Among the funniest episodes of Seinfeld was “The Gymnast,” which aired in November 1994. It features Jerry dating a Romanian gymnast, Mr. Pitt working on a merger between Morgan Springs and Poland Creek bottled-water companies, and the '90s fascination with autostereograms.
Autostereograms are abstract, colorful illustrations that have hidden images within them. No matter how hard or long I try, I can’t see the hidden image. It doesn’t bother me, but it drives some people crazy. “You can’t see that space shuttle? Why can’t you see it???!!”
On Sunday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch endorsed St. Louis County Councilman Steve Stenger for county executive. I've suspected for months that the newspaper was going to side with Stenger over incumbent Charlie Dooley.
Along with the editorial is a cartoon by Dan Martin. It depicts a smiling Dooley at a desk with President Harry Truman's famous slogan “The Buck Stops Here” before him. But Dooley has painted an X over the word “here.”
As soon as I saw it, I thought, “They should not have done that. It might be construed as calling Dooley a buck."
The Dooley campaign picked up on it immediately. Dooley spokesperson Linda Goldstein wrote to The Missouri Times: “The cartoon essentially refers to the sitting African-American County Executive (he is still that) as ‘Buck.' For those who don’t know, the ‘Uncle Buck’ characterization goes back to a time of minstrel shows when black men were portrayed as ‘Buck’—a character, often menacing, who couldn’t be trusted. The Post-Dispatch should know that such portrayals do not exist in either historical vacuum or outside the context of the tone of its own coverage of this race.”
Post-Dispatch editorial page editor Tony Messenger told the Times that he is “offended” that anyone could even consider that aspect of the cartoon racist. The Times also reported that Messenger and some Stenger campaign members think the complaints from the Dooley campaign are an attempt to fan the flames of race, in hopes of drawing more African-American voters to polling places on Tuesday, August 4.
I’ve met Messenger once, when we both received the Gateway Media Literacy Partners' 2013 Charles Klotzer Media Literacy Awards. He is not racist. I know Martin well and consider him a friend. (He’s a fellow University of Kansas alum, for gosh sake!) I know he’s not racist.
But sometimes people fail to see things that can cause racial controversy—just like the images in autostereograms. I can’t make Messenger or Martin see why some people are upset. But that doesn’t mean those who take exception to the cartoon should be dismissed as race baiters or worried Dooley voters.
State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal told The Times that, in her opinion, the Post-Dispatch editorial board has racial issues that it needs to deal with. As was pointed out by Congressman William Lacy Clay after the Post-Dispatch endorsed Russ Carnahan in the 2012 Democratic primary for the first Congressional district, the editorial board has no African-American members. Clay said, “Zero black members give it zero credibility.”
“With respect to the editorial board, specifically, I think they have some prejudice," Chappelle-Nadal told The Times. "I feel the editorial board staff has some bias because of their relationships with people who happen to be white."
The Post-Dispatch's editorial page has been critical of Chappelle-Nadal for some of her comments concerning the vetoed school-transfer bill. I too have been critical of her. I’m African-American, and she is as well. I doubt race has anything to do with my dislike for her words and actions concerning school transfers and her support of limited-use vouchers.
Seinfeld’s “The Gymnast” was hysterical. But the campaign between Dooley and Stenger—like just about every American campaign these days—has been anything but funny.
I’ll be glad when it’s over. Then, we can start fighting about the November mid-term elections.
