Will Smith Got the Farrakhan Treatment with Hitler Quip
Mega-buck actor Will Smith got the shock of his life when he got word that gossip columnists had twisted and mangled his quip about Adolf Hitler. The celebrity gossip buzz was that Smith praised Hitler as a good guy. Smith, of course, did no such thing. What he said was that Hitler wasn't inherently obsessed with doing evil; but being the calculating, scheming megalomaniac that he was, he wound up doing the ultimate in evil.
Apparently Smith used the Hitler reference to underscore his belief that there's good in everyone. Smith was naive in making reference to Hitler to make any point no matter how well-intentioned. Hitler is the supreme taboo example to use to make any point about good and evil, human foibles and frailties, let alone a political point. Smith was even more naive in thinking that a Hitler reference would slip under the media and public's radar scope. If ever there was a quote that was ripe for the gossip pickings to be distorted, and draw instant howls of outrage from some quarters, it was Smith citing Hitler.
There's an even bigger reason that Smith momentarily got dumped on the hot seat for his Hitler quip. Though Smith is an immensely popular guy on the screen and with much of the public, he's an African-American. While that in no way earns him the designation as an activist or leader, which he isn't, there is a special sensitivity when references to Hitler slip from the lips of a noted African-American. Former Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan can be thanked for that unhappy burden. Two decades ago Farrakhan lambasted Judaism and in an even more intemperate moment called Hitler a great man. It was a rotten, ill-timed reference, but Farrakhan intent solely was to make the point that Hitler had rebuilt a war devastated Germany. That point and his intent was quickly lost or deliberately distorted in the storm of fury and condemnation of Farrakhan.
The controversy didn't end there. Farrakhan had unwittingly set an inverse standard of speech by which African-American public figures would be judged. There was a reason for that, too. There was, and still is, the sneaky suspicion among much of the public that far too many African-Americans, and that includes activist black leaders, are smitten with anti-Semitic bias. The Farrakhan-Hitler flap ignited fierce debate over whether blacks were more anti-Semitic than any other group in America.
That question was fiercely hashed out and over in a spate of books and articles on the general theme of black anti-Semitism. Some blacks tried to turn the tables and knock Jewish leaders for not speaking out strongly against racial bigotry among some Jews. But that got little traction. The media and public's glare stayed hotly focused on black organizations and leaders. They were put on sharp notice that anything that was said that could even be remotely construed as being anti-Semitic would draw instant heat. The paramount litmus test for that was a Hitler reference. No matter what the context, meaning, or the intention of the speaker, the name Hitler was not to be uttered.
Smith can be pardoned for his naivety about what an African-American public figure can and can't say. He is an actor, and not a politician or a civil rights leader. And he, as with most entertainers, seldom gives much thought to what they say about political events and issues since they generally say very little anyway about them. When they do they perceive that few will take anything they say about political or social issues seriously. In most cases, they're right. And that probably would have been true with Smith and his Hitler reference, too, if not for the phenomenal acclaim he's gotten for his role in the blockbuster film, I Am Legend, and just as importantly, the history of contentiousness over Farrakhan's Hitler outburst.
Smith scrambled fast to head even more controversy about the Hitler reference off at the celebrity chit chat pass. He denounced Hitler in the strongest terms, as well as those that deliberately distorted his words. Most will accept Smith's "clarification." After all no one will ever confuse him with Farrakhan. Still, Smith learned the hard lesson that the road to Hell may be paved with good intentions, but that road can't include a reference to Hitler, at least by a noted African-American. That even includes one of the Hollywood worlds most swooned over actors.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His new book is The Latino Challenge to Black America: Towards a Conversation between African-Americans and Hispanics (Middle Passage Press) hutchinsonreport@aol
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
the question should be:did Hitler perceive himself(his followers/their agenda and resulting actions)as evil?the answer would be:NO!Hitler saw himself as some kind of messiah.his enemies were vermin worthy of death.a cancer on society which needed to be excised in order to purify the nation leading to an Aryan Germany and his 1000 year reich(itself a reference to Christ's thousand year rule).
when I watch old newsreel footage from WWII it's not Hitler who frightens me.with his googly-eyes,weak chin and effeminette hand gestures the guy is laughable by any standards.it's the worshipful gazes and sheer adulation of his followers that truly terrifies me.because I've seen it here as well.
