If you happened to be watching Fox News' 3-hour UParty 2009 New Year's Eve special, you might have caught a glimpse of some unbelievable words scrolling across the bottom of the screen. " ... and let's hope the magic negro does a good job. " Wait ... what the ... ?!
The ticker usually contains news bites from Fox itself, so those particular words might have garnered a little shock. As it turns out, though, it's all very innocent. Well, sort of. It was actually a text message from a viewer that said, "Happy New Year and let's hope the magic negro does a good job. Love, Jen and John C."
Fox News VP of programming, Suzanne Scott, explains it this way: "We received tens of thousands of text message submissions during our New Years Eve special, and this particular viewer submission was inadvertently cleared for air. At FOX we recognize our error as opposed to networks who allow their hosts to utter crude vulgarities to the public."
Of course, she's referring to the giant gaffe by Kathy Griffin on CNN's New Year's special.
Anyway, as for how the "magic negro" text got through, an insider told TVNewser that a couple of screeners were on duty in the control room that night, and somehow let the text get through. Hmmm ... perhaps nipping at the bubbly back there ...?
I don't know for sure, but I believe the words hark back to a Rush Limbaugh parody of "Puff the Magic Dragon," only sung as "Barack the Magic Negro." Discuss.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
1-03-2009 @ 1:17PM
djbuhhda said...
lol thats kinda funny. cant believe that got through. but i guess that it is stating the truth. lol
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1-06-2009 @ 3:04AM
Phish said...
this happened on Fox, why is ANYONE surprised?
1-03-2009 @ 1:35PM
Terry said...
it was sorta funny.... Sounds like a drunk was trying to be funny:P
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1-03-2009 @ 1:43PM
bruce said...
Considering Kathy Griffin almost certainly thought she was off the air when she said "dick", and considering "dick" has not been a bad word in at least 50 years, I don't see how CNN made any gaffe at all.
You know Fox News put this through intentionally - they'd always have the very defence they're now relying on. It was a viewer's text message (that we could have screened). How is that less culpable than "it was a guest-host saying dick when she thought she was off the air on a live broadcast"? It's not.
Fox did this on purpose because it reflects the sentiments of Fox News, because it was new years, and because they knew they'd be able to say "it wasn't our words" when people yelled and screamed.
That being said, I think both gaffes are kinda funny.
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1-05-2009 @ 10:59AM
Franklin said...
Yeah, right. On CNN it was a "mistake", but on Fox it was "intentional".
How convenient that you weren't offended by the CNN mistake, but somehow got offended by Fox's evil plan to smite you via a viewer's text message.
Join Bash in the "Large mouth, small mind" pen. You two will get along just fine.
1-05-2009 @ 11:17AM
bruce said...
Franklin, you're an idiot. If I were the type of person to be offended by the word "dick" I'd probably be jacking off to Fox News in the first place.
You sound just like Fox News . According to Fox News, what they intentionally put on their air is a mistake, but what CNN's guest host says, when she thought she was off the air (watch the clip - it's clear Kathy Griffin thought she was off the air 10 seconds beforehand) it was an intentional act that for which CNN won't take responsibility (even though they cut it out of their rebroadcasts).
Unless someone hacked into Fox News's bottom-screen ticker, the "magical negro" thing was NOT an accident. They intentionally put it on their air. If their defense is that they put it on their air without looking at it, that still doesn't make it an accident. That's like shooting a gun into a crowd and saying you didn't mean to kill the person you ended up shooting.
Finally, I don't see how you came to the conclusion that I was "offended" at what Fox News did. I clearly said I thought it was funny. Finding something funny is mutually exclusive with being offended at it.
1-05-2009 @ 11:25AM
willy the impeached said...
I'm embarassed for anyone who knows you. And to those who attempt to communicate with you, Godspeed.
Your real last name isn't Olbermann is it? If not you are then definately the second dumbest human being capable of typing.
1-05-2009 @ 12:00PM
bruce said...
Yeah that's great Willy, but either articulate why I'm wrong or shut up.
1-03-2009 @ 2:36PM
bcarter3 said...
"At FOX we recognize our error as opposed to networks who allow their hosts to utter crude vulgarities to the public."
Fox is nothing BUT people uttering crude vulgarities to the public.
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1-03-2009 @ 3:24PM
Tim Wilkins said...
Magic negro? Racism isn't funny. Tacky. I much prefer the Kathy Griffin 'dick' comment cuz at least she was defending herself from a drunken heckler. Fox News fair? Puh-leeze, this from the network that has Bill O'Reilly? lol Now that's funny.
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1-05-2009 @ 3:51AM
KenMo said...
Racism? Please.
When you feel yourself getting offended, hold your breath for 10 seconds. If you are still conscious, repeat.
1-03-2009 @ 3:29PM
ac said...
I love how they had to make an asshole comment about CNN in the apology. Very professional FoxNews.
Reply
1-03-2009 @ 3:31PM
TC said...
Hey Tim,
It was your magic friends on the left in an Op-Ed piece in the LA Times that called Barack "The Magic Negro" back in 2007.
Now come here and give me a hug - Love, don't hate my liberal friends. I hope you liberals treat the new President will some respect, instead of the hate and venom that you are famous for on the left.
*Hugs*
TC
Reply
1-03-2009 @ 11:37PM
B said...
Oh, other people said it first? I guess it's not racist at all then!
USA! USA! USA!
1-04-2009 @ 1:11PM
Rocketboy said...
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,5335087.story?coll=la-opinion-center
Read the article you freakin idiot. If anything, the 'magic negro' is not racist against blacks, but ignorant white people.
1-03-2009 @ 5:24PM
Fandango said...
Oh, come on. The term "magical negro" (according to wikipedia) was popularized by Spike Lee, to ridicule the stereotypical use of black people in movies. Using the n-word isn't automatically racism.
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1-03-2009 @ 6:13PM
StillBash said...
Since when is "negro" the n-word?
Hasn't been for at least 30 years. The n-word rhymes with "bigger" just to let you know...
1-03-2009 @ 6:29PM
Fandango said...
Ok, THIS n-word. And thanks for the tip, I'm not a native English speaker and I always like to learn.
And absolutely fascinated by your culture, that's why I'm on this site.
1-03-2009 @ 10:33PM
Gordy said...
Rush merely echoed the LA Times with this phrase in this context. A bit of revisionist history--and censorship--going on here.
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1-03-2009 @ 10:57PM
Malren said...
Just another Fox bash from the hipster cool kidz at Daily Kos....I mean TV Squad. Sorry. I get confused sometimes.
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