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National media notes racist joke gaffe

September 17, 2012

Mike Hayhurst

A front-page blunder by the county’s local daily newspaper wrongly laying the blame for a Creston Classic Rodeo racist joke has provoked national attention from TheGrio.com, a division of NBC News. And the story is about to go viral.

The Tribune’s Jonah Owen Lamb reported Sunday that — according to several spectators — a racial joke told over the microphone had been uttered by announcer Ed Kutz. The Tribune’s headline was “Announcer’s racist joke offends rodeo audience” and its premise that Kutz was responsible for making the comment on the public address system was repeated throughout the article.

The problem? It wasn’t Kutz. Rather, it turned out to be the rodeo clown, Mike Hayhurst.

The Tribune then reported today, in another front-page article under the byline Julia Hickey, that Kutz had somehow been “cleared of blame” for making the comment, and placed responsibility for the error at the feet of “spectators.”

TheGrio.com is a daily online news and opinion platform concentrating on African-American issues, which regularly provides news coverage and reporting featuring political show hosts Rev. Al Sharpton and Melissa Harris-Perry; Benjamin Jealous of the NAACP; and network commentator Goldie Taylor.

 


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After reading this morning’s article in the Trib, I have a question. He continued to make jokes during the Bull Riding. It doesn’t sound like he was in the arena. When did he hurt his head so badly that he had to be hospitized? It doesn’t sound like he did it while “at the Rodeo” as it has been mentioned several times – perhaps it happened later at the dance at the Chute. A way to be incognito? Just sayin’


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If somebody throttled this clown on the dance floor well that would be karma … just sayin’


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It’s not a gaffe if the speaker said what they really think.

There are plenty of latent and insidious racists here, but they like to pretend they are just part of some exclusive club of like minded “Lord of the Flies” mongrels…play-acting . Just all in good fun bashing Piggy’s head in.

This is the racist and fascist Republican mindset. They don’t like it when others like myself point it out, and tell them that I am not afraid to fight them on their terms, using their methods.


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Why not de-politicize the joke by replacing Michelle Obama with Condolezza (“brown sugar”) Rice? Doesn’t serve the Koch brothers/Tea Party dog-whistle attack on Obama; not the party, or the policy, but Obama, the foreign -born, Moos-lim communist. Sorry, a lot of people who would have voted for a moderate Republican will stick with Obama. The Republicans need an Eisenhower, not Pat Robertson’s and Dick Cheney’s bastard love-child. The only reason I remain a registered Republican is hope for change and because it doesn’t matter in California.


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Why not just repeat what people really think ?

Is that ‘politicizing’ …or just shining a light of honesty on the putrid and backward attitudes of some of our neighbors ?


Some of these latter-day Confederates are just ashamed to let the general public see them in their pointy-headed ghost sheets. ( As if that would hide these racists ).

The only thing these slantheads have learned is to not say the “N” word in public.


Republicans are the problem.


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Finally, an appropriate face to represent the republican party!


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I know those evil conservatives that are racist any time they want someone to improve their life with being part of the system and bettering themselves, rather than just give it to them for doing nothing, like the democrates.


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Is that Greek? “Democrates?”


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Was in a hurry. Didn’t realize the extra e.


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No, it’s the miossing chromosome.


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So Everyone looks like a caricature…There ya have it. It’s all about appearances, is it? Ditto for your foo! What a goof!!


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What difference does it make if it is Racist or Sexist? Your children, grandchildren are in the crowd and soaking it all up! You call that humor? Might work on late night but not after parading our flag around.


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You can’t hide from the obvious:

1. The joke was in poor taste

2. The joke was inherently racist.


From my perspective there is a greater problem in that Mr. Hayhurst is a superintendant of Excelsior Charter Schools in Barstow. The schools motto is “Preparing students to be successful adults.”


Interestingly enough, one of the Board of Directors is a black American named Wille Pringle. I wonder what Mr. Pringle’s take would be on Hayhurst’s little joke.


Is there many among us that will defend Mr. Hayhurst’s boorish behavior in insulting the First Lady of our country, particularly as related to a teaching lesson for children who want to be “successful adults.”


Here are links to the school website and the Board of Directors:


http://www.excelsior.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=306014&type=u


http://www.excelsior.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=172852&type=d


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Our first lady is an insult to the country that she was NEVER PROUD OF until her husband was elected the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. She is a disgrace in my opinion and as soon as she made that self centered, thoughtless statement, I was sorry that I had voted for her husband.


The thought of her tromping around the White House and parking her butt of our Air Force One for her private vacations discuses me. She is a JOKE.


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Wow, aside from some grammar and spelling lessons you need a good spanking for your thoughtless and mindless rant. Michelle is one of the best and has done lots of good for the common person. She is an elegant and terrific ambassador for us all.


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WOW Strider, is that the best that you can do? Attack my grammar (discuses rather than disgust) and then tell me how wonderful Michelle is without stating one single reason why !


I bet you vote a straight Dem ticket, anybody on that ballot with a D next to their name gets your vote, don’t they?


