A bit from the article itself.
As with other forms of dementia, the signs weren't obvious at first. After the 2008 election, when former House majority leader Tom DeLay suggested that instead of a formal inauguration, Barack Obama should "have a nice little chicken dinner, and we'll save the $125 million," black folks didn't miss the implication. References to chicken, particularly of the fried variety, have long served as a kind of code when white folks referred to black people and their gustatory preferences—and weren't many of us already accustomed to older white politicians making such gaffes? But who among us sensed that it was a harbinger that an entire nation was plunging into madness?
Admittedly I hadn't heard about that one, but after a two years campaigning in the wake of Reverend Wrong and Barack supposedly "Palling Around with a Domestic Terrorist(
Seemed like that, didn't it? After all, what was the beef? Obama's father was Kenyan, and the kid was born in Hawaii—which is barely a part of the United States to begin with (only a state in 1959!). His mother was white, and after the Kenyan guy left, she married an Indonesian guy, so little Barack lived in Jakarta for a while before coming back to Hawaii to be brought up largely by his white grandparents. . . . And that's it? Come on, this was after-school-special material, the kind of thing that brings a tear to your eye because little half-Kenyan/half-white Barry made good, not the stuff of conspiracy novels.
And then came the Birthers.
But the more you shook your head at it, the more it seemed to have taken root deep in the lizard part of the white nervous system. Obama is not an American. He says he's Christian, but he has a Muslim-sounding name. He's not black, he's not white. . . . Is . . . is he even human?
Today, Newsweek has found, nearly a quarter of Americans believe that Obama is a Muslim, with barely 42 percent of the nation accepting his claim that he's a Christian. CNN finds that a quarter of Americans also believe that Obama was "probably or definitely" born in another country.
Harris found in an online poll that 14 percent of Americans believe in their hearts that President Barack Obama is the antichrist, with nearly a quarter of Republicans saying so.
At least in this form, however, Satan (sometimes) wears a flag pin.
Now the article itself is great and full of snark and self-depreciation as it goes from one categorical example of abject insanity to another - however it hasn't really been taken in the same spirit by those it attempts to lampoon. From Steven's own twitter.
@Steven_Thrasher Crazy white people are emailing me crazy shit to prove they're not crazy. Not working. Lots of nice emails, too.
@Steven_Trasher White folks used to shy away from candidates who e-mailed pictures of a woman being fucked by a horse, didn't they? http://tiny.cc/bu7kt
@Steven_Thrasher Love that people scream with authority thatt I'm obviously white or obviously black. We bi's keep them on their toes!
@Steven_Thrasher People have been calling our receptionist to ask if I'm black.
@Steven_Thrasher Want to read my hate mail? http://bit.ly/9fsQR4 My colleague analyzes it at the Voice Institute of Crazy White American Folk
And those letters are something...
Hear now, boy: This week's Village Voice's cover story by staff writer Steven Thrasher, an essay entitled White America Has Lost Its Mind, sure has attracted some interesting attention! Whether or not readers agree with what we have to say, we often get letters from them regarding our stories, many of which are exciting, substantial, or, at the very least, rational, nuanced, and psychologically stable. These letters are none of those things.Patient #1: Tim Timmermans of Manassas, VA.
From: Tim Timmermans [mailto:timt@paramount-mech.com]
Sent: Wed 9/29/2010 5:25 PM
To: Thrasher, Steven
Subject: your article
Is a temper tantrum. You and your party are about a month away from getting the ass kicking your father should have given you had he been interested enough in his kids to have been around. [...] Here's a suggestion. Get out of NYC for a week or two, and see the real America. We don't hate you because you're black or gay. We hate you because you are a racist, self loathing pile of crap who believes everyone is against them when in reality we just don't care about you. BTW, your father is a great man as much as Obama is a great president. Just because you think it doesn't mean it's true.
Timothy J. Timmermans
Chief Estimator
Paramount Mechanical
Ph. (703) 369-xxxx
Fx. (703) 369-xxxx
Diagnosis: Patient exhibits classic signs of rotting mid-cortex and inability to process concepts of irony, intentional hyperbole. Patient is also exhibiting widely documented delusion phenomenon of doctor/patient transference and confusion of roles, prescribing attending clinician trip to imaginary land where New York City and the rest of America are sovereign nation-states at war.
Recommended treatment: 1,000 milligrams of Popeye's Spicy Chicken, three times a day, with biscuits, and week of in-patient treatment spent caddying for Fuzzy Zoeller.Patient #2: "jay5775@ionet.net."
From: jay5775@ionet.net [mailto:jay5775@ionet.net]
Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 7:08 PM
To: Thrasher, Steven
Subject: Howdy
You racist fuck. Like to use the term white boy a lot huh? Well how about this black boy.... go fuck yourself. Regarding your recent article... sounds like you're the one all gunched up with fear. I could smell it right from the page. Did I tell you to go fuck yourself? Oh yeah I guess I did. Have a great day now you silly little racist black boy.
Diagnosis: Patient has deluded self into thinking olfactory senses are superhuman, has strong desire to watch African-American men masturbate without discretion.
Recommended treatment: "Black Dick."
Crazy people talking Crazy to prove their not crazy - YOU'Re the one that's crazy. And all Steven really wanted was a Pepsi?
Can it get any sweeter than that?
Vyan
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