"Man is basically good." This is one of the meaningless throwaway phrases parroted by Tom Cruise and the rest of Scientology.
Smith's been in quite a few excellent, popular films. And he hangs out with Tom Cruise.
Apparently, he's been listening to Tom Cruise as well. He's donated money to a Scientology front group called HELP, the Hollywood Education and Literacy Project.
It won't be long before the media start assembling this stuff and linking his name with that of Scientology. People who listen to this crap are bound to spout a few idiotic sound bites sooner or later. He's been hanging with Cruise long enough for some of TC's insanity to rub off.
If he doesn't inform himself about the true nature of Scientology, it's going to be one of a long string of mindless inanities regurgitated from the pages of L. Ron Hubbard.
We know how much Hollywood and the press loves the cult. The Curse of Scientology has touched Smith's career and not for the better. Blogs are jangling as commenters express their disappointment in Will's lack of discernment. Nearly everyone is surprised. They thought Will was smarter than this. It's a long slide down a muddy hill to get to where Tom Cruise is, his stellar popularity at an all time low.
Taken to the absurd limit, if Will Smith continues down this benighted path to a Bridge to Nowhere, his popularity will plummet like that of Tom Cruise. He will share his newfound "knowledge" with the public as he gets in deeper and deeper, and the public won't like it. There are, after all, a host of other nonthreatening young African American actors who can fill Will's shoes if he gets too mired down in the clam bed to produce.
Will Smith turn into another deluded actor known for blibbering out Scientology beliefs at inopportune times?
Will he wind up hopelessly entwined with Tom Cruise in a pathetic relationship linked with Scientology?
Guess what, Will. You'd better get used to negative publicity if you're going to kick it on L. Ron Hubbard Way.
There is NO PART OF ME that feels sorrow for Will Smith - he too was and is just another AFRICAN AMERICAN (Mostly males) who trust and doesn't know his place in the grand American place of US (power). If you stay in your place and don't rock the boat - They will embrace us Blacks as long as we stay in our place (didn't he see the press during Katrina). Anyway if he doesn't know the definition of RACISM. I will put it out there and maybe he will understand. RACISM = RACE PREJUDICE + POWER. Look out Will - and thank your stars your could be Michael Vick.
Poor misunderstood Farrakhan....
He was really misunderstood when he said:"
"The same year they set up the IRS, they set up the FBI. And the same year they set up the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith… It could be a coincidence… [I want] to see black intellectuals free… I want to see them not controlled by members of the Jewish community."
Dallas Observer on-line, 8/10/00
-----------
"Dewey, Kant and Hegel, and the rabbis that wrote the Talmud, make blacks inferior. National Black Agenda Convention, Boston, 3/18/04
This blogger conveniently forgot these lovely quotes by Louis.
Is this also taken out of context?
Why then latch onto ONE misquoted example, when there are so many more examples of Mr. Farrakhans intolerance.
"There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living our of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs -- partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs."
-- Booker T. Washington
30 million russians were slaughtered by hitler's forces. russia was to become a slave colony. russians, poles, ukrainians were all considered "untermenshen", a sub-human group not to be considered, ever, with sympathy.
the jews of europe were the main object of nazi mass murder, that must never be forgotten.
so, if i say that hitler had lovely smile (bear with me here) does that mean i condone all of the above? some, it seems, think so.
those who do have a hell of a lot to explain.
As a Jew and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I am quite accustomed to the ignorant comments of the uninformed. I don't think he meant harm but he of all people should know making statements like this can be hurtful.
