During the opening of Fox Business Network’s “Follow the Money” show on Friday, June 10th, Eric Bolling teased a segment about the White House hosting the president of Gabon by saying, “Guess who’s coming to dinner? A dictator. Mr. Obama shares a laugh with one of Africa’s kleptocrats. It’s not first time he’s had a hoodlum in the hizzouse”.
Fox Business News analyst Eric Bolling has a history of using hip-hop slang when referring to America’s first black president in ways that are intentionally degrading. When Obama drank some beer during his state trip to Ireland, Bolling accused the president of “chugging forties”. In Bolling’s most recent rant, he referred to the visit between the president of Gabon and Obama at the White House on Thursday as Barack hosting ‘hoods’ at the ‘hizzouse.’ Bolling also had the nerve to refer to the White House as “the big crib.”
Bolling’s characterization of President Obama using hip-hop slang has been slammed as racist by TheAtlantic.com. Still, he justifies his repugnant speechifying with hollow reassurances that he is only expressing interest in activities he also engages in (like drinking “forties”).
Mediate.com reports:
Bolling’s defense of the 40 oz. remark involved the fact that white people (himself included) drink “forties,” and perhaps his defense, in this case, will also involve white co-opting of black culture. Surely Bolling is free to explore his love of hip-hop by using terms, like “hizzouse” and “crib,” that have been popularized by the form.
However, it is curious how the Holy Hip-Hop Ghost only seems to possess Bolling when he’s talking about our first blizzack Prizzezzident, Barizzle Obizzle, and how this obvious student of the sweet science of dropping science thinks that Common is a “hood.”
Mediate.com points out that Bolling attacked President Obama using race-baiting stereotypes, showing no interest in dissecting politics. Bolling’s main interest is taking President Obama down a few levels, using rap terminology as a humiliating tool.
According to Mediate.com, Eric Bolling’s attempt to lump Obama in with the negative stereotypes of hip-hop culture at the expense of thoughtful analysis is a continuation of a longstanding Fox trend. Fox News once referred to First Lady Michelle Obama as “Obama’s Baby Mama” when the couple was still on the campaign trail. Fox News wants its viewers to see all African-Americans within a monolithic rap rubric. Eric Bolling is just the mouthpiece for Fox’s ongoing campaign to discredit the president by any means necessary — regardless of how racist or ridiculous.
Three days later, Eric Bolling offered a ‘half-hearted’ apology on Monday: “We got a little fast and loose with the language,” Bolling said, “and we know it’s being interpreted as disrespectful, and for that I’m sorry.”
