Former CNN news anchor Rick Sanchez
TNC thought Jon Stewart piled on a Rick Sanchez a little too much with his “Hurty Sanchez” segment on Monday’s episode of the Daily Show. The 9 minute Sanchez focused segment was after Stewart had already used Sanchez as a punchline while presenting at Comedy Central’s “Night of Too Many Stars” Autism fundraiser over the weekend. I disagreed with TNC Tuesday morning (especially considering Stewart’s fair approximation of Sanchez probably being a better guy than his statements on October 1st and that CNN may have overreacted). I agree even more after Rick Sanchez issued this statement:
On October 4th, I had a very good conversation with Jon Stewart, and I had the opportunity to apologize for my inartful comments from last week. I sincerely extend this apology to anyone else whom I may have offended.
via Rick Sanchez Releases Statement Saying he has ‘Nothing but Highest Regard’ for CNN – FishbowlDC.
Sanchez’s non-apology apology to “anyone else” makes me think that Jon Stewart was gracious enough. That being said Sanchez is no Mel Gibson or Don Imus even. Regarding Sanchez himself, Latoya Patterson at Racialicious decries Sanchez’s “Oppression Olympics” that obscured valid points he made regarding race and society:
I particularly like where Sanchez stops Dominick in his example to point out that racism isn’t always as overt as someone being compressed into an existing stereotype. Often, particularly in media, minorities face racism because they do not fit a certain mold. That’s something that always frustrates me when talking to well-meaning folks about racism. It’s very easy for them to identify really egregious examples – much harder for them to acknowledge some biases are quiet, yet devastating. After all, we aren’t hearing broadcasts from Ricardo León Sánchez de Reinaldo
[…]But even more than that, the outburst allowed all the truth in his statement to become buried by the weight of one prejudicial statement. And it allowed for those who are truly in power to laugh, check the ratings, and continue on with the status quo.