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Cindy my dear, you’re about as sharp as a marble today. You should really think about exiting stage right before you place yourself into an unrecoverable and further embarrassing situation.


You can thank me later for this imperative information.


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you are pretty funny as well but in a sad way.


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Cindy: Your ignorant screed displays yourself as an insult to humanity.


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Thanks for the links, MikeB. I’d like to contact Mr. Hayhurst’s employer alright…but not for the same reason as you.


I think the joke was sexist and stupid. Period. HOWEVER I don’t know the guy and I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt. What he said was in poor taste (especially at a family function) BUT if he publically apologizes, I’m OVER IT and so should you be.


So, Mr. Hayhurst, there are many pitchfork-carrying liberals in SLO County ready to see you banned from the Creston Rodeo and–far worse–get fired from your job. Not me. I only hope you’ll apologize so we can all move on.


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According to MikeB, “Mr. Hayhurst is a superintendant of Excelsior Charter Schools in Barstow.”

Would you be “OVER IT” if he had said the same joke over the PA of one of those charter schools?

Now that this story has hit the national media, he has, in effect, told it over every PA in every school in the Barstow Charter School System. Every student and parent in that school system now knows that Mr. Hayhurst thinks that sexist/racist “jokes” are funny. They now know that he lacks sensitivity toward women in general and African-American women in particular. How can he possibly be kept in his position of authority, which involves overseeing the education of young women and, no doubt, African-American students as well? It was more than just a “joke”; it was a public admission that he harbors sexist and racist notions, and he wanted to make other people laugh at those notions. There is no place in education for people who harbor such notions, let alone people in positions of power who express those notions publicly. I, for one, will NOT BE OVER IT until I have heard that he has been made to pay a serious price for that seriously sexist, racist, demeaning “joke.”


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Before you tell people to write in about the rodeo clown, wait to hear the full story. Mr. Hayhurst is in the hospital with head injuries from a rodeo fall, and Mr. Kutz is not talking to the Tribune. The Tribune got it wrong the first time they reported the story; they may have gotten it wrong the second time.


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One of TheGrio.com commentators is Al Sharpton. I find that man to be deeply offensive…


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Derail with false equivalency , has nothing to do with the racist asshat clown.


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No, not at all. However when a serious issue comes up like this, it’s not treated with the seriousness that it should be when a scumbag like Sharpton wades in. That’s on NBC for employing such a person.


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What you post here is more than offensive to decency on a regular basis.


I’m a white guy that infiltrated a white supremacist criminal gang. I gathered names. places, and other pertinent info.


I’ve put idiots into prison. Others chose the grave.


I have no qualms about hunting down further scum.


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I read the joke as paraphrased on thegrio.com website and all I can say is YIKES!!! One would be hard pressed to find anybody that wouldn’t find that joke offensive…


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Not only did the Tribune (“Fibune!”) get the guy’s name wrong in the original article, they printed the offensive joke AGAIN in their so-called update.


And IMO, I think the joke was more sexist than racist. Frankly, I’d never put two and two together (NatGeo and Michelle Obama) I just thought it was sexist to talk about porn, Ann Romney, Michelle O–all at a so-called family event!


The rodeo clown said a stupid thing; now let’s give the guy some time to apologize. last I heard he wasn’t even at home–he was in the hospital w/a head injury!


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You make too much sense. Many people would rather grab their pitchforks and touches and storm the castle. Then figure out what really happened


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Clown told a deeply racist joke, resonates with the peanut tossing commentors at the GOP convention.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/30/cnn-camerawoman-peanuts-rnc_n_1843576.html


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I initially took it the same way you did, I thought it was just a sexist joke. It took me a while to connect the Nat Geo part. Even then, I figure that he was referring to the natives of the rain forest that Nat Geo frequently feature but I think a person would have to be a racist to think that it’s an insult to be likened to a rain forest native. There might not be any grad school educated natives among the tribes in the rain forest but after her statement about not ever having been proud of our country, she clearly lacks far more than reasonable common sense let alone any semblance of sophistication.


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Oh, Cindy, don’t fall for the BS that Mrs. Obama ever said she was not proud of her country. That is another of the Big Lies that the GOP has been pushing.


What Mrs. Obama did say was that she is proud of her country for having elected her husband, just like former President Bush also said at the time. Electing a black man to the Presidency was very historic.


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Don’t think so, might want to include that quote:


http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/02/michelle-obam-1-2/


here is the quotes, you decide^


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What???????????? I watched her say it on National Television. She said, “this is the first time that I’ve been proud of my country”. I saw her and heard her say it myself . I was incensed and shocked. In fact, I consider her a racist.


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Your right She did say that. What really bothers Me is….. Why would a charter school superintendant want to work as a rodeo clown. Fun of making up ? the thrill of being chased by a raging bull.? Dos’nt figure.


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You would know sophistication Cindy. It’s clear by your opinions you are worldly, thoughtful, and educated. Get off the ranch much?

This clown is the perfect representation of your sophistication- a huge bad joke!


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