This is the lede photo on the Drudge Report.
Photographs of spectacular lynchings became the basis of postcards in the 19th century. This type of popular culture (and communication) was one of (White) America's first types of national, unifying, mass culture.
The image of President Obama and Eric Holder pledging allegiance to the United States in front of the Capitol Building is for some Americans an inspiration--they are the living embodiment of a country that was historically founded in white supremacy, with a birth defect of a Constitution, and that evolved its democracy forward so that those who were once considered uniquely suited to be human property, could a few centuries later, be two of the most powerful people in the United States.
In contrast, for other Americans, those who are drunk on the white racial frame, and possessed by symbolic racism, will see two men of color--more specifically two black men in a position of national leadership--as anathema to the foundational assumptions of what the Framers intended for the United States.
"We want our country" back is really just a claim on white citizenship. "Real America" is by design an appeal to white conservative populism.
The Tea Party GOP may no longer produce lynching photography. However, the image of two black men as President and Attorney General of the United States of America will, and has provided, much fuel for white racial anxiety, and most certainly will be photo-shopped and screen printed on many t-shirts, bumper stickers, and other paraphernalia in the near future.
How would you caption the above photo of President Obama and Attorney General Holder? How will the White Right caption it?
12 comments:
DON'T TREAD ON ME!!!!
WE TREAD ON YOU!!!
Rise of the Mulattoes
Sleep & Eat
Faking it all the way to the bank
for the bank, by the bank, so help them god....,
Hyper-realism.
The same hyper-realism that has every other TV commercial feature a black CEO or have happy white and black wealthy suburban families frolicking in the Township of AmericanDreamLandia enjoying their mutual sterile material wealth and looks.
An establishment of a photographed hyper-realism that makes any tourist come over here and say: "Wow---America really is equal!"
Those that run things thought it was time for a black front man. He had permission to bring in another black front man as long as he, too, behaved---locked up those black cannabis users, let those white billionaires go free...
But fifty years from now, we'll feel all nice and fuzzy about this photo.
That is funny.
Not the machines?
They're experienced at it. Google "Keep the Change" by Darryl Worley and watch the 'fan' video. That was put up three years ago and by the end it delivers the message "remember to vote in 2012." Which everyone did and they lost. But it didn't stop or modify anything because they've figured out how to paralyze government with a united front of unreasonable and rage-filled white men. In a side note, that song pretty much cost Darryl Worley, who'd been a second tier country artist with a hit about 9/11, his career. No one would make the record that single was made for..
Or White House Negroes.
As Malcolm said:
"There was two kind of slaves. There was the house negro and the field negro. The house negro, they lived in the house, with master...he's a traitor, to you and me..."
These were more likely to be mulattoes.
Like Malcolm said then, they were playing the same role in his day. They are, apparently, playing the role of traitor today. At a much higher level.
Or "Sold Brothers".
These caption possibilitoes just keep on coming to me...
Amos n' Andy!
"Yassuh boss, ain't nuthin' gwine git by usses!"
AG: Why the 2520′s mad?
POTUS: As long as you stay Black, they’re gonna stay mad
AG: Aint that the truth
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