Last week, we covered the controversy with Univision host Rodner Figueroa saying that Michelle Obama “looks like a character from Planet of the Apes.” He was fired from Univision immediately, but he’s issued a lengthy apology and explanation, trying to say that he didn’t mean it in any kind of racist way. Eh. Anyway, the ladies of The View discussed the controversy on yesterday’s episode with guest host Raven Symone. Raven has some interesting ideas about race, and she openly questioned whether Figueroa’s comment was really “racist-like.” Rosie Perez shut it down though.
Whoopi Goldberg introduced the topic to the audience and Rosie Perez kicked off the discussion by stating that his comment (which ultimately cost him his job) was racist.
“A lot of Latin people recognize the fact that we do have African blood in us. A lot of them do not want to recognize that fact, and that’s where this stems from. There is a secret in the Latin community, specifically the Caribbean, South American, Central American, Latin community, that they are very racist,” Perez began. “They never want to be in the same group as black people. And it’s sad. It’s very, very sad. And he did say Michelle Obama looks like a cast member of the Planet of the Apes.”
That’s when Raven chimed in and asked, “Was he saying it racist-like? Because he said that he voted for her later and I don’t think he was saying it racist.”
Perez wasn’t having it.
“That’s disrespect. I would like to tell you that it is racist, period. This is a problem in the Latin community, that we do not talk about that. We do not address, and it is real and it was revealed by this man’s statement. And you do not disrespect the first lady of our country.”
Raven continued, “Michelle, don’t fire me for this right now, but some people look like animals. Is that true?…I look like a bird. Can I be mad if somebody calls me Tucan Sam?”
I think Raven is conflating the “some people do look like animals” thing with the completely racist history of comparing black people to animals, specifically monkeys, apes and gorillas. Some people look horses, some people look like cats, some people look like squirrels, and none of that has anything to do with the centuries of colonial history and slave history of treating dark-skinned people like animals. Raven got on Twitter and seemingly addressed the backlash to her comments:
Some comments are rude, some are disrespectful, and some are racist. Try to not exchange one for the other. My opinion/comments aren’t based off race, that doesn’t mean i’m trying to be a different race all together. I love OUR history, family…. We have Irish Culture, African Culture, Asian Culture, Indian Culture Many more running through the veins of AMERICA! Come on yung peeps
Again, she’s conflating two separate things. No one is debating the fact that most Americans are racial mutts with lots of different ethnicities swimming around our DNA. But just because some random white dude happens to have 10% African DNA, doesn’t mean that said white dude gets to compare a black person to an ape. Same if the guy is Latino, or Asian or whatever. Just stop comparing black people to apes. Period. The end.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Oh Raven.. i just can’t… That outfit is a toucan Sam mess. Is she trying to make her point? If so a Epic a Fail.. though I can see the outfit on a clown.
Blimey she does look like a clown in that outfit! Also everybody’s DNA anywhere in the world is 100% African, as that is where our ancestors all came from.
She’s the kind of person who defends things like “reverse racism”. She believes her pro-black parents are racist. She practically rolled her eyes at Rosie, who is speaking TRUTH about how much worse blacks are treated south of the border. She doesn’t believe in racism, believes she is “colorless” and just says things that reveal her own self-hate. Her, Stacy Dash and Don Lemon can choke on the lies and denials that stream out like diarrhea.
Agreed. If you’re going to make ignorant and tone death statements then you need to educate yourself about the racial context and history of calling a Black person an ape rather than likening it to an innocent case of oh but people look like animals. Ignorance is not an excuse and just because she herself is sheltered and may not personally exposed to racial micro-aggressions (if this instance can even be labeled as such because calling a Black person an ape is downright racist) does not mean they don’t exist. She sounds like she graduated from the Kanye West school of racism where it is dated and going out of existence offering the only evidence that this is the case because he personally doesn’t experience it. Never mind the day to day experience of African Americans who experience it in all facets of their life. She’s not cute little Olivia anymore so these ignorant comments are not okay. Rosie was making a very valid point and she was too foolish to even understand it.
