Racism– oh you 1000 pound gorilla in the room why must you show your ugly head in my hobby?

So one afternoon I was sitting back and listening to the 40k Radio marathon show in support of a local charity. When all of sudden the

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stopped by to say, hello. Even though I could not see his face, I am pretty sure the person that said it was neither black, nor a rapper, or reading from a book. Neither was it said in the awkward 15-year-old white boy, I am down with hip-hop sort of way. It am pretty sure that it was in the “New South” they are cute when they are babies and boy can they run kind of way.

As a refresher the story goes, Spencer forgot to give us the edited version of his marathon episode. Which I believe because that particular show was really damn long. Spencer did the right thing by disavowing the

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and banning the perpetrator for life from 40k radio. The fall out was quick, 40k radio lost some sponsors and many people were really turned off by 40k radio. The first lesson to be learned from this little ordeal is that Live Show + Drinking + Marathon Shows = Saying stupid shit.

My WTF moment about the whole thing has nothing to do with the show itself. It has everything to do with some of the comments made by 40k Radio listeners being ignorant gitts.  I understand you do not see many people of color in Wargaming; it is mostly played by affluent white guys, still it is not golf before Tiger Woods showed up. I would of thought our community better than that or at the very least better than Xbox Live.

Here is just a sample of some of my favorite comments brought to you by 40k Radio listeners.

Would be a great shame to loose Jar Jar, perhaps just make him put $50 in the swear jar that goes towards charity! with a public apology himself.

This reoccurring theme of comments makes my hair stand on end.  I never knew all it took was $50 bucks to cure racism does $100 stop global warming?

sorry to all, big time my fault. that was not directed to anyone or anything, just more of a dumb comment. to much gangsta rap in my diet. no worries on the life time band. i feel very bad about the comment and hope it did not offend anybody. spencer has taken a lot of heat over this and it is not his fault, he became ill and time passed then he started to catch up on posting the shows and flat forgot about or missed the comment in the downloadable show. please do not drag him or the show down due to my actions. Sincerely Jar Jar (aka band in the 40K)

Thanks Jar Jar I never knew that Hip-Hop was that powerful. My guess it might have been the cracker upbringing that made you feel comfortable saying such thing.

Incredible. Just incredible.
How can an issue like this be blown into such ridiculous proportions?
Profanity is very simply, bullshit. It is not how we say it but what we mean that should matter, yet the use of a simple word that, I’ve no doubt in my mind, JarJar used with no racial hatred or discrimination as his goal is seen as an unspeakable crime.
I’m disappointed to see that being politically correct and being afraid to offend someone will keep JarJar from further participating in the show, when a public on-air apology would more than suffice. You are depriving yourselves and us, from what is in my opinion, a better podcast experience.

Profanity… no profanity is saying I fucked your mother with a broomstick the

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is racist. Being that the

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predates the notion of politically correctness, I think  everyone should be offended by someone using that word in any forum.

Woah. Way too harsh on Jar Jar.

Way. Too. Harsh.

Even nationally syndicated talk show hosts get more leniency than permanent bans. Don Imus says ‘Hi’. Let him apologise on air and move on. Everyone deserves second chances. It’s just a mistake, just a word.

Just a word a word that means beatings, lynching, segregation, intolerance for a single word it certainly pretty powerful. There is a big difference between nappy and theurl

besides I doubt Jarjar looks like Skeletor.

I never heard the word when I listened to that show so can’t comment
on the context. But as others have said the word is unacceptable but he did only say it once
and I too believe the punishment but that’s my opinion. Spencer and Scott may have their own reasons
for the ban it’s their show after all.
I do feel that the n word is losing it’s orginial impact as others have said
I am a secondary school teacher and the black/middle east kids will often call each other
it and then the white kids join in too!
IMHO jar jar should make a sober apology on air and fill the jar!

I weep for the future.

I wonder if everyone would be offended if Jar Jar wasn’t caucasian? You American band wagon jumpers need to set your bloody priorities properly. Can’t use the “N” word if you’re white (completely fine if you’re black though) <—racism in and of itself), but you can sure as hell drag people’s names through the mud, sue them for your own mistakes and carry guns. Get a bloody grip, or as you like to say on the webcast “put on your big boy pants”

Oh this tired arguement. While it should never be used by anyone, there are reasons for its use in the black community. Just ask a African-American why or simply listen to Paul Mooney if you have no black friends.

I find it an interesting sociology study that the first impulse response people have about Jar Jar’s censure is to assume that this apology was prompted because of him. It wasn’t a PC response, in fact I doubt that Spencer disagrees with 90% of the public outcry.

You really want to know what brought this about? Look no further than the Dice Like Thunder off topic forum:

http://www.dicelikethunder.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=1974&start=10

You might also look at the most recent iTunes review for 40K Radio.

Right… it was another Podcast’s forum of all things that was the cause of the trouble… not the person that used the frakin

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Jar Jar Made a slip up, it happens, every 1 messes up some times.
Frankly this is being over punished. even if i was affened by this ( which im not) but i would gladly take the apology that jar jar lef tin the comments and just leave it at that. Kicking him from the show is way to much. jar jar is part of 40K radio. like what he said is JUST A WORD its not like he come on screen wearing a KK outfit or somthing like that. i mean the “N” is just slang for people. i mean its no different from african american people calling white people ” crakers” or w/e. frankly people that get offened by that word most likly are racist towards other poeple. anyone who is affened by this is just being a freaking hipocrit. stop being babies and let jar jar back and just have him make a on air apologe.

Another one of my favorites. It really illustrates how we have moved from an overtly racist country to a passive racist country or as the people that just don’t have have a clue call it “Post-Racial”. People use these arguments to cover up the fact they have real hang ups about race and most of the time they do not even know it.

Strange, the Scottish were victims of slavery, oppression and murder for hundreds of years yet we’re still allowed to call people Scott WOW, that’s even one of the show’s hosts names. Oh wait a min, the people enslaving the white people were white (some of the time) so that makes it okay.

Words only have the power you choose to give them. As long as you keep picking at this scab it’ll refuse to heal. Both “sides” if you can call them that, are to blame

Oh, white man burden how can we ever hoist up that cross. This has to take the cake for total histrionic nuttery. I do not remember the Scots being uprooted from their country transported 3000 miles and forced into bondage. Someone has been watching too much Braveheart for their own good.

Well now that I got that out of my system, just make sure to slap me if I do anything sightly racist and make sure to boycott my site as well.

Here is a video that I think puts everything it great perspective.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqQKWSwlYHo

Questions for comment:

  1. Does the punishment fit the crime for Jarjar?
  2. What do you think of the whole DLT vs. 40k drama?
  3. Am I take this all just a tad too seriously?