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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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All of those who are trying to make this into a Republican/Democrat incident are idiots. There are plenty of fine people of both persuasions who reside in Creston and in the rest of SLO County.


The biggest problem with this story is that Ed Kutz who is a fine, caring and giving member of our community, was falsely accused in McClatchy’s Telegram Tribune who sent this flawed story to the national newswire.

It went viral from there, ending up on thousands of network, political blogs, tv and newspaper websites.


It’s bad enough for those who live and work locally, but Mr. Kutz works at venues nationally. This includes rodeos, bullridings, as well as working in the motion picture industry. Don’t think this will not damage his career!


According the the Tribune “It could not be confirmed that he was the one that made the remarks.”


Then why use his name when it could of been verified by waiting the next day when he was scheduled to announce Sundays performance. The story would have still been “fresh” and could have waited for reporter to perform due-diligence!


He is due an apology from Dona Wilson and Mike Barrett who falsely accused him and of course McClatchy who owns the Tribune. Their reporter and her editor really screwed up by not performing due-diligence. And while they are at it, the citizens of Creston and SLO County are also due an apology for their portrayal of being neanderthal red-neck hicks.


That said, while the joke was certainly in poor-taste, did it really warrant a front page slot or to be sent across the national wires?


Also, this is not the clown’s first go-around with this type of controversy. A couple of years ago he had to give a public apology for a similar joke about Sarah Palin. Obviously he did not learn his lesson.


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Just an apropos comparison to this gaffe by a rodeo clown.


Tell me what the difference between the two racist comments listed below.


Mike Hayhurst, rodeo clown quote:


“Playboy is offering Ann Romney $250,000 to pose in the magazine and the White House is upset about it because National Geographic only offered Michelle Obama $50 to pose for them.”


Mitt Romney, presidential hopeful quotes:


“47 per cent of Americans who do not pay income tax would automatically support President Barack Obama because they “believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. My job is is not to worry about THOSE PEOPLE. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives”


The difference? There isn’t any.


Subjectively, the most damaging phrase by Romney was, “I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility.” Half the country, in Romney’s eyes, is made up of pathetic losers. How can this multimillionaire serve as president for ALL Americans when he has snobbishly written off half the nation?!”


We can only logically assume that Romney cannot accuse Obama anymore of being divisive, especially when it comes to class, since he has once again stepped in the proverbial poo with his latest and embarrassing kerfuffle.


What a continued fool.


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Brother Ted; Also read some of the comments by the usual peanut gallery suspects commenting here. Their insular and narrow viewpoints ( some might observe ‘selfish’ ) demonstrate John Steinbeck’s quote that, in America, “…the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat, but as temporarilly embarrassed millionaires”.


They, and others just slightly less poor, will identify with the real elitist plutocrats ( as Willard Romney ) that don’t give a damn about anyone less privileged.


Anyone think this jackass rodeo clown is a multi-millionaire, or ever will be ?

These Republican pawns imagine themselves as potential country club snobs; when in reality they are all, and always will be, …rodeo clowns.


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Sorry Ted, you couldn’t be more wrong. There’s a big difference.


Mitt Romney is only acknowledging what everyone knows but won’t admit because of “political correctness”. People vote their pocket book. We have people who get money from the government and people who pay income taxes to the government. If you get money from the government, you are more likely to vote for Obama and if you pay money to the government you are more likely to vote for Romney.


For those who do not work as a life style, work sporadically to get unemployment, or get food stamps, get government money for taking care of a spouse or parent, are drug impaired, get money back from the government by cheating on their taxes with 5-10 child credits or mothers with 5 children with 5 different dads paying child support, the incarcerated, some ssi cheats, etc. no one is going to get them to take personal responsibility for their own livelihood.


Obama is the one who has promoted class warfare and the redistribution of wealth, and the idea that all we have to do is to get the rich to pay the taxes, and everyone will be dandy. You forget about increasing the number of jobs, the debt, the devaluation of the dollar, the loans from China and other countries, the promises by Obama for more money for social programs.


Obama is putting more and more people on food stamps and other programs with little hope of getting a job and making their own way. He is creating a greater dependency on the government, but the government under Obama is going to crash. Then everyone will be in trouble.


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Citizen,


So, let it be said then, that you agree with Romney’s statement in the video in question pertaining to the 47 percent. Good for you!


You agree that Romney disparages the lowest earning half of the population as moochers and parasites! These include citizens that are the working poor, Republicans, veterans coming home subsequent to fraudulent wars initiated by George W. Bush, students, seniors, etc. What a joke.


Take the mantra of Romney and go forward telling the 47 percent that he basically called moochers, and that he doesn’t care about, that a further tax cut for the wealthy will help them! Do you think they’ll agree with this statement? What an embarrassment.


Furthermore, as long as there is welfare, unemployment, Solcial Security, etc., as in the Bush eras, there will be distribution of money to keep this country going. Therefore, it is NOT Obama always promoting this concept. Do the simple math.


As for the jobs you mention; has Congress brought forth a “jobs bill” since the Republicans took it over in 2010? NO THEY HAVE NOT! Every jobs bill that has been presented by Demoncrats, has either been filibustered or stopped by cloture by the Republicans! I am sure you remember the Republican mantra of 2010, “jobs, jobs, jobs?” Sure you do. Hypocrites.


Save the clap trap rhetoric you bring forth for your like-minded and brainwashed cohorts. It is too easily quashed with actual facts and reason.


