I don't have to list President Barack Obama's credentials, but I will.
He's a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School. He's also the first black to lead the Harvard Law Review.
He was a United States Senator and the first African American elected as president of the United States.
Obama is a powerful orator, and over the last 18 months, he has successfully tackled some of this country's most enduring problems, such as health care reform, while trying to pull the economy out of the gutter. He's also a loving husband and father.
Apparently, that's not good enough for comedian Bill Maher.
In an effort to tackle the latest crisis, the horrendous BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast, Maher thinks Obama needs to act more like a "real black president" and go in to the BP meetings flashing his gat.
Here's Maher's failed attempt at humor:
"I thought when we elected a black president, we were going to get a black president. You know, this [BP oil spill] is where I want a real black president. I want him in a meeting with the BP CEOs, you know, where he lifts up his shirt, where you can see the gun in his pants. That's -- (in black man voice) 'we've got a motherfu**ing problem here?' Shoot somebody in the foot."
Maher's line reminds me of one from Robert Townsend's parody 'Hollywood Shuffle.' Townsend was rehearsing with his brother in the mirror for one of the few stereotypical roles available to him, when he asked his brother to read the next line in the script:
"I ain't be got no weapons, man!'
Using Maher's logic, that's the language one might expect from Obama. And when Obama pulled his shirt up to reveal his gun, BP execs would also see a Tupac-like "Thug Life" tattoo across his belly, right?.
Obama shouldn't use his negotiating skills or the power of the U.S. government to solve the crisis. That's too "professorial." Even though Obama is the president of the United States, he's still black, and like all black men, Obama is surely packing heat.
He doesn't solve problems through discussion, he solves problems by pulling out his gun and busting shots. Black men don't negotiate. We shoot first and ask questions later. "Duck down!" That's how I solve most of my problems.
That sounds like the same racist rants from the Tea Party and some of the people who post comments on this site.
I realize that Maher is a comedian and that he was trying to make a joke, but the joke was in poor taste because it was based on racial stereotypes. Instead of challenging those stereotypes or making light of them, Maher's joke only reinforced the same tired stereotypes.
Maher has criticized the Tea Party as racist. A joke like this, unfortunately, places him in the same category.
It also shows that Obama's ascendancy to the highest office in the land has not quelled the racist stereotyping that black men in this country face. If you're black and go to Harvard, win a Noble Peace Prize or save the planet from self-destruction, there's still the potential for you to be a gun-toting, foot-shooting gangsta.
27-May-2010 - CNN was a little embarrassed after accidentally playing a rap song with the N-word in it. The gaffe was part of a segment about a 103-year-old woman, Gladys Flamer, who still drives herself around and lives alone in Coatsville, Pa.
25-May-2010 - Mattel has launched a new line of Barbie dolls called "Back to Basics (pictured below)," which features several dolls, white and black, in (what I can only term) "after-5" wear: There are off-the-shoulder dresses, strapless minis and plunging necklines. The whole thing is absolutely freaky. It's like some odd soft porno featuring call-girl dolls.
24-May-2010 - The 21-year-old R&B sensation recently went on a Tweeting tirade against Atlanta-based celeb gossip blogger Sandra Rose. Reportedly, Brown resorted to attacking the blogger's complexion by using juvenile "you're so black" jokes.
23-May-2010 - If I'm blessed enough to live past my 10th decade on this planet, then 103-year-old Gladys Flamer is going to be my blueprint for how to behave after I pass the century mark.
21-May-10 - Its tough for a tiger to change its stripes. And in the case of the 70-year-old Julianna Farrait, wife of Frank Lucas, one of the most notorious drug kingpins in American history, prison stripes might again be a part of her wardrobe.
20-May-10 - A Memphis, Tenn., man was babysitting his girlfriend's toddler when she defecated on the floor. The man reacted to the accident by beating the 2-year-old toddler to death with a basketball shoe.
17-May-10 - Geoffrey Fieger, the attorney representing the family of Aiyana Jones, a 7-year old who was shot dead during a police raid, says police are trying to cover up the truth about what exactly happened.
18-May-10 - Vicki Valentine has had to live through the foreclosure nightmare that is affecting all of America. She recently watched a crew of men break the lock on her door and take possession of the home she owned for 30 years. Her father paid off the mortgage in 1984, only to see his daughter lose the home 26 years later over a $362 water bill.
18-May-10 - President Barack Obama's very colorful, very opinionated ex-pastor, Jeremiah Wright, is making headlines yet again, but this time it is in the form of the written word. The Associated Press came across an explosive, missive written by Wright that talks about the president in a very unflattering light.
