more perceptive of racial prejudices being that I was the recipient of some as well? Maybe you are unfamiliar because you've never had to encounter them. Or maybe you are from the Antartic

Posted by Triple X on February 28, 2009 at 11:38 AM

I think that's true that you notice racial stereotypes more if they apply to you. This watermelon thing doesn't ring any bells at all, maybe because if I ever did encounter it, it seemed totally meaningless and irrelevant to me.

Posted by lo on February 28, 2009 at 2:55 PM

I completely agree with Lo, I've never heard of this stereotype.. Also i'm not from the Antarctic, and i'm not an idiot. There are plenty of things YOU'VE never heard of as well and I wouldn't rub it in your face or call you an idiot for not knowing them.

Posted by Beebo on March 1, 2009 at 1:10 AM

Here's the question then lo @ 25 -- is that a funny picture that the mayor forwarded? Where is the humor for someone who is that-racial-stereotype-minus?

I'm not asking you to speculate on what you thought the mayor thought funny. I'm not looking for excuses. I really want to understand what is funny about that image without the racial context. Like one of these comments said, if that was eggplant, it wouldn't be funny. If you don't think it was funny, that's fine too. I'm just wondering.

Posted by idaho on March 1, 2009 at 10:31 AM

Actually, I just read that it might be in reference to the fact that Famaco recently signed an
800,000RM contract to ship watermelons to Malaysia.

But I don't think you even need jokes to forward dumb stuff like that. "Watermelons instead of easter eggs! Yay! What the hell does that mean? Who cares?!"

If he'd known it was racist I don't think he would have sent it to any african-american people, let alone that woman he considered a friend.

Posted by lo on March 1, 2009 at 2:08 PM

So, I've heard this watermelon and fried chicken stereotype on many occasions and it has always perplexed me. Is the implication that non-black folk don't like these things? Is the implication that there is something wrong with liking them? I just can't wrap my head around it. I love fried chicken and I love watermelon, and I can't for the life of me figure out what would be wrong with someone liking them.

I hate racist bigotry, but I've never understood this particular jab. I guess other than hating them for being racist bigots, I should probably also shun them for having terrible taste in food.

P.S. I'm white, and I had watermelon at lunch today.

Posted by Bacon on March 2, 2009 at 12:55 PM