Sarah Palin has a mixed record as a governor (she quit), a reality TV star (her first show lasted only one season), and an advocate for Donald Trump (he just lost Wisconsin). But she is extremely good at one thing: Public feuds. In the past, she has tangled with David Letterman, Aaron Sorkin, and Ashley Judd, among many other celebrities. As the Atlantic observed back in 2011 in an attempt to catalog all her spats, “Palin has monetized micro-blog bomb-throwing.” Her latest adversary is rapper Azealia Banks.
To be fair, Banks started it, by reacting on Twitter to a satirical—I use the word generously—news story claiming that Palin defended slavery. “I’m telling you, I’ve been saying it for years, but nobody’s listening—slavery wasn’t forced onto African-Americans, they accepted it willingly,” the article fake-quoted Palin as saying. (Get it? It’s funny because it’s terrible.)
Like your mom’s friend on Facebook, Banks saw this, missed all the clues that it was fake, and reacted with righteous fury. Her tweets on the topic, which have since been deleted, were vile. As the right-wing watchdog group Media Research Center headlined it, “Rapper Calls for Sarah Palin to be Gang Raped.” That’s putting it gently.
Sarah Palin is not one to rise above. She quickly wrote a smarmy open letter on Facebook: “Hey Female Rapper - listen up, little darling” she began, before accusing Banks of falling for a spoof that represents “the antithesis of my truth.” Then she sent a statement to People in which she declared she will be suing Banks.
On Tuesday, Banks responded with her own open letter on Tumblr. She praises Palin’s “je ne sais quoi,” and then helpfully translates the phrase, which is in itself a pretty sick burn. “There is something very charismatic and misunderstood about you,” Banks continues. “You’re very passionate about the things you believe in, super determined, and most certainly aware of who you are and where you stand in this world.” All true! She apologizes for falling for the article, tries to justify it, and then says she was just kidding about the whole gang-rape thing. “I happen to have a really crass, New-York-City sense of humor,” you see. And also: “i never said you should be raped. I used the term ‘run a train,’ which is slang for group sex, NOT for ‘rape.’”
So far, it’s your run-of-the-mill online altercation between a former governor and a 24-year-old rapper. This when Banks makes it interesting:
i find great irony in the right-wing media’s attempt to “victimize,” you in this situation. Seeking empathy through sensationalism is something left-leaning liberals are frequently ridiculed for by the Right. But American Hypocrisy is nothing new.
Considering the imminence of 2016’s polarizing presidential election, I’ve taken it upon myself to do my own social research. I’ve recently had the opportunity to indulge in a few lengthy conversations with some very popular conservative figures. I’ve concluded: Amongst millennial conservatives, Censorship paired with the (questionable) social necessity for political correctness are atop the list of social grievances. It is as though this newest generation of conservative voters desire the right to express their true feelings, free of any filter and free of any consequence. I too harbor a similar sentiment regarding censorship and self-expression, as i am an artist. I cherish my ability to express myself freely, yet remain totally aware that for every action, there will be a reaction.
This sharp bit of cultural and political analysis raises a number of questions, but especially: Which “very popular conservative figures” has Banks engaged in lengthy conversation about political correctness, self-expressions, and consequences? Could one of them be the one man whom both Palin and Banks have endorsed for president?
P.S. Banks’s “P.S.” is a work of art (#iud):
P.S.:
-I am an EXTREMELY intelligent woman, Mrs. Palin.
-“Hey Female Rapper,” was your way to euphemize what you REALLY wanted to say. What you wanted to say was, “Hey little Stereotypical Black, Thing!”
-Realize that stereotypes are a product of what I like to call the “Critical White Gaze.” The basic fundamentals of the Critical White Gaze are Fear, Ignorance, Curiosity, and Fetishization.
-Intelligence is not something which can be quantified in 140 Characters.
-Twitter is not real, neither is your opinion of me!
-If Bristol Palin listened to my music she probably wouldn’t have all those cotdamn kids!!!! ;-P #sis #iud #stayinschool #causeitsthebest