Bill Maher is just like all the other racist folk in America. However, he thinks he's not, that what's sad.-- from you
what's sad is the fact that you cant see a JOKE for what it is - its SAD when you cant appreciate sarcasm and irony and have to take everything literally! Im black and I have NO problem with Bill Maher at all - i watch his show on HBO every week!
Bill Maher is a comedian/journalist not a racist. I think that I've been around long enough to know who the racist are, I'm a 57 year old Black man and I think that was very funny. If anyone noticed Dr. Cornel West was on that show also, he didn’t seem to be offended by that joke either. Black America don't feed into this negative article about Bill Maher we need more "Brothers" like Bill Maher in the media. If we had more journalists like Bill Maher the American people would be a lot smarter when we elect the people we choose to represent us.
Judging by the comments I see on BV, it will be very easy to turn people against Obama. Comments like "he's not one us", he's an "Uncle Tom", "he can't lead because his mother was White, "he hates being black" The problem is many just see him as " the Black President" rather than the President that happens to be Black. Why do you think the Trolls come in here so often.
@smittyt I wouldn't expect you to get that anyway. You happen to be one of the dumbest posters on BV. Always railing against the white racist trolls that post on here and your the very one tearing down the "Black President" or tearing down Black women. Shut up fool!
Bill Maher is just anouther liberal extremisist know nothing tv person who should have been removed long ago. But his views on this Obama is not racist at all. America is very, very disapointed with Obama in all ways. He has fowled up health care, not funded our soldiers enough that are fighting these pagan radical ilsamic muslims and flubbed up the oil spill clean up. America hopes he will be a one term president.
Judy, you dont have much education, do you? Evidently not, since you cant even spell FOULED - now see, a black man who's smarter than you has just taught you something! Obama is doing an EXCELLENT job - stop listening to Rush Limbaugh, a man who uses you dumb slugs to make money! When you stupidly attack a man whose intellectual/academic credentials you could never in a million years hope to approach, you only turn yourself into a fool!
When this B.H.Obama was elected he thought the job was to give speechs, play da hoops, fly free on airplanes, make racist against whites jokes, chat with oprah and give fist bumps. And it shows now a year and a half later. He is and will be known as Americas worst president. Ever. And Bill Maher is and has been just a crackpot liberal extremisist that has no place on tv.
Actually, I feel sad for you. Not an original thought comes out of your writing. It's as if you listen to FOX News and blindly regurgitate everything they tell you. Must be frightening for people as hateful as yourself to see a Black man as president despite all your efforts to smear him. Obama is still cleaning up the monumental mess Bush created and will be for a while. Your ancestors used the same illogical logic to justify slavery. Anyone who is totally in favor of one side and totally against another is mindless. I don't hate or even dislike people like you. You're not worthy of that level of energy. Even the conservatives of FOX don't believe all the garbage they tell you. I've spoken to some conservative entertainers, talk show people, and they can't believe the ignorance of people like yourself. But according to them, someone should be able to make money off your hate-filled, scapegoating, simplistic mindset. Some of them actually laugh at you more than they laugh at the so-called "liberals" you always talk about. The quality of your life must be very poor. Why would you come on a Black blog anyway? Despite the efforts of many of your ancestors, many of us have accomplished things at a level you'll never reach. No wonder you're so bitter.
If he were a black male saying that smae thing, I still owuld have laughed. I'm Mexcla, Black Brown, y sic of Americans who refuse to see the truth. Obama is doing a heck of a job, yes he is. Now this s=pill is not his friend. Strong words and prison time is needed to make Americans happy again. Obama is not a god, nor is he a mascot for the whinning Americans who do nothing for themselves, but want a slavve to do it ALL for them. It take a Black somebody to make a difference in America. Who do you think build it? Bill Maher is a very funny guy who uses truth to make over Americans minds as to what really is happening in America. He doesn't show fear to speak. So, he will have to take the crititism of those who thought he was god sent. Even he doesn't think he is god sent. He is people sent, by a vote.
Bill Maher is not a problem, the CEO's are the problem. Stop trying to shift the blame.
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I don't have to list President Barack Obama's credentials, but I will. 
Comments: (187)
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By: ray on 6/02/2010 7:32PM
Bill Maher is just like all the other racist folk in America.
However, he thinks he's not, that what's sad.-- from you
what's sad is the fact that you cant see a JOKE for what it is - its SAD when you cant appreciate sarcasm and irony and have to take everything literally! Im black and I have NO problem with Bill Maher at all - i watch his show on HBO every week!
