The radio waves have become a hotbed of political gaffs and slander lately, demeaning the nature of civil discussion and making it impossible to hear “Safety Dance” like you could before. The latest was discovered by this reporter when he woke up at the house of a friend, possibly of the other sex, and heard famed singer Harry Belafonte continuing his attack on Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Powell, who had been referred to by Belafonte only Wednesday on a San Diego radio show as a “house slave” for the Bush administration, was attacked again in a musical tirade in which the Desert Storm veteran was likened to a “tallyman,” always come to tally Belafonte’s bananas.
Despite the racially-infused charges and slander involved, Powell apparently didn’t feel the accusations were personal attacks. State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher, when told of Belafonte’s remarks by this reporter, responded, “I think you misunderstand entirely.”
Again, this reporter repeated the statements, providing claps and trying to hit the same notes as Belafonte in his radio assault. Wearing a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, and straw hat apparently did not capture the mood for the spokesperson either.
“It’s possible that those remarks have been completely taken out of context,” Boucher said. “Who do you work for again?”
Upon being escorted out of the building by burly dark-suited men, this reporter could not get his sunglasses and straw hat back, and is considering lodging a complaint.
Despite the relaxed reception at the State Department, who are undoubtedly hoping the inflammatory remarks will go away quietly, Belafonte’s charges are serious. Possibly the most cutting remark was Belafonte’s comparison of Powell to a black tarantula hiding in the banana bunches as he lifted six-foot, seven-foot, eight-foot bunch into the boat.
Local DJ and the coolest guy this reporter knows Vic Sandwich had insightful comments on the nature of the political discussion.
“Obviously, if Belafonte feels that Powell is being unfair in his tallying of the bananas, he’s going to be pretty upset with him and lobby some unfair charges,” Sandwich said, sitting in a big chair. “Was it fair to call Powell a black spider in the Bush administration? Maybe not. But when you’re talking banana-pricing politics, people pull no punches.”
When given the suggestion that Belafonte might be speaking figuratively, Sandwich made a raspberry.
“Don’t be so naďve, Boner. Calling Powell a house slave might be a metaphor, but we’re talking real banana boats and 8-foot bunches here. My question is, if Powell is such a good guy and a man of the people, why won’t he let Belafonte go home? Daylight come already, and I’m sure he’s got shit to do.”
In a related note of slander, this reporter was severely maligned when showing the first draft of this story around the commune offices.
“It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen and you’re going to get us sued,” slandered bookwormish reporter Ramrod Hurley. “And if you leave my name in the story like that, you’re going to regret it. I know where you park your car and your desk is unguarded most of the day.”