FOX News vs Common (Sense)

Ok, so this FOX News attack on Common is officially out of control.  It was funny in the beginning.  It was like a cute little throwback to the culture wars of the 1990's.  "Hey remember when Dan Quayle attacked Tupac? Well now your kids can say they experienced something as absurd as that."

But this "story" is still going on?

It's bloody ridiculous.  Allow me to explain.





By this point, everyone's defended Common ad naseum.  He's far from a "thug" and no more misogynistic than say network television or comic books.  He's not particularly vile or vulgar.  He's basically just in the right place at the right time for FOX News to attack Obama.

Common is the new Kenya; it's a way to attack Obama for being Black without looking racist.  And it reeks of desperation.

But that's why Common's called a "thug" Y'know how Black athletes who run afoul with the law are called "thugs."  It's the whole polite racist language of people who say "urban" and "niggardly."  Welcome to a new millennium.

And of course the hypocrisy of FOX News is evident not only because they actually gave Common props a few years back, but because Eazy-E was rather cozy with Bush the First.  Gangsta rap pioneer.   The original N.W.A. Mr. "Eff the Police."

However I suppose FOX New doesn't believe in archiving old stories or cross referencing what other rappers have hobnobbed with Presidents.  I mean, I'm a blogger and even I've heard of due diligence.

That's why I'm 99% sure this whole Common crusade is a plant by a liberal mole within the FOX News organization to undermine it's questionable integrity.

I'm not trying to "Valerie Plame" this mole, but this reeks of a plant job, like that memo that cost Dan Rather  his credibility.  On one hand it's an attempt to ignite a new culture war in the hopes that the GOP can build some momentum for 2012.  When you've got Karl Rove attacking Common, it's clear that your back is against the wall.

But on the other hand this has the potential to completely blow up in the face of FOX News.  It makes the "most trusted name in news" look completely out of touch, not only with pop culture, but also with the relatively recent history of rappers visiting the White House.

In an effort to light the spark of a culture war, it seems to me they've made a mistake that makes them look as though they'll jump to histrionics on the drop of a dime.  Not like that's news, but it's desperation like that, that causes elections to be lost.

I suppose when you're this far behind popular opinion, I guess it's ok to toss up a hail mary.

Still, if FOX News is dusting off old culture war chestnuts from the 90's, they should think about remixing the Murphy Brown debacle, only using Bristol Palin this time around.

Zing!