This Week in Racism - Macklemore Accidentally Dressed up Like a Jewish Person

Welcome to another edition of This Week in Racism. I’ll be ranking news stories on a scale of one to RACIST, with “one” being the least racist and “RACIST” being the most racist.

–Macklemore, bubbe, what were you thinking? You just Yentil'd yourself into a big, boiling pot of matzo ball soup! You meshugganah goy, you! Dear reader, if you don't have a Google Alert for "white rapper does something racially questionable" like I do, here's the "emes": In an attempt to surprise fans at a secret show at Seattle's EMP Museum, Macklemore assembled a makeshift costume out of wardrobe pieces that he said were chosen at random. The rest of the world thought he bought a Shylock costume from his local Halloween Super Store. Ooops.

The outrage was immediate. Seth Rogen tweeted, "first you trick people into thinking you're a rapper, now you trick them into thinking you're Jewish?" Sick burn, bro! The Anti-Defamation League, on the other hand, took the high road, saying, "We take him at his word that he did not have any ill intent and unreservedly accept his apology." You know who else was a pro at turning the other cheek? A famous Jew by the name of "Jesus." NBD. 6

–Staying in the world of anti-Semites, mentally ill cabbie Gabriel Diaz was dragged behind the proverbial media truck this week for wearing a swastika armband (I assume he bought his armband at the same Halloween Super Store where Macklemore got his costume) and claiming to be a National Socialist. Despite being a fairly dark-skinned Dominican cab driver—not exactly Hitler's idea of Aryan perfection—Diaz told CBS-2 News, "I don’t hate Jews. I’m critical of them, but I don’t hate them." Might I remind all of you that this man is mentally ill! The news stations and papers trying to extract a rational explanation for an irrational action are just trying to take advantage of his grim situation. Leave this dude alone. 5

Photo via Flickr User Keith Allison

–Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder is yet again under the gun for refusing to change the name of his team to something a tiny bit less racist. 50 United States Senators (for you kiddies out there, that's half the Senate) signed a letter urging the NFL to force Snyder to change the name of his team. In the letter, the petitioners state:

"We urge you and the National Football League to send the same clear message as the NBA did: that racism and bigotry have no place in professional sports," read the letter, which did not use the word 'Redskins.'"

The NFL moved quickly to respond. Would they crack down with extreme prejudice, Adam Silver-style, or would they put their sunglasses on, hop in their convertible, and drive to the nearest Jimmy Buffet's Margaritavilla like nothing ever happened?

"We have not received the letter, but the NFL has long demonstrated a commitment to progressive leadership on issues of diversity and inclusion, both on and off the field," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. "The intent of the team's name has always been to present a strong, positive and respectful image. The team name is not used by the team or the NFL in any other context, though we respect those that view it differently."

Oh…

Sports, being the place where most white Americans get their weekly updates on black culture, is now the primarily battleground for racial politics in this country. Donald Sterling was the test case, and now everyone is figuring out how to respond under this new paradigm. The NFL chose to conduct business as usual. Notorious problem owner Mark Cuban realized that no one was writing about him, so he said something about being afraid of black kids in hoodies and white guys with tattoos for literally no reason except to remind people like me he exists. Rich white men are freaking out about how to handle a far more politically correct world than what they're used to. Meanwhile, sports fans just want to watch the games. Perhaps the leagues and owners should focus on doing a better job of allowing us to without further distraction. 8

The Most Racist Tweets of the Week:

Shakira a wetback Rihanna lmaooool

— Geraldine (@Foolishawty) May 19, 2014

Scenario. Knockout game. Nigger falls and white man whips that feral nigger.

— White pride #WR (@Whitepride7) May 22, 2014

I am not a sand nigger. Bosnia isn't in the Middle East, it's in Europe

— Uh-Mina Delič (@_adelic) May 21, 2014

✊ #ThrowBackThursday the first nigger to go into outer space pic.twitter.com/2WGlRELyRa

— Bum Farto (@Bum_Farto) May 22, 2014

Wish my eyes weren't so damn chink

— ǝllǝıɹɐ ɐsıɹɐɯ (@arielle_marisa) May 22, 2014

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