Raven done lost her mind. That’s all I can say. I get the whole “we are one” thing she is trying to push, but there ARE racist people in the world. Point blank period. And that host’s comment was both racist and disrespectful.
she really really really needs to stop talking ASAP
but Kudos Big Kudos to Rosie Perez for putting our Trapos sucios Out there This is EXACTLY how Latinos Operate as a whole regarding race so Few of us lead the charge or show in any way pride of our black roots and try by any means necessary to distance ourselves from the fact that our features, rhythm, music, culture foods didn’t magically appear in our backgrounds for free, NO They came from slaves, from BLACK African slaves, from Mulattoes, and Mestizos… and a lot of us even in Island countries and places clearly full of black people everyone loves to front like Spain is our ancestral home
#BitchPlease
Yeah – problem with that is that Latinamerica is not homogeneous, and some countries are true melting pots of different ethnicities, especially european.
What I’ve actually found hilarious when visiting or living in the US is how strong the latin stereotype is, to the point where I’ve had to argue WHY I am latin. You want to lead the way toward change? Then drop the stereotype.
You mean like Sofía Vergera’s accent? 🙊
Mimif you STAY testing my soft heart for you, why?
Do people still co-sign??? Because I co-sign to everything that you’ve said here.
Maybe this kid should read a book or something, to quote Flavor Flav. And it’s interesting that she mentions the Irish, because way back when they weren’t considered to be white they were also compared to apes as a way of degrading them.
I luff Rosie, she’s always on point. Raven…girl, just no.
I once dated a Puerto Rican man (born in US to parents from Puerto Rico) who steadfastly denied both African descent and that there were African slaves brought to Puerto Rico. Sad.
Did you date my husband?? Yes, very sad. Notwithstanding that his African descent is very obvious once you see his family. Also denies that our son, who is at least bi-racial, because I’m black, would be considered a black child.
I have some Dominican neighbors who refuse to acknowledge our black neighbors. It chaps my butt. They’ll say hi to my big white redneck looking husband and shun John Doe black man walking his dog down the street. I of course go out of my way to speak, especially in front of them because it’s just rude. My husband says to give it up because I’m not going to suddenly bring racial harmony to my neighborhood but by god I will keep doing it every damn day. We all live in similar houses, drive similar cars, etc. Clearly nobody is better than anybody else.
When my uncle was REALLY young (like 16/17) he got his girlfriend pregnant. And her family completely destroyed the relationship between her AND his son (he’s not as close to him as he wanted to be)…….because they are black and latino–consider themselves to be latino–and thought they were WAY better than my uncle (and my family) because they had lighter skin and straighter hair. Now, both families lived in the SAME neighborhood. But they thought they were better and that my uncle was trash because he had dark skin.
Fun fact: they also swept the front of their house–the sidewalk. WTF?
You mean, you don’t sweep the sidewalk??
Kehrwoche is pretty common in Southern Germany.
Of course it’s racist ! It’s offensive , gross and disgusting . Nobody should ever compare another human being to an animal . I feel like Raven lived a Hollywood life, her reality verses the average person is vastly different . So if she hasn’t experienced it, then it doesn’t exist . Which is ridiculous .
By the way, she looks dead in the eyes .
IMO racist comments come from either ignorance or actual hate. I think the original comment came from a legit place of hate and racism. I’d like to think Raven’s comments come from a place of ignorance. I hope b
I don’t understand how she can’t see that comparing a black person to an ape is NOT the same as, say, comparing Benedict Cumberbatch to an otter/hammerhead shark/what have you.
Just wow.
Rosie Perez is spot on. Many Latin Americans will flat out deny any African descent and even any Native American descent. The racism and self hate runs deep.
Raven’s comments are idiotic, ’nuff said.
At least in Argentina – where I’m from – there were no African slaves. The Natives were enslaved, forced into christianity etc etc. And then most of them were killed off in order to conquer land. When the white europeans decided to free them, most of them were dead. Now a days, they live secluded and isolated from “white society”, with some not even speaking spanish.
I think that those with self-hatred are “latinos” in the US. Most people actually FROM Latin America do not cares. We have bigger issues at hand and we’re used to coming in all colours and shapes. Nobody in Argentina will blink an eye at black or white people. It’s just the way it is.
