Slog
News & ArtsFriday, March 20, 2009
Politics / Media Obama's Dissing of Special Olympians
Posted by David Schmader on Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 11:03 AM
As you've likely heard, President Obama appeared on last night's Tonight Show and made an unfortunate joke referencing the Special Olympics. Let's go to the tape:
Obama apologized before the gaffe even aired, but enough about him.
How do you view Obama's stupid comment about the Special Olympics?
3
Attention everyone! Removing those two odd nothing options at the bottom of the quiz would necessitate starting over with a whole new quiz. And so we'll leave it as is. It's nice to offer meaningless options for those who don't care.
5
I like that you misspelled Muslim, Schmader, presuming it was intentional, but it would have been funnier if you'd written Muslin.
7
Option 6: "I personally don't care, but I'm pretty sure that as I type this, fat conservative radio pundits across the country are angrily shouting into their microphones that Barack the Magic Negro hates 'tards".
9
This is absurd. All this hoopla about nothin. The detractors of our President are just going around with a chip on their shoulders. They just want to see him on the floor defeated and our country in the dumps. No rational thinking person who saw him on Leno could actually believe that he was being insensitive to people with special needs. The right wing is just looking to rally the haters out there, nothing more to this made up story.
10
Does this mean when I use the tried-and-VERY-true Democratic motto, "It's the Economy, Stupid," I must follow up with an apology to the unintelligent?
11
Let's see: likes football and basketball enough to make picks as to who will win, communicates with the public every week on shows everyone watches, makes fun of 'tards. Obama is way more a "man of the people" than Bush ever was. I would enjoy having a beer with him much more than Bush.
12
Sorry all. They're depriving me of coffee over here in the interwebs dept. All should be fixed now.
13
That's the kind of humor I grew up with. And I don't think it's possible to be PC on a talk show. People have stopped trying a long time ago. It wasn't that bad. Is there a Special Olympics for bowling? There should be.
15
Okay, just for shits-and-giggles, let's analyze what actually took place:
Obama was discussing his bowling score, which had improved, and there was POLITE APPLAUSE.
Obama cracked that "it was like Special Olympics or something."
The reference was NOT to Special Needs Children, not mocking the Special Olympics, but rather making fun of the Polite Applause by the Leno Audience, hence he was making fun of THE LENO AUDIENCE, which didn't seem at all to take offense.
Yes, he was referring to the Special Olympics Cliche of "everyone gets a medal, everyone gets applause," which is usually the sort of politically-correct xenophilia that drives CONSERVATIVES up the wall, so if anything, they should themselves applaud (enthusiastically, not Special-Olympics-style) Obama's reference.
Liberal oversensitives need to get off their high horse, understand the cultural reference in its broader context, and calm the fuck down.
Obama was discussing his bowling score, which had improved, and there was POLITE APPLAUSE.
Obama cracked that "it was like Special Olympics or something."
The reference was NOT to Special Needs Children, not mocking the Special Olympics, but rather making fun of the Polite Applause by the Leno Audience, hence he was making fun of THE LENO AUDIENCE, which didn't seem at all to take offense.
Yes, he was referring to the Special Olympics Cliche of "everyone gets a medal, everyone gets applause," which is usually the sort of politically-correct xenophilia that drives CONSERVATIVES up the wall, so if anything, they should themselves applaud (enthusiastically, not Special-Olympics-style) Obama's reference.
Liberal oversensitives need to get off their high horse, understand the cultural reference in its broader context, and calm the fuck down.
16
Loveschild is an entertainingly complex troll, I'd say. (Unless whoever wrote this post for Loveschild forgot to change the name when meaning to post something else.)
@11: and it would be a better beer, I'm sure.
@11: and it would be a better beer, I'm sure.
17
Thanks for that Andy Niable! That is exactly right. My thoughts when I saw it were (simultaneously):
1) The remark was aimed at the phony praise he received for his mediocre bowling score, not at the disabled.
2) He's going to catch so much hell for that.
1) The remark was aimed at the phony praise he received for his mediocre bowling score, not at the disabled.
2) He's going to catch so much hell for that.
19
Option 5: Brilliant and honest choice of words. Disabled people are differently abled...they get a special label and a special category if we identify a medical condition/syndrome to explain their behaviour, but everyone has their strong points and their points of inability. For our President, Bowling is an inability...a disability if you will. In some ways, this doesn't stigmatize the disabled, it humanizes them by saying, yeah, it's harder for some than others but something is hard for each of us.
