In a strange twist of politically correct irony, Jerry Seinfeld, who appeared last night on the David Letterman show in defense of his friend, Michael Richards, and his recent racial slur ridden tirade against African-Americans, made what I perceive as an equally egregious racial slur against those of Sicilian descent.
In what most likely flew over the heads of 99.99% of the viewing audience, Seinfeld characterized chopping the heads off of his children's clay figures as "Sicilian." Not "Mafiosi," nor "Corleone-like" but "Sicilian" ...
What made his remark even more striking was that fact that Michael Richards had just completed a national five minute heart felt apology to the African-American community. After which Seinfeld, one of America's most gifted comedic minds, went on to chat about his children. He characterized disciplining them as "mob like" ... before mentioning he'd become "Sicilian" in chopping the heads off their clay figures.
There are five million Americans of Sicilian descent, (including Nancy Pelosi, the new speaker of the house, 22% of the Supreme Court and possibly our next President R. Giulani) less than 1% of them have anything to do with organized crime much less chopping heads off or murdering. Yet, as we all know, through the propaganda of our media, it is perfectly acceptible to characterize them as murderers. Though it is no longer acceptible to characterize African-Americans as such (nor should it be).
Seinfeld, like most Americans and the American media, is not racist, just race ignorant; politically correct only when it suits their agenda and prone to covert stereotyping. Though the intent of Seinfeld's remark was "innocent" and without malice, it was profoundly unenlightened. And ironic, in light of recent events.
