Coburn Evokes Ricky Ricardo While Speaking To Sotomayor: "You'll Have Lots Of Splainin' To Do" (VIDEO)

(AP) WASHINGTON -- Sen. Tom Coburn evoked a 1950s TV show Wednesday in a quip responding to Sonia Sotomayor's scenario about what he might do if she - hypothetically, of course - attacked him.

"You'll have a lot of 'splainin' to do," Coburn said, to laughter from the crowd and Sotomayor. What he said - and how he said it - was a riff on a Hispanic television character, Ricky Ricardo, whose accent is now widely considered a broad parody.

In the famous 1950s TV show "I Love Lucy," the Cuban bandleader Ricardo (played by the equally Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz) would often admonish his scatterbrained wife, Lucy, by saying she'd have some "'splainin'" to do. The phrase, "Lucy, you have some 'splainin' to do," has since become part of the popular culture.

Calling Coburn out for this might be going too far - those who know him say he often speaks like this - but it was hard not to notice his inflection and choice of words. At the very least, it suggests a tin ear - particularly when speaking to a woman who would become the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.

Yvette Melendez, a Glastonbury, Conn., woman attending the hearing, said she winced inwardly when Coburn made his comment but did not feel offended.

"I personally did not think it was appropriate," she said. "But I'm sure he said it as a joke."

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Comments

[onepotatotwopotato]

This nation was founded on a set of fundamental freedoms. Our Constitution does not give us those freedoms - it guarantees and protects them. The right to defend ourselves and our loved ones is one of those. The individual right to keep and bear arms is another. These truths are what define us as Americans. Yet, Judge Sotomayor takes an opposite view, contrary to the views of our Founding Fathers, the Supreme Court, and the vast majority of the American people.

We believe any individual who does not agree that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right and who does not respect our God-given right of self-defense should not serve on any court, much less the highest court in the land. Therefore, the National Rifle Association of America opposes the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the position of Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

[Michael Hightower]

Ahh, I do love reading the comments from all the whiteys who have yet again decided for everyone else what is offensive and what is not. Congrats white people for demoting Desi Arnaz from being a pioneer and hugely important cultural icon to a racist stereotype--one that, if it exists, was created by Arnaz's success and cultural impact.

"Oh, I just cringe when people laugh at his broken English," said one reviewer because it's just terrible that he spoke with an accent--darn that Desi Arnaz and his sincerity! HuffPo and other commentators have the right plan: Coburn and other whites should ONLY quote white people.

Whites are now only allowed to use these pure white pop culture quotes: "Survey says!", "Pining for the fjords," and "Time to make the doughnuts." On second thought, the Dunkin Donuts guy may not have been purely white--we'll have to get a vote from the commentators here.

More congratulations are due to your treatment of Sotomajor who is, apparently, not an American but rather merely an Hispanic or perhaps a Latina--almost, but not quite American by your standards. Even though she's of the right age to have watched the daily reruns of I Love Lucy she is not capable of understanding the rich American culture she's lived within it for her entire life.

I sincerely look forward to your continued sage wisdom and guidance on what everyone else should find inappropriate, offensive, and degrading. Keep up the good work!

[daedelus]

So many words, so few thoughts.

[Michael Hightower]

Wow, what a finely nuanced argument, slick.

But while I'm at it, I'd also like to call into question the author's comment "Ricky Ricardo, whose accent is widely considered a broad parody." First, nice use of weasel words. Second, let's listen to that broad parody in action ca. 1982: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAzsio7s7Po

The actions of people who take the type of offense described here are demeaning to Desi Arnaz. You have decided for him that his own accent is parodic and offensive.

These kneejerk reactions illustrate not Coburn's racism, but the inherent racism of the commentators. If Sotomajor had not been of Puerto Rican descent would there be a fooferaw? No.

Because a big deal has been made about her being Puerto Rican--check that, a big deal has been made about her being "Latina", so nice generalizing there--people are watching her not as a qualified potential SC justice, but as a Latina potential SC justice. The reaction to Coburn simply illustrates that.

[hunt49]

Some of them really mean it when they toe the line. Many of them don't - they're genuinely decent people, who just honestly don't have any clue that what they say or do could even possibly be giving offense.

They don't even perceive it. It's not even on their radar. It's myopic, inexperienced; it shows lack of exposure to others that can broaden their understanding and worldview.

It is, dare I say it: unwise.

[onepotatotwopotato]

Unfortunately, Judge Sotomayor's judicial record and testimony clearly demonstrate a hostile view of the Second Amendment and the fundamental right of self-defense guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.

It is only by ignoring history that any judge can say that the Second Amendment is not a fundamental right and does not apply to the states. The one part of the Bill of Rights that Congress clearly intended to apply to all Americans in passing the Fourteenth Amendment was the Second Amendment. History and congressional debate are clear on this point.

Yet Judge Sotomayor seems to believe that the Second Amendment is limited only to the residents of federal enclaves such as Washington, D.C. and does not protect all Americans living in every corner of this nation. In her Maloney opinion and during the confirmation hearings, she deliberately misread Supreme Court precedent to support her incorrect view.

