The Race Card: Don’t Leave Home Without It

The article

Elton John, a guest judge this month on the U.S. talent hunt TV series “American Idol,” said on Tuesday that he found the voting by the national viewing audience “incredibly racist.”

Weird….Ruben Studdard looked black…. Color me confused. I mean, he won, despite not selling as many records as the second-place finisher, Howdy Doody. And that Justin kid, in the first season, must’ve just had a killer tan, I suppose.

So once again when something doesn’t go right for someone of color, it’s time to start dealing cards. Don’t get me wrong, I think the three girls who showed up at the bottom of the list, including Jennifer Hudson, who was voted off, are among the most talented of the lot….. but hey, they are leaving it up to a nationwide vote, so why complain? If it is turning out to be a problem, perhaps the premise of the show ought to be simply a couple of has-beens choose their favorite from a bunch of mediocre talent…. you know the way the business is usually run. But that wouldn’t garner the television revenue that the format of the show generates, so maybe the folks ought to decide what their priority really is.

Wait, I know, somehow the GOP, Bush administration and a collection of gun-toting, bible-thumping Republicans systematically prevented blacks from picking up the phone and voting. Maybe there were one too many roadblocks in urban areas designed to intimidate minorities from dialing the phone and casting their vote. Where is Gore, we need a recount! Let’s recount this baby until sweeps weeks!

“The three people I was really impressed with, and they just happened to be black, young female singers, and they all seem to be landing in the bottom three,” said John, commenting on the tally in which the lowest vote-getter is eliminated. … I find it incredibly racist.”

Well, they’re also straight, should we call the voting public homophobic too? Wait, I don’t think there’s a jew in the final 10, bunch of anti-semites. The top 10 aren’t disabled either, I demand an investigation! Equality and justice for all Ameriican Idol participants…. this is a travesty!

The results moved show host Ryan Seacrest to remind viewers that the series was a talent hunt and not a popularity contest.

“America, don’t forget you have to vote for the talent,” Seacrest said before closing the show. “You cannot let talent like this slip through the cracks.”

Well if that were true, the industry experts would be picking a winner, wouldn’t they? They wouldn’t be leaving it up to a bunch of pre-teen, braces-laden kids hopped up on sweettarts and bubble yum. But again, there’s no money in a show where Simon Cowell can tell us week after week who sucks and who doesn’t, only to end up picking is own choice.

So here’s the deal, guys, you’ve created and profited heavily from the monster… now deal with its ugly side and accept the voice of the people. Maybe folks are just longing for a new generation, Sinatra-like crooner again….

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