Comments on: Video: Left not sure if Lou Dobbs using the phrase “cotton-picking” is racist or not

By: manwithblackhat

manwithblackhat — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:03:53 +0000

The term was probably originally racist, but has attained other meanings over the years. “Cotton picking” is a method of fingerstyle guitar playing. We used the term as kids growing up in the Midwest in the 1960s, never giving a thought as to its origins. That is could be interpreted as racist only occurred to me in recent years, and only because I’ve spent most of my adult life living and working in DC.

I’ve seen older black women wearing little “pickaninny” doll pins. Are they being racist? Would I be racist for wearing one?

Who got the memo on all this?

By: Captain Scarlet

Captain Scarlet — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:42:40 +0000

Lou’s old enough to have seen countless Warner Brothers cartoons like I have (I’m younger, though – my exposure was every day on Ch 5 in NYC). They said “cotton-pickin’” practically every other word. Geez – get over it.

“Kill da wabbit… Kill da wabbit…”

By: waterfall

waterfall — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:17:06 +0000

What do I know? I’m just a typical white person.

By: Kralizec

Kralizec — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:00:23 +0000

It seems likely that “cotton-picking” originated as a substitute for “mother-fvcking,” in much the same way that “gee whiz” is a substitute for “Jesus” and “dadgummit” is a substitute for “goddammit.”

By: Entelechy

Entelechy — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 04:24:56 +0000

Damn, I’m a sucker for comment love.

The Race Card on March 31, 2008 at 9:15 PM

Sweet.

Also, sorry about the loss of your friend. With sympathy,

By: TexasDan

TexasDan — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:33:06 +0000

All my white Okie in-laws that used to pick cotton would love to know that there’s a racial overtone to that job.

By: D2Boston

D2Boston — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:27:42 +0000

Bugs Bunny used to say “cotton-pickin’” all the time…

wacist wabbit!!

By: viking01

viking01 — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:42:39 +0000

I know Third World missionaries, medical relief workers and anthropologists who still cringe at the term “missionary stew” so what should be their consolation prize? RIP Michael Rockefeller.

Last month my girlfriend mopped the kitchen with Spic and Span before heading to a February White Sale at the mall then ordered dark meat chicken later that day at a restaurant. Do those all balance out or is she in deep trouble? For her office Easter party there was a white “sheet cake” served and some Planter’s Punch, too. I think there’s a package or two of oreos and cracker jack in the pantry… probably some Uncle Ben’s rice too… so I’d better go wolf those down before Revrum Wright’s crackpot congregation kicks the front door down and hauls us both of to socialist re-education camps (or worse).

By: njcommuter

njcommuter — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:20:14 +0000

Slavery was a “birth defect”. Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams, even Lincoln said as much. But we grew out of it. Condi went on to confirm as much.

Actually, it was some rather painful Reconstructive surgery, decades of denial, and a painful round of therapy.

By: baldilocks

baldilocks — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:50:37 +0000

The Race Card on March 31, 2008 at 9:15 PM

How dare you actually have a real life! Sorry about your friend.

By: Agrippa2k

Agrippa2k — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:50:14 +0000

And you “conservatives” and “Republicans” with your knee jerk reactions to Condi’s statement better check yourself. You only exacerbate these race themed attacks on Republicans.

All of this talk about “race” is having a negative effect on Republicans. We cower in fear when it is brought up, and turn on our own.

If we ever needed a black Republican party leader, now is the time. We will need a real Democrat hating, brawler. I may have to run for President myself.

By: Agrippa2k

Agrippa2k — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:44:50 +0000

HA. That’s what you get Lou, for joining the liberal bandwaggon and bashing Condi to comfort Obama.

Slavery was a “birth defect”. Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams, even Lincoln said as much. But we grew out of it. Condi went on to confirm as much.

Slavery has nothing to do with the myriad other problems regarding race. Not voter rights, employment, housing, etc. Slavery has nothing to do with “racism”.

This is the greatest country on earth. We kicked Slavery after 100 years, when blacks were British slaves for the previous 300 years (in America). Before that Africans were slaves for thousands of years.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

By: chsw

chsw — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:33:23 +0000

As a southerner (Md and Va), I say that “cotton-pickin’” is a adjective denoting that the target person is low-class. Only lower economic strata men and women picked cotton by hand. The insult can be used against both black and white.

chsw

By: Hog Wild

Hog Wild — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:31:21 +0000

Until we get rid of the nonsense that one race can say a word or phrase that another race can’t. There will never be an intelligent discussion on race in America.

By: The Race Card

The Race Card — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:15:11 +0000

Damn, I’m a sucker for comment love. Here’s a big Hey! right back at Baldilocks and Entelechy.

It’s been a little while indeed.

I’ve been busy with a couple of new clients who require extreme hand-holding and are willing to pay. I’ve been to Disneyland. A friend died. And I’ve been teaching my daughter to read.

By: tlynch001

tlynch001 — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:08:38 +0000

Man, this is a real tar baby.

By: wepeople

wepeople — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:57:06 +0000

Dobbs was also referring to Obama as well as Rice in the cotton pickin phase. If it were a Fox commentator, a conservative talk show host who said it, it would be all over the evening news. The initials CNN at the bottom of the screen is Slovakian for pass.
Dobb should be taken to the woodpile–oops I mean woodshed.

By: NorthernCross

NorthernCross — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:47:16 +0000

Ironically, Dobbs was in the middle of ranting about our difficulty in talking abut race. You could see him wince at himself as he stopped mid-sentence to muffle the word “pickin’”. Funniest thing I’ve seen all week. Yeah, I know we’re just beginning the week, but still…

By: ctmom

ctmom — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:37:12 +0000

I tell my kids to keep their “cotton pickin’ hands” off my stuff all the time. I never knew I was racially offending them.

By: oakpack

oakpack — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:09:47 +0000

This is even too funny to be absurd.

By: Aristotle

Aristotle — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:01:32 +0000

Are there any garlic nosed cotton pickers?

By: Entelechy

Entelechy — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:57 +0000

The Race Card, missed you. This is the time to be here. Welcome back,

By: baldilocks

baldilocks — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:55:21 +0000

The Race Card

Where ya been?

By: The Race Card

The Race Card — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:54:36 +0000

Niggard please.

By: Cicero43

Cicero43 — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:45:44 +0000

I’m trying to think of a way to work niggardly into my comment here…