*long sigh*
I’ve never really thought about Megyn Kelly as anything other than a conservative talking head. With all of the vitriol thrown her way by then candidate Donald Trump, and being a victim of sexual misconduct by Roger Ailes, I’ll say I sympathized for her, because at the end of the day having a strong opinion and being a woman is still somehow a novel idea to the male population.
After moving to NBC to host her own show, I’ll admit I thought, why? Why go to a completely different network, and a liberal one at that? I still don’t know the answer. After a weird, and totally unnecessary back and forth with Jane Fonda, of all people, I was over her.
Fast forward to Tuesday, where Megyn says on her show, “But what is racist? Because you do get in trouble if you’re a white person who puts on blackface for Halloween. . . . back when I was a kid that was okay…”
Oh sis.
The very fact that this is a conversation that is had almost every Halloween is ridiculous, and if you’re a reader who doesn’t understand how damaging blackface is, I will direct you to free sources such as Google, and the library because in 2018, I’m not explaining it anymore.
The Twitter backlash to her comments was swift, and cutting as they should’ve been, and most people were quick to point out that this was a discussion had by all white panelists. I think about how everyone could’ve benefited had there been at least one black person speaking up, because honestly what Megyn said isn’t too removed from what other white people have to say about black people anyway. She just said it out loud.
I’ve lived in suburbia my entire life, so I know what it’s like being a part of a small percentage of black people no matter where I go. “But what is racist?” is a rebuttal that I’ve heard my entire life to circumstances of blatant racism. Even in the days when I explained thoroughly why something was offensive or racist, I would get that look. You know, a look that was disbelieving and placating.
A look that personified, “Sure, Jan.”
What’s frustrating beyond belief, is that the things that are so prominent for people of color, are brushed off and even scoffed at by white people. That, an educated woman, a media professional of over a decade could sit in that chair, and ask why white people painting their faces brown is racist, is unfathomable to me.
It reinforces a suspicion I’ve always had that white people honestly think that we over-exaggerate our struggle, and may sympathize with us in the light of day, but behind closed doors shrug with indifference.
Megyn Kelly take some advice from Black-ish character Rainbow Johnson: