Jon Stewart Lambasts Morning Joe, Fox for Deflective Claims About Racism After OU Frat

[WhoIsNumberNone]

On Wednesday night, Jon Stewart took on the story of the expulsion of two University of Oklahoma students over a racist chant that gained national attention and caused the OU chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity to be shut down.

In particular, Stewart said, it is troubling that the incident coincided with last weekend’s 50th anniversary celebration in Selma, Alabama. He quickly went after the Morning Joe crew for their suggestion that rap music was to blame for the racist chant (which co-host Mika Brzezinski later clarified). Stewart said the students weren’t performing a rap song, but were instead singing a fraternity song “featuring a word that pre-dates rap.”

He then showed various Fox News personalities denying that racism is still prevalent in American society — a similar claim Rachel Maddow mocked Megyn Kelly for. Stewart contrasted those comments with the Department of Justice’s Ferguson report, and racially-charged comments made by Donald Sterling and Cliven Bundy. Conservative media’s mantra, Stewart said, is “generalizing isolated incidents.”

“I guess in Fox world, poverty is a choice, but being racist is a product of your environment,” Stewart said.

[zeemike]

1. Damn I am going to miss John Stewart.

The only source for sanity on TV.

[classof56]

2. +1000!

[tblue37]

14. John Oliver is great, too. nt

[rgbecker]

3. Just say it; "How fucked up is that?"

I hope Jon Stewart continues somehow as America's voice of reason.

[daleanime]

4. K&R.....

[d_legendary1]

5. Yeah sure. Just how video games turn kids violent

and Sponge Bob is turning your kids gay.

[erronis]

6. How many times do we (white boys) need to be shown this

to finally understand?

Even if many of us individually aren't trying to be racist or stereotyping in our interactions, each of us has some level of prejudice.

When that prejudice is manifested as it was in this and thousands of prior incidents, and when it is called out by Stewart or other evidence, then we should stop and look at ourselves and ask "What can we do?"

It hurts me that this country has so many poor, stupid, unenlightened, morally bankrupt individuals as shown up on that frat bus, the RW airwaves, the talking heads spouting paid-for crap.

[marym625]

7. Damn he's funny!

I didn't agree with his take on the 47 signers to the letter to Iran but it isn't often I don't agree with him

Good stuff! Thanks for the post

[CTyankee]

8. Sharpton went on MJ today and slammed Mika but shudda slammed Joe, too...

Joe was more vocal with the rap music thing than Mika. But I'm still glad Al did that. It needed to be said, imperfect as it was. It's Joe's show and he should take the responsibility, but that will never happen.

[Enthusiast]

9. What will we ever do without Jon Stewart?

[japple]

10. I know. Me toooooo

[rurallib]

11. mark to return to.

[uhnope]

12. K&R

[calimary]

13. DAYUM I'm gonna miss Jon Stewart.

He's leaving. How fucked up is THAT!!!