Media Analysis: September 2009 Archives

Last week the Discovery Channel aired "Gang Wars: Oakland", a series that according the network, "opens a window to give a glimpse inside the lives of Oakland's gangs." However, the series played more like a myth dispenser about black and Latino Oakland residents and glorified cops in between.

Aimee Allison host and producer of San Francisco Bay Area KPFA's Morning Show has written a critical review of the Discovery Channel's "Gang Wars: Oakland." In "Discovery Channel's 'Gang Wars: Oakland' Series Spreads All the Wrong Messages About Poverty and Minorities" Allison writes:

Discovery portrays Oakland from the narrow perspective of a gang task force making busts in the city's economically disadvantaged east and west flatlands.

The grainy night shots, closeups of semiautomatic weapons, wailing sirens and shot after shot of black and brown tattooed bravado is horror-flick fun to some -- but this is a harrowing reality for those of us in Oakland grappling with the persistent problem of violence.

Media Matters has brought us this gem from the September 22 broadcast of The Lou DobbsShow, in which he takes denounces Roberto Lovato, founder of presente.org and Colorlines contributor, as "a typical left-wing activist coward propagandist."

Have a listen:

Dobbs declares that Lovato is "trying to deny my rights... while turning over this country to those who have no regard for our laws, for our rules and customs. And the legal foundation of this country. I mean, Mr. Lovato, you're a joke!... I consider you to be an outright fraud."

Who'd have thought that Lovato, of all people, would be the one to finally drive Dobbs to take up the mantle of equal rights? ARC has never been prouder of our unparalleled team of propagandists.

Who knew Janeane Garofalo had such good race politics? Kai Wright, as usual, steals the show though.

Written by Victor Goode

In the last few weeks, some of the right wing criticism of President Obama has reached a virtual crescendo. To be sure, some of his policies raise questions, and reasoned critiques have come from both right and left. But outside of this more sane debate, a new phenomenon has taken shape. It started with the “tea parties,” and then rapidly spread to the town hall meetings on health care. It has received a steady drumbeat of support from right wing talk radio, and has gotten undeserved airtime from many television news programs.

This phenomenon is the slanderous demonization of the man, rather than critique of the message. Obama is (take your pick) a Muslim, not to be trusted; a foreigner, illegally holding the office of President; a stealth leader of world domination by the UN; and simultaneously a Fascist and a Communist. More recently, as this attack shifted from health policy to his speech on education, it seems that the word chosen as the common denominator for all his evil intent, including environmental policy, is “socialist.”

But could it be that lurking slightly beneath these charges by the crazies is the issue of race? While President Clinton was assailed for his proposals on health care, he was declared to simply be wrong. Obama can’t just be wrong; he must also be the embodiment of all that is evil.