If there is one very negative aspect on our part (Argentina, not the rest of LatAm) is that we haven’t been welcoming to latinamerican inmigrants, especially those who come here ilegally, the same way our european great and grandparents were welcomed by the italian and spanish descendants from the era of the Spanish Empire.
I’ve always heard that Argentina is very white and so are a few other Latin American countries (Paraguay?).
I do disagree that it’s a US Latino thing to hold racist beliefs; my family from Mexico very much has racist attitudes towards blacks. They even refuse to be referred to as being “Indian” even though we clearly have indigenous American ancestors. That attitude is definitely not isolated to my particular family either.
I hate to break it to you ,but there were African slaves and slave trading in Argentina.
There’s self hatred in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Guatemala and a slew of other Latin American countries. Definitely NOT a US Latino construct.
Also, a friend’s husband is afro-brasilian (and is black) and in her words [she’s white] he ‘has issues’. they have kids and have lived in brasil. she’s into the NE brasilian culture and he stays far away from it. I have several friends from brasil of varying ethnic backgrounds-japanese, portuguese 2nd generation, etc and racism unfortunately is not uncommon. Same with my friends from mexico, peru and colombia-whether they ‘look euro’ or native indian, there are issues with racism and, like the USA, class and socio economic conditions are intertwined.
Firstly, there indeed WAS Black African slave trade and slaves in Argentina. Maybe you weren’t taught that in school, but it’s true.
Also, I have known folks from Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, and most of Central America, as well as Puerto Rico. They have all been hair-raisingly racist, and in such a casual way. They don’t get it, and don’t get they are racist as hell. I bet good money Argentina isn’t any different.
*The Brazilian woman I worked with, at a very liberal university, was by far the worst.
Yes FingerBinger is correct; there were in fact African slaves brought to Argentina. I just read about it and specifically an article detailing how Argentina “erased” African people from its history. I literally googled “were African slaves brought to Argentina” if you’re interested in reading it.
I think she hasn’t experienced any overt racism or discrimination. She probably thinks racism is a thing of the past.
I’m with you, QQ (with your first response). However, the upside of Raven’s dumb-ass remarks (IMO) is that they provide an entry point for people who are much more knowledgable and well versed to take up the question and carry the conversation. Colorism & racism continue to be huge problems in black & brown populations & for people who’ve been enslaved & colonized. Very sensitive issue. Just mentioning Zoe Saldana (sp), for example, in conversation is like setting a wild fire. Her having children & a relationship with a white guy—is that really about love or is she “trying to lighten the race”?
Once again, it’s a very sensitive issue. Hell, Brazil alone has about a million catagorizations for brown. It’s maddening.
The guy was not actually commenting on Michelle Obama. He was commenting on the make-up artist who transformed himself INTO Michelle Obama and said the make-up transformation looked more like a character from Planet of the Apes than the likeness of Michelle Obama. Mind you, it’s still insulting and completely inappropriate. The thing is, stories should be reported accurately. The media loves to bend the truth and leave out important facts. Either way, let’s hope this dude learned his lesson.
If he was referring to the male makeup artist why did he say” Watch out ,you know,Michelle Obama looks like she could be part of the cast of The Planet of the Apes, the movie.” His female co host replied” What are you saying”.His male co host said Michelle is attractive.Then this guy said” But It is true” so he reiterated his opinion that Michelle Obama could be in the cast of The Planet of the Apes.Not once did he say the male makeup artist didn’t really look like Michelle but looked like an ape.When his two co hosts questioned his comment he never clarified.
It was his mistake to not clarify. The pic was of the MUA dressed as Michelle Obama…it was not an actual pic of her. Either way, what he said was insensitive.
I have two friends whose first language is Spanish, and they say you are wrong: he was calling FLOTUS an ape.
“…And you do not disrespect the first lady of our country.”
Oh, please. Doesn’t matter if it was FLOTUS or anyone else. You don’t disrespect, period.
It is true some people look like animals. Some common examples:
– Natalie Dormer looks like a cat.
– Some members of the British Royal family look like horses.
– Cumberbatch looks like a lizard. And an otter. And an alien.
It is also true that there is less outrage at the above descriptions than one likening a black person to an ape. Why? Because they are white, and racist connotations don’t come into play?
