No one should get a "pass" on racial insensitivity. Not even progressive giants like Jon Stewart.

[YoungDemCA]

First, a disclaimer: I have been a huge fan of The Daily Show for several years now. I have done my best to catch every showing since I "discovered" it, and I am pretty bummed that Jon Stewart is moving on from the show.

That being said: As much as I am deeply grateful for all of the great humor, critique, and insight that Stewart has brought to America (and the world), as much as Stewart has done for progressives and liberals everywhere, and as much as I will miss his presence on the show...I have to agree with the points that the following article makes.

snip:

In the next two weeks, expect to see plenty of Stewart tributes, listicles, celebrity remembrances and weighty assessments of the host's place in history among comedy and broadcast greats alike.

But longtime Daily Show correspondent Wyatt Cenac isn't as nostalgic about his time on the show, which he candidly discussed on Marc Maron's WTF Podcast this week.

And Cenac's criticisms of his former boss make an important point, one that can't be forgotten as we assess Stewart's legacy. Four nights a week, the host has challenged Daily Show viewers to question the leaders and institutions they trust. As his Daily Show comes to a close, we must give him the same treatment.

snip:

Later in the writers' room, Cenac questioned Stewart about the (racially insensitive Herman Cain) bit. Stewart wasn't happy:

(Stewart) got incredibly defensive. I remember he was like, What are you trying to say? There's a tone in your voice ... And then he got upset. And he stood up and he was just like, &quot Expletive) off. I'm done with you." And he just started screaming that to me. And he screamed it a few times. &quot Expletive) off! I'm done with you." And he stormed out. And I didn't know if I had been fired.

I represent my people, and I try to represent them the best that I can. I gotta be honest if something seems questionable, because if not, then I don't want to be in a position where I am being untrue not just to myself but to my culture, because that's exploitative.

snip:

Nobody's requiring Stewart to be the perfect host. The Daily Show's brilliant comedic run isn't invalidated because the show couldn't best Hollywood's deeply-ingrained representation issues. And over the next two weeks, the show's accolades will surely outnumber its criticisms.

But Jon Stewart, week after week, has called on viewers to kill our idols and distrust our systems. The Daily Show is, undeniably, an American institution, but idolizing Stewart while glossing over his missteps goes against everything the show stands for. And by ignoring these darker parts of the Daily Show's history, we miss out on an important discussion about the less-than-inclusive state of comedy, and entertainment, as a whole.

So while we're enjoying Stewart's final run, let's keep asking questions. How can we empower minorities and women in Hollywood? What kind of inclusive humor do we expect from our comedians? If we're not satisfied with the face of TV, both in front of and behind the camera, how we can support art that's created more mindfully?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/07/24/jon-stewart-wyatt-cenac--daily-show/30610791/

As bad as racial insensitivity - and general callousness toward issues of diversity- is (or should be, at least) coming from anyone, it is all the more upsetting when it comes from people that you admire and respect. Oftentimes, our "idols" or "heroes" aren't who we think they are. And as upsetting as this may to be to me and other fans of The Daily Show, I am grateful to Wyatt Cenac for calling Stewart out on his unacceptable behavior, and for Maeve McDermott and USA Today for (respectively) writing and publishing this article.

[darkangel218]

1. I agree.

Racial insensitivity is not a laughing matter. I have to admit, I've been too busy lately to watch TV, so I'm not aware first hand of what he said, but from what you're describing, be dropped the ball big time.
Shame on him.

[Ed Suspicious]

3. Everything is a laughing matter.

[darkangel218]

4. And it shouldn't be. Nt

[think]

2. Here is the segment in question:

[marble falls]

5. Please. Nobody ever accused Steward of being an even half-assed impressionist. How does ...

Herman Cains simplistic pandering to the purposely uneducated and uninformed Tea Party get a pass while Steward used a huskier voice with NONE of the mannerisms bigots use gets a smack down? If Cains picture wasn't hanging during the impression, it would have been unidentifiable as to any person or any race. I imagine Steward uses the same voice to do an impression of Yosemite Sam. Maybe we ought to gin up a little outrage for bewhiskered gingers?

I am glad Cenac stood up for what he believed but I also think he was mistaken in this case.

[Lilith Rising]

6. Cain didn't get a pass.

I listened to that interview on Thursday because I listen to the WTF podcast regularly. Cenac explains in a very measured and fair way why he, as a black man (and the only black writer on the show) had a problem with the first bit.

The real disconnect began after Fox News started in on Stewart and Stewart wanted to respond to that. Cenac felt that the best course of action was to let it die and basically Jon was not listening to his perspective - Cenac's unique perspective.

I've been in that position more than once being a woman working with all men, thinking that they value my input but having them shut me down when it came to me pointing out that the way they were talking about or treating women wasn't cool. Suddenly it becomes a very unpleasant place to be (hostile work environment if you will) and that's hard to shake off.

Cenac was nothing but honest and fair.

[gollygee]

7. There's a dichotomy

At some point people turned "racist" into a noun, and it became the worst insult in the world for white people. That created a dichotomy where people had to be separated into "racist" and "not racist" categories. The dichotomy does not allow for "normal white person who is liberal and well intended but sometimes slips up due to being socialized in a white supremacist environment." It also created a situation where white people get very defensive so as to not be put into the "racist" category, and therefore lose any ability to learn and grow in this area. And it also created a situation where people think the way to attack racism is to go after people in the "racist" category, instead of attacking the white supremacist environment.

[Spazito]

8. Well said...

The work needed is to change the environment that continues to enable systemic racism.

[noiretextatique]

10. +1000

i agree. i've gotten into a few racial scrapes here, and i've found that just continuing dialogue, even if heated, tends to clarify meaning and intent. it is not always easy, but it is often worth it.

[aikoaiko]

9. One cannot have intelligent, passionate people working on deadlines without conflict brewing.

[noiretextatique]

11. reminds of a time when i worked for a well-known magazine

A supposedly progressive one. The editorial staff (none black) decided to run a cover illustration and a story about OJ Simpson. I thought both were racist and offensive, as did the other black staff members. But, they ran the story and the illustration, and they got their asses handed to them over it...bigtime. We told you.

[TheKentuckian]

12. I saw the "problematic" bit when it hit and didn't have a problem with it and still don't

Cenac seems to have strongly felt Cain should get a break on being a fool because he is black, I'd tell him to fuck off too because we have show to do and it is not about tip toeing around every half assed sensitivity can be imagined.

When your campaign is about 9-9-9 then guess what you open yourself to charges of lack of vigor in learning, don't like it then stop preaching and appealing to laziness and willful ignorance as a national political campaign and no being black should not draw a pass.

Cain is the problem not Stewart and Cenac is being hypersensitive to the point of being humorless on a comedy show by demanding passes for right wing idiots if they are black.

There is nothing wrong with the bit. Nobody was mad for years but now we discover it is "insensitive"? Bullshit but it does fit into the current fight back against the racist liberal meme so time to dust it off the internal debate while ignoring the actual skit which was dead on on and funny.

Fuck Herman Cain and Cenac deserved pushback on his inexplicable position. I'm glad Stewart apologized for being an asshole about it but he was not wrong.