Of course Stern and Rivers then spent their time complaining about how everything's off limits when it comes to African Americans. Apparently, they both seemed disappointed about not being able to use racially-disrespectful rhetoric that we've been forced to listen to for the past 400 years. Howard Stern's co-host, Robin Quivers, didn't have much to say either. But then again, that seems to be the role of the trusty black sidekick these days: to give you a racial pass when you say something that might be deemed offensive (perhaps we can call this the "I have black friends" defense). Don Imus of "Nappy headed hoe" fame has a black co-host himself, and of course the co-host is a comedian, since black people are so much more fun when they make everyone laugh.
In all seriousness though, Rivers did try to squash some of the criticism of her joke by saying that she wouldn't be offended if someone were to refer to her as "Jewie O." But the problem with that comparison is that "Blackie" is an incredibly derogatory term with indisputable roots in racial degradation. It is similar to referring to black people as monkeys, showing us eating watermelon or calling us the n-word.
Part of me feels sorry for Joan Rivers. The poor woman will be 78 years old this year, and she grew up in a world where offending black people was simply not a big deal. She gets one plastic surgery after another in order to hold onto the youth that is slipping through her fingers, and is as persistent as any entertainer on earth when it comes to maintaining her relevance. I actually respect her, find her to be very funny and don't consider her words to be malicious. But one thing that Rivers has to understand is that if your goal is to remain truly hip and relevant, you have to realize that America is slowly working to move beyond its racist past. Calling the first lady of the United States "Blackie" only makes Rivers appear to be an entertainment dinosaur, which is the opposite of what she's trying to be.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.