Clown or an elder past his prime?

James Taranto wasn't too upset by Joseph Lowry's imitation of a once respected pastor and civil rights leader. I thought it quite disrespectful of the occasion we were being told was beyond fabulous and historic and insulting of all races. Taranto compared him to the "All in the Family" TV show of the 70s--Lowry is a victim of his era, apparently. Isn't that infantilizing him? Did people laugh because they thought he was funny or because they were embarrassed for him?

"One of the striking things about watching "All in the Family" more than 35 years later is that Archie Bunker turns out to be the most sympathetic character. When he argues with his liberal son-in-law, he's right about half the time and wrong about half the time, but you forgive the latter because he was a product of his times. On the other hand, the earnest self-righteousness of the son-in-law is grating, even when he is right on the merits.

So if Joseph Lowery wants to spend his dotage clowning around in a bigoted way, we can afford to indulge him. There's no reason to be meatheads about it.

Yes, definitely infantilizing. "Oh, just pay no attention to him . . . he's old. . . used to be SOMEBODY though. Time to change his diaper."

Taranto also noticed world opinion hasn't changed much. . . "Bloomberg sends a team of reporters to places ruled by anti-American regimes--Gaza, Iran, Venezuela--and also to Pakistan, to get reaction to President Obama's inauguration. Surprise, surprise, the quotes it collects are still anti-American." I noticed also that there were riots in Seoul, a military build up in China against Tibet, an Irish tycoon committed suicide, the Japanese have downgraded their economy, someone died of bird flu, the UN is still totally ineffective no matter where it tries to intervene, and housing industry new builds are still tanking. Good Golly Miss Molly nuttin' changed.