Dijongate

May 8th, 2009 –President Obama and Vice-President Biden went out this week to grab a bite at a Washington deli. Why it took two of MSNBC’s senior correspondents to cover the event is beyond comprehension. Why and how Fox News used the “event” as fodder to fuel the next two days of "news" is even more insane (or have we come to expect it from this “news” source). In fact, Fox came up with the term "Dijongate" to refer to President Obama's choice of condiments, good stuff.

Indeed, the President ordered a burger topped with mustard, “or do you have any hot mustard or Dijon" he rivetingly asked. The first problem here is that Fox News pundit Sean Hannity accused MSNBC of a cover-up as the two commentators spoke over Obama’s request for the devil’s mustard (surely offering a gripping history of world leaders and their favourite foods). I offer to Mr. Hannity that they were speaking over this mustard order because IT WAS A MAN ORDERING CONDIMENTS FOR A BURGER! For crying out loud, Hannity reeks of paranoia and I suspect the smelt it, dealt it axiom applies: it sounds like something a republican administration would have done, therefore... The second problem with “Dijongate” is that it is French, a people they do not like, and it is upper class, making president Obama an elitist liar that doesn’t really care about the working classes.

All of this, please keep in mind, because the president ordered a particular condiment sold at fast food chains across America. It’s as if the right-wing media desperately want attention since they lost their ally in the White House and have become complacent and jingoistic with their media coverage (jingoism – a terrific term meaning extreme patriotism and bias, aggressively promoting one’s country as better than anything else). At least, that is what I originally thought. Then, I remembered a few more examples during the Bush era and even a long time ago in the Woodrow Wilson era. It seems the conservatives are not above elevating mundane minutiae into national threats and consequently responding with the grossest and most ridiculous of overreactions.

That'll show them

As a recent example that we may all remember, in 2003, certain republicans in the US congress had enough of France opposing an invasion of Iraq. A simple “screw the French” could have sufficed as an inappropriate reaction from elected officials, but no, they went much, much further. They passed a congressional motion to have all gouvernmental cafeterias rename French fries and French toast as “freedom fries” and “freedom toast”. And yes, it was utterly ridiculous. In a relatively ignored yet truly hilarious response from Washington DC’s French embassy, the media were told “someone should tell them French fries are actually from Belgium". Conversely, over 75% of Dijon mustard produced on the planet is from Canada...

Further back, with the World War I hatred and fear of all things German, Britain and the US had already begun this tradition of a petty naming war. German biscuits in the UK were changed to “empire biscuits” which they remain today. The aristocratic family Battenberg and the royal house of Saxe-Coburg Gotha were also respectively changed to Mountbatten and Windsor (Oh yes, Queen Victoria, and therefore all the royal houses of Europe, are German). In the United States, the same lack of imagination as in 2003 brought about “liberty cabbage” instead of sauerkraut and “liberty measles” oddly needed to be “jingoed”, stealing them away from their preferred term “German measles”.

To nuance my historical argument, there certainly is a difference in context here. When it first happened, millions were dying at war. Then in 2003, September 11^th was not far behind, two wars were being fought in the Middle-East and most brown people were potentially just about to rape you. In 2009, with a nice juicy recession and some sexy bird flu to talk about, there was a news director somewhere that thought “Dijongate” was a valid and newsworthy story. It must be true what they say, TV will rot your brain, especially if you work in it.

It may seem innocuous and inoffensive but jingoism of the sort easily leads to discrimination and racism. The Hutu broadcasters of Rwanda were guilty of the same national and racial complacency in 1994. Historians now singularly point the finger at that radio station for provoking the 800,000 deaths that ensued.

Finally, jingoism leads to ultranationalism. To end with an oversimplification and overreaction on this particular blog medium that I own and direct, I boldly claim that it is people like Sean Hannity that elected Hitler in 1932 (Oh yes, Hitler was elected).

(Note: I have invented and own the copyright on the verb “jingoed”)

(Pictured: Hitler allegedly invaded France because of the lack of German mustard varieties (citation needed) - Obama loves a spicy burger.)

End.

Also in the news

- The Pope hilariously lectures Muslim leaders on the misuse of Religion for political gain.

- Vladimir Putin can sing - and can perhaps do much more we don't know about.

- Women of Kenya have gone on a sex strike to raise rape awareness - confused and horny, some men are suing them.