Religious broadcaster Robertson on mac ‘n’ cheese for Thanksgiving: ‘Is that a black thing?’

[rug]

By Associated Press, Updated: Wednesday, November 23, 6:54 PM

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson has been set straight on Thanksgiving comfort food.

“The 700 Club” founder showed a clip of Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday. Robertson’s host, Kristi Watts, asked what dish the former secretary of state had to have on Thanksgiving. Rice replied macaroni and cheese.

Watts reacted enthusiastically, adding “Sister, that is my dish...”

Appearing perplexed, Robertson asked Watts, who is black, of the women’s shared enthusiasm for mac ‘n’ cheese, “Is that a black thing?”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religious-broadcaster-robertson-on-mac-n-cheese-for-thanksgiving-is-that-a-black-thing/2011/11/23/gIQAulZjpN_story.html

[MarkCharles]

1. I LOVE Mac and Cheese, so I MUST BE black, oh wait, why is my skin so

light?

These people are so 19th century, so locked up in the black/white thing.........whereas our President is of mixed race.

Why do people like Robertson get so locked in the past? So unable to learn stuff.

[msongs]

2. roberston only eats manna from heaven. oh wait, is manna a jewish thing? nt

[NMMNG]

3. I didn't realize there was an official Thanksgiving menu

Or that I was black.

[Humanist_Activist]

4. No, its a cheap thing, and I love Mac n' Cheese myself...

and I'm white. And we always had some on Thanksgiving.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. The thing is, he was told that it is 'a black thing'

by a black woman. Now, it may seem like a crass question to ask in the first place, but when an interviewer calls an interviewee "sister", and they are both conservative (I assume anyone working in 'The 700 Club' is conservative), it's a reasonable assumption that it's a reference to the cultural milieu in which they might actually use 'sister' like that - which is African American.

FSM help me, but I feel Robertson is unjustly getting flack for this.

[MarkCharles]

6. Did you miss the point two posters here made already? Mac and Cheese is NOT

a "black" thing!

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. And yet, I have given my reasons why Mac and Cheese on Thanksgiving

was presented to Robertson looking like a 'black thing' - and someone black (whose behaviour had led him to characterise it that way) then told him it was. Now, non-black people are saying 'no, it's just something many people like', but I really can't see why this has become 'news' in any form. "African American associate of Robertson behaves as if Thanksgiving Mac And Cheese is an African American dish, and explicitly says so" is not of interest. To anyone.