I would suggest, since he has many friends that are Jews that he should become more familiar with the Holocaust, and Hitlers's book "Mein Kampf." Hitler's final solution was the mass murder of 11 million human beings. 6 million of whom were Jews. Yes, I would guess that a little re-programming was in order. That is an understatement to say the least. Just wondering how you, and Mr. Smith would feel if a movie star made the claim that slave-owners and racists were essentially good people who set out to do what they thought was good and really didn't understand the pain and harm. That they just needed reprogramming? How would you, and Mr. Smith like it if someone said that the Jim Crow laws were well meant and essentially good?
Earl, Mr. Smith was addressing a rhetorical question that any highschool or undergrad in college has addressed. And that question is, "Is man basicly good or bad?"
Are some people hardwired for evil? Would the very same Hitler have been different in a different setting?
"Resolve, man is basicly good or bad." It's too bad that such a bright guy like Mr. Smith got smeared on this. Oh well, live and learn.
"Some blacks tried to turn the tables and knock Jewish leaders for not speaking out strongly against racial bigotry among some Jews. But that got little traction. The media and public's glare stayed hotly focused on black organizations and leaders. They were put on sharp notice that anything that was said that could even be remotely construed as being anti-Semitic would draw instant heat".
--Well said.
"No matter what the context, meaning, or the intention of the speaker, the name Hitler was not to be uttered".
---Unless of course its to justify more immoral and illegal wars against Arabs and Muslims.
Fukai: Do you have any evidence back up this claim? This bizarre claim that somehow the world sits around plotting ways to be anti-semitic is just utterly prepostorous. 90% of Jews in America are white.
Don't tell me that speaking of Hitler is now becoming the new 'N' word. Now instead of speaking a word that must never be uttered we will have a historical figure that can never be mentioned (unless being compared to a Republican President of course).
Hitler was a psychotic mass murderer, drug addict and basicaly a cult leader. Yes, he did make the trains run on time, restored the German economy and cut unemployment (For a time). Discussing these facts doesn't count as praise. It's merely information. If you can't look at history objectively then you are bound to repeat it.
Will Smith is a smart man and a good actor (I Am Legend rocks BTW). He shouldn't be suprised that a media needing to fill 24/7 programming would twist his words. Look at many Huffpost headlines compared to the actual stories. That's the best example I can think of dealing with misleading news.
Farrakhan said enough racist statements that the press never needed to twist any. As a 'White Devil' who has listened to his speeches I believe Farrakhan is his own worst enemy.
Will Smith didn't get his words twisted because he's black. He got his statement twisted because the media is not held to any standards of accuracy and they have to compete on a global scale 24/7 with a half dozen other networks and countless papers.
I don't think that people should be overly concerned with Will Smith's utterances. However, the general issue of black anti-Semitism is a real problem. In every poll that I've even seen, the rate of anti-Semitism among blacks has been much higher than that of whites.
All this says to me is that Will Smith thinks no one is evil, necessarily. That doesn't mean he thinks people don't do evil things. But what it mostly says, is that if Will Smith believes that way, then there is no evil in him. And I find that admirable.
i guess i have learned my lesson about telling the truth.i must never mention pots calling kettles black when i mention hitler juxtaposed with americas racist history. i won't get posted if i do.
Your premise- that a black man can't say "hitler", is not supported by your article.
Why do you say Smith got the "Farrakhan Treatment"? You seem to suggest both were innocent comments that got twisted..
Farrakhan's comment wasn't twisted by anyone- it deserved to be trashed and it was,
Smith's comment was taken out of context by some- and noone loves Will Smith any less for it!
So apparently- Black men CAN say "hitler"
I believe that Earl missed the point. Mr. Smith did not mean that there is good in all people, but that people will rationalize what they do, thus avoiding any responsability for their actions. Whether or not a person is "evil", does not mean that everything that they do or say must be repudiated. I do not know if Mr. Farakahn is being excoriated for what he says, but there are many times that I cannot comprehend the meaning of his statements. Some of it seems to be invective, and some seems just damned silly. Then again I could be wrong.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
