Jesse Jackson Hating on Barbershop

I recently saw the film Barbershop, a well-done and entertaining film about a black barbershop in inner-city Chicago. Jesse Jackson, in a media blitz, not only demanded that the producers apologize for certain scenes that make fun of civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, but also, after they did apologize, insisted that the scenes be deleted from video and DVD versions of the movie.

Rod Dreher points out that there were also digs at Jesse Jackson himself, and that Jackson's behavior is indicative of his intolerance for African-Americans who disagree with him. Moreover, Jackson misses three crucial points: First, all the characters in the barbershop vehemently disagree with the character ("Eddie") who pokes fun at the civil rights leaders. Second, there is some evidence that the criticisms are true. Finally, the theme of the movie is largely about re-capturing the spirit of the older generation--the generation of the civil rights leaders--within the black community. I'm beginning to wonder when the media will stop listening to Jackson's increasingly irrelevant tirades.

Posted 10:29 PST