Tracy Morgan is fighting to keep his job on "30 Rock" after his early June stand-up routine in Nashville, during which he said he would "pull out a knife and stab that little n____r" if his son was gay. Bookeristas continue to weigh in about the situation:
YES: John McWhorter: "Tracy Morgan Is The Latest Example Of A Troubling Homophobic Trend In Black America"
Asserts the moderate-conservative commentator in New York: "A Pew poll showed 65 percent of blacks thinking of homosexuality as wrong compared to 48 percent of whites. Black voters played a disproportionate role in getting the anti-gay-marriage Proposition 8 passed in California in 2008. On a more intuitive level, when’s the last time we heard about Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, or Steve Carell calling people f____s in heated moments? There’s a reason: The word has a particular place in black culture. Black culture is many wonderful things. But being rooted in it is unfortunately also why a college-educated black man like Isaiah Washington, earnestly and reasonably billing himself on the cover of his new book as 'actor, father, and philanthropist,' is also someone who could erupt with 'f____t' when things got tense backstage."
More: "It’s really pretty simple: If America is supposed to do a month of penance every time a white person uses the N-word — and even when just referring to it, a la Dr. Laura last year — then it’s time for black people to start buttoning up on 'f____t' and other expressions of unenlightened bigotry against gay people. It’s not funny. It’s not overblown — say 'get over it' and remember that if T.R. Knight had called Isaiah Washington a n____r, Knight would never have worked again. And, at this point, it’s just embarrassing. Black leaders and thinkers insist furiously that America is not 'post-racial' and that anyone who doubts it is either ignorant or a moral pervert. Yet here are black men — even educated, cosmopolitan ones — thinking it’s okay to haul off with the word f_____t when they get mad. No, it’s not okay. This time it’s black people’s Teachable Moment. Men like this must start exerting the same exquisite self-control that they expect of the rest of America."
NO: Mr. Grey Ghost: "The Gay Mafia & Liberals Had No Problem With Morgan When He Demeaned Blacks & Conservatives In His Comedy Routine. They Now Expect Everybody To Kowtow To Gay Immorality"
The conservative Democratic blogger in New York writes: "And at the end of the day Morgan is a comedian with a long history of saying controversial stuff who has parlayed his act into a rich and lucrative career by basically being himself, all the while buddying up to Tina Fey (yunno, the liberal comedian, former head writer at 'Saturday Night Live' and infamous Sarah Palin impressio [sic]). So for the most part Morgan was 'safe', but what he probably didn't know what safe means to liberals -- smile for the cameras, toe the line, remember to thank us for pulling you out of the ghetto every chance to get and most of all don't you ever, ever even try to tiptoe on the liberal agenda, which of course, revolves around teh gheys."
More commentary from Mr. Grey Ghost: "Now in order to save his job, career and liveilhood Morgan has to not only apologize for his 'evil' remarks, but speak against 'homophobia', come out for 'marriage equality' and yunno, do all the good things good Hollywood liberals do. Shoot, don't be surprised if you see Morgan marching in one of those 'gay pride' marches with hot pink pants on soon a street near you. Game. Set. Match."
YES: Dennis Sanders: "John McWhorter Is Right About The Hidden Homophobia Of African-American Men"
The gay moderate Republican blogger in Minnesota writes: "It’s not easy being gay in America (though it is getting better), but it can be damn near impossible to be black and gay. As [John] McWhorter notes via Don Lemon (the CNN reporter who came out in May) there are deep culturally ingrained attittudes [sic] (part religion, part the view of African American mas[c]ulinity) that can make a young black kid who is coming to terms with his sexuality want to just stay in the closet."
Mr. Sanders continues his commentary: "The sad thing is that African Americans have rarely spoken out against such actions. Yes, gay rights groups did go after Morgan, as they should, but there should have been something from African Americans saying that what Morgan did was wrong and unconscionable. Which is why I’m thankful McWhorter has said something. Speaking out against homophobia in the black community is sorely needed and there need to be other black men who step up and counter such talk."
DEBATE: Does The Tracy Morgan Controversy Demonstrate That Homophobia Is A Big Problem In Black America?