Citizen,


So let it be said then, that you agree with Romney’s statement in the video in question pertaining to the 47 percent. Good for you!


You agree that Romney disparages the lowest earning half of the population as moochers and parasites! These include citizens that are the working poor, Republicans, veterans coming home subsequent to a fraudulent war initiated by George W. Bush, students, seniors, etc. What a joke.


Take the mantra of Romney, and go forward telling the 47 percent that he basically called moochers, and that he doesn’t care about, that a further tax cut for the wealthy will help them! Do you think that they’ll agree with this statement?


Furthermore, as long as there is welfare, unemployment, etc., there will be distribution of money to keep this country going. Therefore, it is NOT Obama always promoting this concept. Do the math.


As for the jobs you mention; has Congress brought forth a “jobs bill” since the Republicans took it over in 2010? NO THEY HAVE NOT! Every jobs bill that has been presented by Democrats, has either been filibustered or stopped by cloture by the Republicans! I am sure you remember the Republican mantra of 2010, “jobs, jobs, jobs?” Sure you do.


Save the clap trap rhetoric you bring forth for your like-minded and brainwashed cohorts. It is the same whining and it is too easily quashed.


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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge3aGJfDSg4


Nuff said.


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BeenThereDoneThat,


Listen, we could sit here all day long and play quid pro quo videos! Okay? Why don’t you go back to when Obama was in diapers and what he said then? You bring forth a video that was made in 1998? LOL


If there is welfare, Social Security, unemployment benefits, Veteran’s hospitals, etc., THERE IS REDISTRIBUTION, GET IT?! Were these entities within the Bush era? YES!


The biggest “redistribution” of our time was the cost of two fraudulent wars, a tax break for the wealthy, and Medicare D, that “W” put through when he was president, and all of which was NOT PAID FOR. No need to give you videos of this factoid.


Now, wipe the egg from your face.


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Umm only ten years before he won office and it doesn’t matter. Guess no need to go back two thousand years with the bible either huh Ted???


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BTDT,


Jesus is not running for the presidency, and neither is His pop! What the bible brings forth is a universal understanding, although conttradicting at times, of truth for man to follow!


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Unemployment benifits? Well now that they have distorted with all the extensions but originally YOU WHO WORKED payed into it! Hmm nice try on that one Ted.


S.S. Hmm what President inacted that? HMMM


V.A. Hospitals? Small price to pay those who served.


COMON TED!!! Stop with your blind cutez NONSCENSE!! We know that I am talking about the people that want to sit around all day and contribute NOTHING to the betterment of society.


Ask not what you country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Oh oops it was utter to long ago for your reality and liking, sorry.


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Thanks for the JFK quote, BeenThere. Compared to his fellow Democrat, our current President, JFK would be considered quite the conservative! Get off your butt and help…stop sitting around waiting for Daddy Government to take care of you!


Heck, if JFK were alive today I’d vote for the guy over Obama (or even wishy-washy Romney). JFK’s words and also MLK’s words about not judging ones by their skin color have all but been forgotten by modern liberals. Liberals divide people into gay, straight, black, white, men, women, rich, poor… How about we’re all Americans. Period. We have opportunities here like none other in the world. We can earn our own ways and help others without the government mandating it.


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Very well said. I agree especially on the voting for JFK today.


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What a pantload! You John Bircher types would be all blathering about JFK if he were alive today. Same with MLK Jr.

Just because you bought into the creed of Randian selfishness that is the contemporary Republican mantra does not make it any more valid than when that sociopath Ayn Rand was spewing it..


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BTDT,


Yeah, needed extensions in unemployment because of the Bush fiasco and the Republican blockage in Congress. What do you want these people to do for their needs? To rob you on a continuos basis, because they’re NOT going away!


Yeah, thank my God for SS! With your disdain for such an “earned entitlement”, then we can only assume that you will NOT accept it when you’re eligible? Yes? Or maybe tell your parents to get off of it post haste! Yes? Hypocrite!


VA hospitals are okay? But, the citizens that served in their jobs for years, and then can’t find work now, are not? You’re kidding?


Granted, the citizens that sit all day, and that can actually work, should be taken off of welfare somehow if any type of a job was offered to them and they could handle it.


Yeah, don’t I wish JFK was still around making more great statements like you’ve reminded us of, we can only wish.


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Ted S.S. I was commenting who enacted it. Actually being self employed I pay in the seven and a half percent of the employee and the seven and a half percent of being an owner for a grand total of 15% a year. So I will only ask back for that of which I pay. Nothing hyocrtical about that. Only problem is that they say those paying now will get back less than what they paid in.


And that being Bush’s fault. Get your partisonship straightened out. Both sides are to blame on this one. It has bee screwed up for forty plus years over both Republican and Democratic admin.


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What did you think of Obama’s bitter country folk clinging to their guns and religion?


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Nice troll.


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Hayhurst has the audacity to tell someone they are insensitive after tell such an injudicious remark! Reminds me of a former associate who receives a government disability check each month due to being stressed out from being a nurse for 4 years, complains about all the people in the US collecting government checks and supports Romney.


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They called him while he was in the hospital with head injuries. In fact, no one has reported on the seriousness of his injuries at all.


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Did the head injury happen before His Statement, or did it happen after His remarks. Hard to tell when a clown is bleeding.


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It happened after His remarks.


So:

Not paying attention because he’s embarrassed it’s not 1965 anymore.

Karma

god’s will.


Take your pick.


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The dirt


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