As White As Snow


The Bush Administration is once again showing how in-tune it is to the sensitivities of American "lore." Their shiny new press secretary, the ex-spin-doc from Faux News, Tony Snow, used the term "hug the tar baby" while speaking at a press briefing yesterday. After a round of nervous laughter from the gathered correspondents, one reporter asked Snowjob to clarify his use of the term.

Snowjob characterized the term as one stemming from "American lore." According to Webster's Dictionary, "lore" means, "1) something that is taught, 2) something that is learned, 3) a particular body of knowledge or tradition." Now I don't know which American school Snowjob attended in his formative years, but his American lore is quite different from my American lore.

When I was in school, I learned that although the term "tar baby" came to our culture from African folklore, and means a sticky situation from which it is difficult to extricate oneself, the term has been used long enough in a derogatory sense towards our African-American brethren that we should avoid using the term in speech or written form. I'm so steeped in this "American lore," that I cringed when I heard Snowjob use the term in public, and I'm even uncomfortable using it within the context of this critique.

It just amazes me that no matter how many changes Bush makes, the more things stay the same. The neo-con alternate reality in which greed means charity, war means peace, social-Darwinism means compassion, and racism means inclusion is still going strong. You're doing a heckuva job Snowjob! Give the man a medal.

Posted: Wed - May 17, 2006 at 10:26 AM          

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