In last year's historic Heller decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment guarantees the individual's right to own firearms and recognizes the inherent right of self-defense. In addition, the Court required lower courts to apply the Twentieth Century cases it has used to incorporate a majority of the Bill of Rights to the States. Yet in her Maloney opinion, Judge Sotomayor dismissed that requirement, mistakenly relying instead on Nineteenth Century jurisprudence to hold that the Second Amendment does not apply to the States.

[MrAverage]

After we first got married I would come home from work and say to my wife, "Luuuuucy, I'm Hooooommmmme!!!!"

I guess that makes me a racist.

[daedelus]

Is your wife Hispanic?

[bobo5]

Por que no preguntaron sobre la comercial de Vitameatavegamin los Republicanos?

[drewziGNY]

I doubt that Coburn, Graham, and Sessionswill ever be some of the 1000's of happy, peppy people.....

[Yale64]

Another brain dead obsolete repug who makes a wise Latina look pretty good.

[drewziGNY]

Coburn would make Gomer Pyle look like a rocket scientist.....

[DimBulb2]

geez

[truelie]

These few "Stupid White Men" as Michael Moore would put it, just can't hide their fear of color. At some point, it will inevitably surface. It's ok. She won't hurt the poor white male. BTW, there are 8 of them on the court. What can she possibly do to change that configuration anyway? It's ok, men. It's ok. It's just one wise Latina. Let it go.

[gatogato]

Sessions was heard by several colleagues commenting that he 'used to think they [the Klan] were OK' until he found out some of them were 'pot smokers.'"
GOP. Nuff said.

[Lakshmi0000]

Be a "Wise American" and vote.......

[drewziGNY]

So let me guess....he's trying to go for the r@ci$t "I Love Lucy" fans' vote, a whole new demographic.

[wayicit]

The fact that some of posts here, have no problem with the "you have some 'splainin' to do".
This is rac.ism! It maybe subtle racism, but never the less it is rac.ism. This is an attack on one's
ethnicity. To make fun one's inability to pronounce the English language correctly is rac.ism.

So, this totally inappropriate to use it in confirmation hearing. To use it in this manner, was to say,
"it's OK" to make fun of someone. This is same when people when make fun of Italian's Guido tawk, or Ebonics, just to mention a few.

It maybe subtle, but there is lot's of people who take offense.

[ostrom808]

With all due respect, If there were some other source for this quote, I might agree. For example, if this were a well-known Hispanic slur. BUT IT SIMPLY IS NOT. It is from a widely popular television show, a common source of colloquial terms that pass in and out of common usage in our nation and its people.

Again. Listen to the clip, listen to the complete lack of ANY inflection by the Senator when utters the words, and look at his age, which is germane. This is not Amos and Andy, black stereotyping. It is from a tv show which coincidentally had a Hispanic lead.

I hate the Republicans and what they've done to our nation, but I can't get excited about this. I am white, I lived in Hawaii where I was one of few whites, my best friends are non-white, my sister is married to a Hispanic man, and I would lay money if I asked them what they thought, they would agree with me.

[wayicit]

Again this was a subtle ethnic drop.

If you don't see that then i don't know what to tell you. The fact that it came from a 50's tv show makes no difference. By the way, they did stereotype the Cuban Ricky Ricardo. The audience would laugh when spoke broken English.

[wayicit]

With atmospheric circus that the Repubs have created, with " Wise Latina, mentioning Puerto Rican background. This was not as innocent as it may seems.

This was taken from the article above:

"Yvette Melendez, a Glastonbury, Conn., woman attending the hearing, said she winced inwardly when Coburn made his comment but did not feel offended.

"I personally did not think it was appropriate," she said. "But I'm sure he said it as a joke."

At least she thinks it was a Joke.

[ostrom808]

To continue. If you're over forty, you know this phrase, and you have used it, and not to be demeaning. I am an avowed absolutely non-racist person. My best friends are Lebanese, Hispanic, my sister's husband is Hispanic, and I LOVE the diverse culture in my city. I have used this phrase, and will continue to use it.

I you really listen to the clip, and are honest with yourself, there is no way this is a racist comment.

We are just getting way too sensitive folks. There are plenty of real reasons to dislike Republicans and their politics. We don't need to make them up too.

[wayicit]

It was so subtle, you didn't even notice it. Judge Sotomayor was speaking eloquently and then he comes out with this Bull.$hi.t There was no need for him to use it, other than to make fun of her.

[MrAverage]

Speaking eloquently? She was describing a scenario where she brought a gun and shot the Senator. He was playing along with this absurd fantasy scenario. I think people are making way to much out or this.

[ephoenix5]

Oh my Gosh. He bespeaks his own prejudice. His jokes bear him out -- he was doing alright -- why did he have to go there.

[greenie 61]

I just hope they keep talking...& digging themselves in deeper.

[drewziGNY]

With the GOP anti-census bill [courtesy of Bachmann], and anti-human/animal hybrid bill that they're hoping to put through, I don't think they can stop....it's like an addiction to the GOP to look sillier everyday....