David Simon, more than many White people, seems to understand the ways structural racism impacts Black communities. He employed that understanding in his journalism work and in creating the acclaimed HBO programs "The Wire" and "Treme." But a recent series of tweets suggests that he doesn’t understand why a White person using the n-word—even as a joke, even with an "a" instead of "er"—is problematic:
Hannity my nigga! If they couldn’t get Ta-Nehisi or Deray to host, then who but you on the pulse of black America? https://t.co/9hW7wpH4Ar
— David Simon (@AoDespair) September 20, 2016
He issued the above tweet in response to the bizarre news that Fox News‘ Sean Hannity will moderate Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump‘s town hall tomorrow (September 21) that focuses on "core issues and concerns surrounding African Americans," according to the channel. His use of the n-word while noting the situation’s irony and invoking Ta-Nehisi Coates and DeRay Mckesson as better hosts prompted understandable criticism:
David Simon is just another white person who thinks the difference between him and other white ppl is way greater than it really is
— yc (@yc) September 20, 2016
. @AoDespair for the people who missed the previous billion memos like David Simon here, if you’re not Black, don’t use the N word pic.twitter.com/xyzUG26UmZ
— Lauren Chanel Allen (@MichelleHux) September 20, 2016
i’m crying david simon had had nigga in his back pocket for a smooth decade and decided this was the time to shoot his shot
— Greg Howard (@greghoward88) September 20, 2016
Simon responded to criticism by doubling down on his original satirical intent. As this sample of tweets shows, it didn’t work out well for him:
To the hall monitors: Use of N-word (with an A) DIRECTLY mocks the misuse of a white Fox interlocutor to address black issues. I’ll play it.
— David Simon (@AoDespair) September 20, 2016
@AoDespair If context of its sarcasm on Sean Hannity being chosen interloctor to black voters is ignored, then yes, be enraged. Can’t help.
— David Simon (@AoDespair) September 20, 2016
@Loretta8_SoP So is the interlocutor chosen to service the birther candidate to black voters. Hence the affront — and sarcasm.
— David Simon (@AoDespair) September 20, 2016
@bettyb00p00 I don’t honestly agree. Use of the wrong racial vernacular was precise intended metaphor for use of wrong racial interlocutor.
— David Simon (@AoDespair) September 20, 2016
@bettyb00p00 I see how it looks to some, and I regret any hurt. But I know what it actually is in purpose/intent. So we are where we are.
— David Simon (@AoDespair) September 20, 2016
@RogerSneed @bettyb00p00 Yet I do. I am also surprised that portrayal of the use and context seems inaccurate to me. Both true.
— David Simon (@AoDespair) September 20, 2016
@KevinArthur65 @JuddLegum And I understand that people took it badly and didn’t mean to offend on those terms. But my purpose/target clear.
— David Simon (@AoDespair) September 20, 2016
Even Mckesson jumped in, seemingly trying to stop Simon’s hole-digging:
@AoDespair @JuddLegum, David, let’s talk.
— deray mckesson (@deray) September 20, 2016