24
David Cross made a similar joke back when GWB made the decision to go in to Afghanistan. Something like, "The whole country is treating him like he just came in third at the Special Olympics!! 'Good job, Georgie! Great job!!' Fuck! Even NADER would have gone in to Afghanistan!"
And I laughed then without feeling like a jerk, just as I did last night.
As has been pointed out above, anyone willing to be objective about Mr. Obama should be able to see that no insult was intended to anyone but himself.
And I laughed then without feeling like a jerk, just as I did last night.
As has been pointed out above, anyone willing to be objective about Mr. Obama should be able to see that no insult was intended to anyone but himself.
25
@15 Actually, that's not what happened at all. He was not comparing his score/ability (which he seemed to be -- jokingly -- proud of) to the Special Olympics. He was reacting, rather quickly, to Leno's comment: "That's very good! Very good!" Ie, that Leno was treating him with the same patronization you would to a player in the Special Olympics. That said, it would have been better if he had gone with say, "tee-ball."
31
Or as Alice Roosevelt Longworth famously quipped: "If you have nothing nice to say about anyone, come sit by me."
@28 - a person paralyzed from the waist down (viz. FDR) might have trouble kicking someone's ass -
@28 - a person paralyzed from the waist down (viz. FDR) might have trouble kicking someone's ass -
33
dang, they removed option 4, the blank option.
if you guys keep this up, Ian is never going to get practical examples of how not to write a Choose Your Own Adventure game ...
if you guys keep this up, Ian is never going to get practical examples of how not to write a Choose Your Own Adventure game ...
39
I thought it was funny and the exact sort of thing that everyone here says every day.
It's funny, the people who despise the president most expect him to act like a saint.
It's funny, the people who despise the president most expect him to act like a saint.
40
Dear President Obama,
I campaigned for you and I voted for you. I think you are doing the best any President can do in these very troubleing times.
I do, however, have to voice my concern over your "joke" concerning your limited bowling skills and the Special Olympics. I do not have an intellectual disability, but I do suffer from a lifetime of mental illness. I have been hospitalized in various local psych wards since I was 17 years old (my favorite is the one in Olney). I have seen plenty of people with intellectual disabilities in my 40 years on this planet, and it really gets my feathers all ruffled up when someone pokes fun at us with mental and intellectual disabilities. People throw around the word “retarded” (as in “that is so retarded”) too much. People can’t help it if they are born with mental deficiencies any more than someone born with any other disabilities. Do you ever hear people say hurtful things like, “Oh that is so Lou Gehrig”? Probably not.
Thank You,
Phrennie
I campaigned for you and I voted for you. I think you are doing the best any President can do in these very troubleing times.
I do, however, have to voice my concern over your "joke" concerning your limited bowling skills and the Special Olympics. I do not have an intellectual disability, but I do suffer from a lifetime of mental illness. I have been hospitalized in various local psych wards since I was 17 years old (my favorite is the one in Olney). I have seen plenty of people with intellectual disabilities in my 40 years on this planet, and it really gets my feathers all ruffled up when someone pokes fun at us with mental and intellectual disabilities. People throw around the word “retarded” (as in “that is so retarded”) too much. People can’t help it if they are born with mental deficiencies any more than someone born with any other disabilities. Do you ever hear people say hurtful things like, “Oh that is so Lou Gehrig”? Probably not.
Thank You,
Phrennie
41
Palin already has the 'tard vote in 2012. WHAMMY! AM I RIGHT PEOPLE?
Ok, it sucked. People are pissed. No one will care in 2 days.
Ok, it sucked. People are pissed. No one will care in 2 days.
43
If you are unsophisticated enough to understand what exactly took place on Leno (and insensitive and too obsessive to ignore Obama's politically necessary apology) and are STILL upset after that... then you clearly have Special Needs.
44
Attention World! Everything is offensive! You should just stop talking because someone somewhere is going to be offended by what you say. If you don't consider everything you say and cross analyze it with an internalized list of offensive words (yes, in order to be inoffensive you must first learn everything that is offensive, and engrain it deep in your mind), then you are rude and bigoted. You do not deserve to speak.
Only those of us with the cultural open mindedness to point out others slips-of-the-tongue truly understand the offense of others.
I, as a priveleged and entitled 25-35 white male/female, feel that it is my sole duty to protect minorities of all sorts. It's my business. I'll reform the world single handidly and we'll all bathe in a joyous tub of tepid water.
Oh joy sterile world! Bland and flavorless like my tofu stirfry! Let's all bask in the Seattle sun, dressed to the bone in Earth tones and beige.
