September 25, 2014

Daily Show's "Redskins" segment airs

‘Daily Show’ airs segment pitting Redskins fans against Native Americans

By Ian ShapiraThursday night’s piece opened with a clip of Snyder claiming that “Redskins” symbolizes honor, but then segued to the group of Native Americans who quickly debunked that idea, saying among other things, it was a dictionary-defined slur.

“Redskin is a bounty,” said Ryan RedCorn, a 1491 member.

Houska, an associate at a local law firm, said: “Do you know what it’s like to be a native in this town? To walk down the street every single day and be surrounded by that imagery and being told to get over it?”
And:The piece then showed the group of fans, with Hawkins first saying: “If the Redskins name is changed and I have children one day what will I pass onto them?”

What really needs to happen, said O’Dell, is a conversation between fans and “the people that actually are offended.”

Then Jones quipped in his narrator’s voice: “But it turns out these fans weren’t comfortable having that conversation. In fact afterward they relayed to The Washington Post that they felt ambushed, in danger and defamed. And yes the conversion was heated at times but there was also handshakes and a even a ceremonial handkerchief.”

For more on the subject, see Deconstructing the Daily Show Encounter.

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