What you are about to read is one of the most racist pieces of writing you will ever find in a mainstream outlet – a rant that tries to cover its tracks by using dashes and borrowed (ehem) language.
However, before getting to the piece of writing in question, some background is necessary.
Background: New Jersey's professional basketball franchise, the Nets, will be moving to Brooklyn next year. To usher in the move, the Nets recently unveiled the team's new logos and marketing campaign, much of which was designed with the help of hip-hop artist Jay-Z, who happens to be a minority owner.
Here are the primary logos developed for the Brooklyn Nets:
The NBA franchise has also been borrowing heavily from hip-hop culture in its marketing campaign, including references to Notorious B.I.G. and use of the phrase "Hello Brooklyn" as one of its featured secondary logos, an homage to "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" from the Beastie Boys' 1989 classic "Paul's Boutique."
Enter the NY Post's columnist Phil Mushnick, who, in response to Jay-Z's branding and the Nets' borrowing from hip-hop culture – or, rather, from black hip hop culture – wrote this in today's Sports section (emphasis mine):
As long as the Nets are allowing Jay-Z to call their marketing shots — what a shock that he chose black and white as the new team colors to stress, as the Nets explained, their new “urban” home — why not have him apply the full Jay-Z treatment?
Why the Brooklyn Nets when they can be the New York N------s? The cheerleaders could be the Brooklyn B----hes or Hoes. Team logo? A 9 mm with hollow-tip shell casings strewn beneath. Wanna be Jay-Z hip? Then go all the way!
There really is no comment necessary. The screed stands on its own, in stark relief. Though a word should be said about Mushnick's use of dashes to obscure his slurring of the team with the "N" word and its cheerleaders with the "B" word. (Curiously, "hoes" doesn't need censure – a telling cultural sign.)
New York N-------s. Brooklyn B----hes.
Let us be clear: on the pages of the New York Post, one of its regular columnists suggested that, given Jay-Z's influence and references to hip-hop artists in its marketing materials, an NBA franchise should be adorned with the most offensive racial slur imaginable.
And dashes don't change that fact.
Today, we learned of the tragic death of the Beastie Boys' Adam "MCA" Yauch. If Adam, or one of the other Beastie Boys, had been the designer for the Nets' logos, would Mushnick have engaged in such an impassioned and disgusting rant in today's paper?
We know the answer.
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