Only those of us with the cultural open mindedness to point out others slips-of-the-tongue truly understand the offense of others.
I, as a priveleged and entitled 25-35 white male/female, feel that it is my sole duty to protect minorities of all sorts. It's my business. I'll reform the world single handidly and we'll all bathe in a joyous tub of tepid water.
Oh joy sterile world! Bland and flavorless like my tofu stirfry! Let's all bask in the Seattle sun, dressed to the bone in Earth tones and beige.
45
a retarded kerfluffle that makes me love the South Park special olympics episode all the more.
wherein Cartman got his ass handed to him by the 'tards.
wherein Cartman got his ass handed to him by the 'tards.
46
I love Barack, but the reaction on Slog would have been very different if W. had said the exact same thing. If you can't admit that you have lost all objectivity.
47
@46,
Well, my reaction would be gut-splitting laughter. Bush mentioning the Special Olympics in connection to anything he has ever done? Oh fuck.
Incidentally, a few years ago on Leno, Wanda Sykes has used the Special Olympics joke when discussing Bush.
Well, my reaction would be gut-splitting laughter. Bush mentioning the Special Olympics in connection to anything he has ever done? Oh fuck.
Incidentally, a few years ago on Leno, Wanda Sykes has used the Special Olympics joke when discussing Bush.
48
It's Jay Leno's douche-field in effect. It's kind of like a force-field, but more douche like. The closer you get to Jay Leno, the more of a douche you turn into.
It's simply resolved. Just stay away from Jay Leno. And that goes for everyone.
It's simply resolved. Just stay away from Jay Leno. And that goes for everyone.
49
@46>>> Bush pissed away his popularity steadily from his peak of 90% approval or whatever. He earned his disrespect. Obama hasn't screwed up so majorly yet, so it makes perfect sense that people are a little more understanding.
50
@46 - that's cause Bush hated/hates America.
And still has half his former cheerleaders working for him on the Washington Post staff.
And still has half his former cheerleaders working for him on the Washington Post staff.
51
@48 Yes! The Leno douche effect...so true and so undereported.
And c'mon, who hasn't made fun of the Special Olys...?
And c'mon, who hasn't made fun of the Special Olys...?
52
All he should say by way of apology is "I'm sorry I might have offended special olympians by insinuating they might bowl as badly as I do."
53
Am I really the only person looking at the current economic climate in our country and wondering why the fuck someone thought appearing on Jay Leno was the most appropriate outlet for his time? I mean, I love and voted for the man, but I don't need my economic update with a little late night humor on the side, and if I did, I would go on Letterman.
54
i love that, NA. it covers all the angles. email him.
(no snark! i really do love the suggestion).
(no snark! i really do love the suggestion).
55
@53: Letterman lost his fastball years ago. And watching him means hearing that insufferable Paul Schafer asshole.
58
I am just amazed at the people who have to feel justified in making fun of others.
You are immature, constantly rationalizing stupidity and callouness.
Amazing really.
If you want to know if it's funny, go to the Special Olympics people and ask them what they think. Otherwise just shut up already with your 5th grade "humor".
You are immature, constantly rationalizing stupidity and callouness.
Amazing really.
If you want to know if it's funny, go to the Special Olympics people and ask them what they think. Otherwise just shut up already with your 5th grade "humor".
60
I think the "it" in "it's like Special Olympics or something" referred to Leno's mock-patronizing attitude, as opposed to the actual athletic abilities of participants in the Special Olympics.
62
SURE EVERYONE GETS WORKED UP ABOUT OBAMAS INCREDIBLE DISRESPECT OF DIFFERENTLY ABLED STRAIGHT PEOPLE WHAT ABOUT HIS CONSTANT CAMPAIGN OF GENOCIDE AGAINST DYKES OF SIZE, RADICAL FAIRYS AND SELF-ACTUALIZED QUEERS ONCE AGAIN WE ARE THROWN UNDER THE BUS IN FAVOR OF THE RPLACE CLONES OF DAN SAVAGE WHO IS ALSO THE DRIVER OF THE BUS
63
i'll worry about if he offended retarded children/adults/teens when there is room left over to worry about the other MORE important things than offending people's feelings.
64
I always thought your bowling score was inversely related to your IQ score. At least, that's what I tell people, as I barely break a 79!
66
There's a difference between "looking retarded" (Obama) and being actually mentally impared (Reagan). Thank GOD his Nancy was so skilled, and so very, very, VERY experienced at giving head (she was a regular cum guzzler - just ask Sinatra!) That way no one had to know about our first retarded president.
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