ESPN Might Have Just Lost its Woke Card.
ESPN–the network whose ratings have declined due to its emphasis on liberal politics masquerading as sports journalism–may have just lost its woke card. On Saturday during the Colts vs Texans game, ESPN dog-whistled their unconscious racism by posting this graphic of Andrew Luck, accompanied by the song “Dixie”.
Predictably, objective journalist everywhere appealed to the arbiters of morality on Twitter to render judgment. Unfortunately for ESPN, their moral betters have judged them insufficiently woke and sufficiently offensive. Thus, an apology has been demanded and ESPN had no choice but to comply or risk further mob outrage.
@espn We’re waiting for your apology for the Civil War graphic and use of the Confederate anthem “Dixie.” Inaccurate + tone deaf.
— Diana Prince (@dianaprince1984) January 6, 2019
I was not expecting to hear Dixie with video game graphics during the Wildcard game. I guess ESPN really is trying to cater to the red states.
— Jeffrey Wright (@JWright929espn) January 5, 2019
Now for those of you reading this and aren’t sufficiently woke and therefore, undeniably racist. I’ll take the liberty to explain what’s so terribly offensive about this obvious nod to those who participated in Charlottesville and how it was meant to empower the Nazi Party. For quite sometime now, there has been a running joke on Twitter called Captain Luck.
This Twitter account makes fun of Andrew Lucks’ resemblance to a Civil War soldier and post parody letters from Luck, as if he was a soldier from that period. When ESPN posted that graphic and played the song, they were clearly referencing this joke. However, ESPN committed a social justice sin by dressing some of the players on the Colts offensive line in gray–Confederate colors–and accompanying the graphic with the song “Dixie”.
I assume most people who have better things to do, didn’t even notice or if they did, knew that attempting to impute malicious motives to ESPN was a waste of time because they aren’t insane. But for those whose job it is to monitor for anything that may be remotely deemed offensive; it was yet another opportunity ruin something for everyone else.
Several media outlets such as NBC, Sports Illustrated, and The Washington Post rushed to print headlines that ESPN used the song Dixie in association with the graphic. Because as NBC’s Michael David Smith points out, “Anyone who knows American history knows that the song “Dixie” has a long racist history”. Then in order prove their claims, they posted select Twitter shots to create the illusion of widespread outrage amongst the public. The implication being that despite the so-called common knowledge of racism behind the song Dixie; ESPN either purposefully played it or as ESPN explained, were victims of an employee gone rogue. For its part, ESPN has declined to name this loose cannon.
Now none of this factually true in the slightest, but when the bar for racism has been lowered so far that everyone is bound to trip over it sooner or later; we end up with this kind of nonsense. The fact is, Dixie has been performed in black face and used by bona fide racists. However, it is also factually correct that it was one of Abraham Lincoln’s favorite songs and also sung by Bing Crosby. The rational conclusion is that the song means different things to different people at different times and just because one group uses it in a negative way, doesn’t necessarily mean that the song is forever negative. It’s the equivalent of saying because Nazis eat pizza, eating pizza is racist. But logic and reason doesn’t fit into the media’s narrative of wide spread racism in America. It also cuts against their self perception of being heroic warriors in the fight for social justice. This is how we end up with non-stories becoming stories. This is why even ESPN–the home social justice morons Dan Le batard and formerly of Jemele Hill–can still be considered racist. The definition of racism is no longer believing that one’s immutable characteristics makes one human being superior to another. Instead, we must contend with a fluid definition based on the subjective interpretation of our betters; all whom claim to hold special knowledge of our intent and unconscious biases. And how do they know? Do they possess some superpower that allows them to peer into our heart and soul? The answer is simple. Their emotions and self righteousness tell them its true because their subjective emotions are objective reality. So they demand apologies where no apology is needed. They themselves are the judges of the severity of the crime and sincerity of any apologies. However, “who” they are is constantly in flux since those who are presently considered woke; may commit a mortal sin at any moment and be cast into nether-realm. So what does it mean if the “Worldwide Leader” in woke sports is cast out? Simply that eventually the circle of woke will shrink until it is too small for anyone to occupy. Hopefully when that day comes, we can finally get back to enjoying game.
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Originally published at throwemopen.com on January 7, 2019.
