Net: We don’t want to turn this into all the other Twin Cities publications, but we did get a whole lot of KQ letters, and we feel it is our duty to publish a sampling in today’s Network. Sorry, squirrel fans — looks like you’ll just have to go nuts until tomorrow. HA!
AS IF ON Q
From KQ’ed: Oh Net, Net, Net. I never thought I’d see the day when you’d succumb to the feeble powers of the politically correct. Net: Excuse us — we ARE the power of the politically correct. And there’s nothin’ feeble about us. In your response to Frostman‘s entry yesterday, you suggested the white population, specifically white males, don’t catch any shit from the KQ crew.
Give me a break! Have you ever listened to the show, or do you just buy into the B.S. that’s being circulated by the media and overly sensitive community organizations? Net: Yes, we have listened to the show. It’s KQ’s B.S. we don’t buy into. The only reason you didn’t hear any jokes about the white adolescent males involved in the school shootings is that no one made a big damn stink about them! Net: Newsweek cover story aside and all …
It’s a joke! Do you understand that? You also don’t seem to remember all the jokes at St. Patrick’s Day about the drunk Irish. I’m Irish and I don’t care. I think it’s hilarious! Net: And why not? It’s all in good fun, and it’s your own day. I’m sure the Hmong would feel less sensitive too if the whole nation celebrated a day to recognize them. Some groups are a little less, uh, established, you know.
So to answer your question, yes, white guys are open to what you call KQ’s wrath. In fact, we encourage it, and we don’t care who says it or why.
I challenge you to find a non-white comedian who doesn’t incorporate some racial jokes into his or her act. Net: Bill Cosby. They don’t exist. Everyone needs to down a couple bottles of Prozac and lighten up a little.
From Icepick: Like Frostman I saw the graffiti on the wall behind Kolthoff. However, I think his reaction was excessive and poorly focused. I don’t care if you like the KQ morning show or not. If you are personally offended by the show, there are a great number of legitimate ways of showing your disgust. None of them include writing graffiti on that wall. I pay for that wall. My tuition and my taxpayer dollars will now have to pay to repair that wall because some jerk with a political agenda decided to put his message down in a stupid place.
Go paint walls owned by KQRS. Net: Knowing their playlist, their walls are probably original property of Pink Floyd. There are dozens of publicly visible bulletin boards around campus designed for this stuff. Hang banners on telephone poles, tape up posters, picket KQ’s parking lot, but don’t destroy the property of totally uninvolved people.
From Duck Butter: First of all, I applaud your efforts to let the small-minded people of the world have a forum to voice their opinions. Net: That’s why we’re here. I happily include myself (for no relevant reason) in this classification. Anyway, Frostman, KQ has been spewing racist, anti-Semitic, anti-everything crap longer than you think. Net: Since back when its playlist was current!
I got fed up with it last year and stopped listening. It’s great that the Hmong community is standing up to this corporate giant. Every time you hear people joke about these things on the radio, it becomes that much more acceptable to guys who drive pickups and office yuppies alike. People such as yourself usually trod around in your “ignorance is bliss” universe until someone rocks the boat. Then you get upset because YOU’VE never noticed anything wrong. Well, open your eyes and smell the smoke instead of waiting for the firefighters to come tell you the building’s burning down.
Thanks Net, I feel like I’ve fully contributed to the meaningless dribble we all love to read. Net: Meaningless? Excuse us — we do try to be more than “Seinfeld,” thank you.
From Cot-boy: I’m sure I’m not the first to respond to Frostman‘s letter.
Let me share this if it wouldn’t put you guys out; I know you are very busy. Net: Well, actually, our cat needs a pedicure, but … I believe in free speech. However, I feel it is the responsibility of those with the power to really make their voice heard (i.e., radio personalities) to use judgement in what they say. I also feel that it is the right and responsibility of intelligent people to think about what they are being subjected to. It is possible not to listen to the KQ morning show. Net: Not if you’re in the Daily at 8 a.m. when the custodian’s at work.
I am not Hmong, but I can understand the motivation behind writing such things on a wall. If I were so inclined to vandalize I might choose to say, “KQ off the air.” By the way Frostman, the wall is not yours, it is ours — these are two different things. Just because you are a resident of Minnesota, this does not make state property yours. Net: Hmmm … clear disagreement with an earlier correspondent. Controversy. How stimulating. Think about it — it is also the reason why they should not give the surplus back, but that’s a different story.
Anyway, as I have shown, we have the right to say just about anything we please, but that doesn’t make it OK to say things that will lead one’s moronic followers to dehumanize an entire culture. Net: We’re not sure you’ve shown that, but we’ll leave that judgment to our friends in speech communication. I think it is tragic when children die, but I don’t think a tragedy like this is exclusive to any one culture. I wonder when people are going to realize that all of the groups our society defines are actually made up of individuals.
The fact that the woman in question was Hmong is totally irrelevant; it could have happened in any community. When such a thing happens I think the last thing a person should do is oversimplify the circumstances.
However, I might underestimate our friend Frostman. After all, he has probably taken Psychology 1001 and I have not. Net: Wow. A U student who hasn’t taken Psych 1001. Can we profile you? Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut. Net: Nah. Folks like you fill our space. ‘Til tomorrow, y’all!
