A comment like this one might have raised an eyebrow or two yesterday, before Brad Paisley and LL Cool J teamed up to move the nation beyond racial boundaries and thoughtless acts of “accidental racism.” Fortunately, it was all in good fun when the executive producer of tonight’s White House Memphis soul concert praised the white people for managing to clap along to a beat, according to the pool report:
As he was warming up the audience before the show started, he said so many of the night’s songs would feature hits by Otis Redding that he has dubbed the event “Otis for POTUS.” He then led the audience in practicing their synchronized clapping to a recorded version of “Respect.” Afterward, Ehrlich said he was particularly proud of all the white people. I think we really proved something … and we’re going to keep proving it all night.”
Well, it was good fun for a little while, until the press was led out.
A disappointed pool was ushered out after that one song. We will have to wait to see the rest on the PBS broadcast of the show April 16.
We have a lid.
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