Portuguese Update: Like George Allen, I know ‘macaca’ means monkey
August 15, 2006 by William K. Wolfrum
I’ve been struggling to learn Portuguese. I blame myself, as I’m a rotten student. I always find other things to do. My vocabulary is getting slightly better, however, so I do know a few words in this language.
Like, I know the word for “monkey” is “macaca.”
Virginia senator, and likely presidential candidate George Allen appears to know this, as well:
“This fellow here over here with the yellow shirt, Macaca, or whatever his name is. He’s with my opponent. He’s following us around everywhere. And it’s just great. We’re going to places all over Virginia, and he’s having it on film and its great to have you here and you show it to your opponent because he’s never been there and probably will never come … Lets give a welcome to Macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia,”
This “quip” was aimed at S.R. Sidarth, a 20-year-old, dark-skinned student, who is actually from Virginia. “Macaca” is a very popular insult down in South America, where racism can be extreme, especially on the soccer pitch.
Allen apologized, saying he was unaware what the word meant, which is mind-shatteringly lame. He could have asked the stunningly bilingual George W. Bush, but his Spanish reportedly comes and goes.
–WKW
Agreed, the “don’t know” excuse is lame. Allen didn’t have to ask George Bush what “Macaca” means. George Allen’s mother is French Tunesian–presumably Mama Allen tossed the phrase around an occasion or too.
Allen himself speaks some French. Presumably Portuguese and French have similiar sounding racial slurs. The again, given Allen’s past it’s just as possible that he picked the term up from one of his White Supremacist buddies. Or maybe this was simply a coincidence and he meant to say “Mohawk” to a guy with a mullet. Honest mistake .. .
http://notlarrysabato.typepad.com/doh/2006/08/great_question_.html
[...] Tony Snow is a macaca, plain and simple. [...]
[...] “This fellow here over here with the yellow shirt, Macaca, or whatever his name is. [...]
[...] Burns is apparently following a Republican plan originally divised by Virginia Sen. George Allen, who refers to his opponents as Macacas and other racial slurs, and also receives great applause from the mindless partisan zombies surrounding him. [...]
[...] If ever there was one moment that changed the direction of a nation, it was George Allen’s macaca moment. It was a moment that encapsulated everything that was wrong with the GOP. And while no one can say if that cost him the election or cost the GOP the Senate, one thing is clear to me – it cost Allen the election and cost the GOP the Senate. [...]
[...] The GOP, stocked to the gills with candidates like George Allen – who never met a non-white person he didn’t want to smugly race-bait in front of his own supporters – has taken the bull by the horns and created a rulebook that they hope will keep their candidates in line. [...]