Racist or Sexist?

[HipChick]

Neither..
April Ryan: Don’t Play With Me, Desiree Rogers Tried To Outshine Michelle Obama!!! - did she really say that? unprofessional,what an idiot - she sounds like a catty,petty woman

Gibbs clashes with reporters all the time..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFW3o4iTWXc&feature=player_embedded

[noamnety]

1. I'm confused.

You're using the phrase "catty woman" while making an argument that someone wasn't being sexist?

Seriously?

[Name removed]

2. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[glowing]

3. Huh? I don't understand. What did she ask. Unfortunately I cannot access YouTube at

work. What was the question? And how did she phrase the question to try and make it appear as if Michelle and anyone within the admin. are is some type of competition. AND who is April Ryan. I'm assuming a reporter since Gibbs is in the context of your post, but who is she with.. a society magazine?

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[snagglepuss]

5. Transcript at link. Good summary of what happened.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/abraham/detail??blogid=95&entry_id=52927

[HipChick]

7. Thanks...good link...

also had not realized that this was the second day of this exchange...

[snagglepuss]

12. However I realize after re-reading that it doesnt include Gibbs comparing to

Ryan to his 7 yr old son. What I object to is the accusation that Ryan who is black is jealous of Rogers who is black. Any question of competence is dismissed as jealously or racist.

The fact remains that this was Obama's first State dinner as well as Rogers first State dinner so she should have stayed behind the scenes to insure everything went smoothly. This event deserved an abundance of caution. There will be other State dinners to attend. Rogers' lack of caution created this fiasco.

[HipChick]

6. I think she got annoyed with Gibbs because he hadn't seen the fashion spread

April Ryan is a reporter with American Urban Radio who some claim was insulted by Gibbs...Gibbs interview style is often combative when it comes to WH reporters...not seeing anything different here

[Syrinx]

8. she's the White House reporter for American Urban Radio

[noamnety]

10. She asked some celebrity gossip style questions

that were not serious political journalism.

He was professional about it - up until the point where he likened her to his child. Regardless of his opinion of her questions, that's never appropriate in a professional setting (or otherwise), doubly so when the comparison is coming from a white man to a black woman, given the history of white men calling black men "boy" and men treating women like children.

If life were absent of all historical context it might not be as bad. (But that's not how life is.)

[HipChick]

11. good clarification

[snagglepuss]

13. Here's a transcript. Please quote an example of a celebrity gossip style question.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/abraham/detail??blogid=95&entry_id=52927

[noamnety]

14. That's not the full transcript.

listen to the first few seconds of the video at your link. She's asking if there's concern that she came out as the "belle of the ball, overshadowing the first lady."

[SB37]

9. I think it was either / or...

While I don't agree with Ms. Ryan. It seems to me that Gibbs was way out of line. I honestly don't see him using those words with a white man.

[CoffinEd]

15. April Ryan

Isn't April Ryan the same, um, reporter (cough, gag, wheeze) who asked George Bush 'how does he like his ass kissed' during a White House press conference? Just checking.

[Iggo]

16. April Ryan? Desiree Rogers? "Gibbs"?

Who the fuck are these people?

(I do recognize the name Michelle Obama, though.)

[LostInAnomie]

17. Neither.

I swear some people have no concept of actual racism or sexism. Just because a woman is talked to in a dismissive manner it doesn't mean it's sexism. Just because a black person is talked to in a dismissive manner doesn't mean it's racism.

That's a childish game that WAY too many people are happy to play.