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By: Cornelius on 6/02/2010 10:07AM
Bill Maher is a comedian/journalist not a racist. I think that I've been around long enough to know who the racist are, I'm a 57 year old Black man and I think that was very funny. If anyone noticed Dr. Cornel West was on that show also, he didn’t seem to be offended by that joke either. Black America don't feed into this negative article about Bill Maher we need more "Brothers" like Bill Maher in the media. If we had more journalists like Bill Maher the American people would be a lot smarter when we elect the people we choose to represent us.
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By: amp on 6/02/2010 12:13PM
Judging by the comments I see on BV, it will be very easy to turn people against Obama. Comments like "he's not one us", he's an "Uncle Tom", "he can't lead because his mother was White, "he hates being black" The problem is many just see him as " the Black President" rather than the President that happens to be Black. Why do you think the Trolls come in here so often.
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By: amp on 6/04/2010 8:21AM
@smittyt
I wouldn't expect you to get that anyway. You happen to be one of the dumbest posters on BV. Always railing against the white racist trolls that post on here and your the very one tearing down the "Black President" or tearing down Black women. Shut up fool!
Report This
By: Judy on 6/02/2010 10:33AM
Bill Maher is just anouther liberal extremisist know nothing tv person who should have been removed long ago. But his views on this Obama is not racist at all. America is very, very disapointed with Obama in all ways. He has fowled up health care, not funded our soldiers enough that are fighting these pagan radical ilsamic muslims and flubbed up the oil spill clean up. America hopes he will be a one term president.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: ray on 6/02/2010 1:28PM
Judy, you dont have much education, do you? Evidently not, since you cant even spell FOULED - now see, a black man who's smarter than you has just taught you something!
Obama is doing an EXCELLENT job - stop listening to Rush Limbaugh, a man who uses you dumb slugs to make money!
When you stupidly attack a man whose intellectual/academic credentials you could never in a million years hope to approach, you only turn yourself into a fool!
Report This
By: Judy on 6/02/2010 10:40AM
When this B.H.Obama was elected he thought the job was to give speechs, play da hoops, fly free on airplanes, make racist against whites jokes, chat with oprah and give fist bumps. And it shows now a year and a half later. He is and will be known as Americas worst president. Ever.
And Bill Maher is and has been just a crackpot liberal extremisist that has no place on tv.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Osiris731 on 6/04/2010 6:20PM
Actually, I feel sad for you. Not an original thought comes out of your writing. It's as if you listen to FOX News and blindly regurgitate everything they tell you. Must be frightening for people as hateful as yourself to see a Black man as president despite all your efforts to smear him. Obama is still cleaning up the monumental mess Bush created and will be for a while. Your ancestors used the same illogical logic to justify slavery. Anyone who is totally in favor of one side and totally against another is mindless. I don't hate or even dislike people like you. You're not worthy of that level of energy. Even the conservatives of FOX don't believe all the garbage they tell you. I've spoken to some conservative entertainers, talk show people, and they can't believe the ignorance of people like yourself. But according to them, someone should be able to make money off your hate-filled, scapegoating, simplistic mindset. Some of them actually laugh at you more than they laugh at the so-called "liberals" you always talk about. The quality of your life must be very poor. Why would you come on a Black blog anyway? Despite the efforts of many of your ancestors, many of us have accomplished things at a level you'll never reach. No wonder you're so bitter.
Report This
By: Elaine Lewis on 6/02/2010 10:55AM
The worst president ever? Does anybody remember the Bush regime? Gore Vidal was right, this is the United States of Amnesia!
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By: MatuArt on 6/02/2010 11:06AM
If he were a black male saying that smae thing, I still owuld have laughed. I'm Mexcla, Black Brown, y sic of Americans who refuse to see the truth. Obama is doing a heck of a job, yes he is. Now this
s=pill is not his friend. Strong words and prison time is needed to make Americans happy again. Obama is not a god, nor is he a mascot for the whinning Americans who do nothing for themselves, but want a slavve to do it ALL for them. It take a Black somebody to make a difference in America. Who do you think build it?
Bill Maher is a very funny guy who uses truth to make over Americans minds as to what really is happening in America. He doesn't show fear to speak. So, he will have to take the crititism of those who thought he was god sent. Even he doesn't think he is god sent. He is people sent, by a vote.
Bill Maher is not a problem, the CEO's are the problem. Stop trying to shift the blame.
Reply to this Comment | Report This