So, while I do not agree with her views, I can see where Raven-Symone is coming from. There are indeed perceived double standards; certain aspersions or insults cast at white people do not incite as much anger than if they were directed at other races. And saying someone looks like an animal does not automatically translate into racism (rudeness and insensitivity aside).
However, likening black people to apes has a very specific historical and racial context, which was almost always derogatory and yes, racist. This description is not just one of saying someone is ugly; it is that AS WELL AS making a disparaging remark on their race. To claim otherwise makes her come across as misguided and ignorant.
very well said.
Your ignorance is astounding. Saying someone (regardless of race) looks like a horse, a cat, or a lizard is NOT the same as calling a Black person an ape because of a LONG HISTORY of saying they look like apes/monkeys as a way to dehumanize them to justify slavery, lynching, segregation, anti-miscegenation laws, and other forms of discrimination. To ignore the historical context (and present reality) is just willful blindness on this issue on your part. When Whites face enslavement, murder, and discrimination based, in part, on being compared to horses, cats, or lizards then your point will make sense. And that’s never going to happen, so please sit down and actually read some of the responses on here instead of persisting in your ignorance.
@Maria
Re-read my post. What you said is EXACTLY the point I was making, especially in my last paragraph. I fail to see the point of your rant.
I’m with Beth (as would most folks be): you misread, and insulted someone who was explaining why Raven was misguided. Maybe you should reread comments that upset you before lamenting.
Sorry Beth….
Go educate yourself.
Yes, that was rude, and I don’t care. It’s 2015. Quit being so willfully ignorant about race and racist dog whistles.
I agree Raven is not considering the context and history that made Figueroa’s statement so bad. I can appreciate that she wants to look at issues from different angles, but I don’t think her argument makes much sense here.
Good for Rosie for speaking up on a difficult topic.
Is it an age thing, do you think? That is the only explanation I can come up with for some of her comments. She’s 29, but I have to think she grew up pretty sheltered by fame. Maybe she honestly does not know some of this history.
An ape? She reminds me of a pug! And pugs are freaking cute!!!!!!! (Apes are cute too)
That’s so Raven! And by Raven I mean clueless as f*ck.
I’m very surprised at Raven.
Regardless of the First Lady’s ethnic background, it is absolutely rude to compare her to an ape. And especially regarding her ethnicity, how could anyone think the comment wasn’t racist? Is Raven so ignorant of history? Sad.
Sighhhhhhhhh! Minorities cannot be racist, must this be said over and over again? Good lord people are absolutely exhausting.
Depends on your definition of racism.
Lol – so white South Africans couldn’t be racist then? Wonder what that whole apartheid thing was about then?
Yes, they can, just like my fellow women regardless of orientation can be misogynist, and my fellow lesbians can be homophobic.
The difference is the power dynamic.
Agree with Raven and really like her, hope she gets more work as I enjoy seeing her in movies.
I got such a strong Nicole Richie feeling looking at the header post.
While some people may have very animalistic looking faces there is a lot of bad history out there of black people being called gorillas, or monkeys or whatever as a way to de-humanize them. I mean….does she just not get that?
I kinda took it as, with everything the makeup artist had done to himself to look like her, that he was saying the MUA had made her LOOK like one of the characters. (Damn, that’s probably my personal best in run on sentences! Sorry! 😉)
I don’t know what you guys and Rosie are talking about! I’m Mexican and I have never witnessed any of this racism toward black people.
That’s awesome! Hopefully it stays that way. Consider yourself lucky.
I agree with Raven and no- i am not ignorant. However, I do believe that the comment towards the 1st lady came from a place of hate and racism which is sad. But if we don’t start thinking like Raven, we are all 1-HUMAN….WE WILL NEVER DAWN A NEW DAY. I am bi-racial, and have encountered more racism from my african american side versus caucasian. I am very grateful that I don’t see color and associate it with HATE….i feel sorry for those who do…and those who seek it out in every nook, corner, crack, object and comment. I am grateful for those who made it possible for me to have this outlook in life and just wish the everyone could move forward and those who can’t not be given the time of day….stop bashing someone who is just trying to be positive and optimistic and stop associating optimistic thinking with ignorance.The UNIVISION ANCHOR IS A RACIST TURD. GOT IT….moving right along.