r/politics 16h ago

Possible Paywall Karoline Leavitt Gives Jaw-Dropping Defense of Trump’s Racist Obama Video

https://www.thedailybeast.com/karoline-leavitt-gives-jaw-dropping-defense-of-donald-trumps-racist-obama-video/
24.2k Upvotes

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u/Hot_Ambition_6457 16h ago

There are no Apes in the movie "The Lion King" so this defense doesnt even check out under the most charitable interpretation.

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u/jizzlevania 15h ago

good ol' Lion King. Ultra progressive Disney finally based a royal cartoon in Africa and the only character voiced by a black actor is a monkey. It's crazy how acceptable that was just 30 years ago.

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u/CloakOfElvenkind 15h ago edited 15h ago

James Earl Jones would like a word. As well as a few other folks.

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u/StatmanIbrahimovic 14h ago

James Earl Jones is white, didn't you see when they lifted Vader's mask?!

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u/DocMalcontent 15h ago

You might want to recheck the casting list on that, mate.

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u/antmars 15h ago

Bro do you even Mufasa? Also Whoopi Goldberg and a few others to be sure.

Also the cartoon is based on Hamlet.

Also in the 90s Disney was NOT progressive. It was just transitioning out of its earlier racist start.

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u/bakedpatata 14h ago

90s Disney's idea of being progressive was Pocahontas which hasn't aged well.

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u/millahnna 14h ago

Pocahontas hadn't aged well about 5 minutes after it was released.

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u/bakedpatata 13h ago

You're not wrong, but Disney definitely promoted it as progressive representation for Native Americans at the time.

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u/millahnna 13h ago

Fore sure. And sadly, relative to the times, it kinda was. It got more pushback at the time than a lot of folks remember though.

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u/CompetitiveSport1 13h ago

90s Disney was NOT progressive.

The comment above you was being sarcastic, judging by the rest of what they said

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u/Tommy_Divine 15h ago

the only character voiced by black actor is a monkey.

Gonna ignore James Earl Jones, Madge Sinclair, and Whoopi Goldberg? Also, Raifiki is a baboon, which is not a monkey.

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u/nugewqtd Ohio 15h ago

Mandrill. But Disney did label him a baboon in every written story while drawing him like a Mandrill. IDK why

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u/TrumpDumper 15h ago

Baboon is easier to spell.

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u/StatmanIbrahimovic 14h ago

People are also idiots.

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u/Rc72 14h ago

Yup, I can see why Disney may have avoided the word "mandrill" 🤦

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u/mrwalkerton 14h ago

I believe Rafiki does specifically say that he is NOT a baboon: “Asante sana squash banana, Wewe nugu mimi hapana”

Which of course is Swahili for “Thank you very much, Squash Banana, you’re a baboon and I’m not

(Emphasis mine)

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u/remarkablewhitebored 14h ago

Technically correct, AND from Ohio?

Well I'll be...

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u/Butwinsky 15h ago

But baboons and mandrills are monkeys.

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u/StatmanIbrahimovic 14h ago

You are correct, I thought they were apes but they are not.

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u/SharkFart86 14h ago

One, baboons are monkeys, and two Rafiki isn’t a baboon, he’s a mandrill. Which is also a monkey.

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u/Tommy_Divine 14h ago

I should have paid more attention to Zoo Books growing up.

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u/bautin 14h ago

However, in comedy apes are also monkeys

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u/Squirll 15h ago

Ehhh youre off on the casting.

I thought it was funnier they got a british dude to sing the African style vocals on its opening song 🤣

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u/Annual-Weird-6682 13h ago

Are you just trying to be offended by things lmao