Neo-Confederates Freak Out About Ru Paul Museum Display

[xchrom]

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/04/neo-confederates-freak-out-about-ru-paul-museum-display



The South has risen again—against Ru Paul.

The freakout began, as many such freakouts do, over a museum display. On Saturday, the new Appomattox, Virginia branch of the Museum of Confederate History had its grand opening, with a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and the ceremonial flag-raising of the 14 states in the Confederacy. It all seemed innocuous enough. But as the blog Southern Heritage Alerts explained, there was trouble. Just a few days earlier, a "flagger" (Lost Cause jargon for someone who publicly displays the Confederate flag) went on a "recon" mission to the museum a few days before its official grand opening and spotted a life-size image of VH1 star Ru Paul dressed in a bedazzled Confederate flag dress. (Here's a photo.)

Immediately, Lost Causers sprang into action. "This is Waite Rawls flipping the bird to all Southerners," read one characteristic blog comment, referring to the museum's director. "You must get in 'these peoples' face and spit and spit again!," read another. "Kid gloves ain't gonna work with this trash!!!! They spit on YOU and YOUR heritage everyday!!!!" Another commenter wondered aloud, "How could this have been allowed to happen even for a soft opening to me it is both hateful and disrespectful not alone what were small children to make of this." The Sons of Confederate Veterans, one of the nation's leading Neo-Confederate groups, put out a statement blasting the display.

[MadHound]

1. Ah yes, that heritage thing again

A heritage of treason.

[JHB]

2. I like how the Confederate "flagger" is upset about getting into faces and spitting...

Gee, pal, why are you so hot for that flag in the first place? Could it be....exactly the same thing?

[GeorgeGist]

3. and another thing ...

they're humorless twits.

[baldguy]

4. I'd say the flaggers have a point: Ru Paul is mocking Southern Heritage.

But then, every ludicrous thing the flaggers themselves do mocks Southern Heritage. More so than Ru Paul could ever do.

[Blue_Tires]

16. So does the KKK

But I don't ever see the Neo-secessionists ever call THEM out...

[baldguy]

43. Because the KKK are their friends & allies.

[Tunkamerica]

5. This has to be a late April Fools joke.

[BeGoodDoGood]

6. Ru Paul

I doubt if Ru Paul much cares about offending the neo-rebs. It's just a look that will get attention.

Walt

[The Wizard]

7. Let them secede

and leave normal people to live their lives without some bigots trying to restore slavery.

[Initech]

40. If they secede...

How the hell do they expect to run a country on their no government philosophy? A few years of running a country like Somalia where everyone has guns and no one's in charge - they'll come crawling back. The people that want to secede? I say let 'em and run on those Reagan no government ideals - it'll be fun to watch.

[Justice wanted]

8. RuPaul RULES

[auburngrad82]

9. The flag of the insurrection never looked better

in my opinion.

[Mendocino]

10. Ru Paul, the face of The New Old South

The child and sibling that Ron and Rand never talk about.

[Autumn]

36. Ru Paul has too much class and intelligence

to be related to or even spoken of in the same conversation as those two dreggs of humanity.

[HappyMe]

11. Good grief!

RuPaul is awesome. Maybe they are jealous of how great RP looks in a gown.
Drag Race started the new season last night. I missed it . I'm sure I can catch a rerun though.

[d_r]

12. I wonder they are so upset?

I thought they liked that flag flying around?

Delicate sensibilities I guess.

I'm not sure what small children should be expected to make of any of it, but I don't see how this picture makes that any better or worse.

I thought there were 13 confederate states.

[d_r]

13. To add

OK so I went here:

http://shnvalerts.blogspot.com/2012/03/this-is-not-your-grandmothers-museum.html

and found out the display was removed.

They called it "offensive."

The museum said that they intended it as an example of the "mis-use" of the flag.

Wow, I'm not getting it.

ETA here is more about it. Bizarre.

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/civil-war/2012/mar/29/civil-war-controversy-swirls-around-museums-confed/

[Blue_Tires]

15. They thought they heard it was a RON Paul display, and feel cheated...

[HappyMe]

17. ....

[calimary]

34. ROFL!!!!!!!!!

Actually, I suspect this is EXACTLY what some of them thought.

[pinboy3niner]

38. *snort*

[Maraya1969]

14. Why am I loving this so much? Oh yea, a drag queen is strutting his stuff

in your flag baby! A black drag queen to boot!

And they are spitting nail!!!!

Yes I love it!

Here is the word I think I am looking for - you are being mocked and but good.

[alcibiades_mystery]

18. Prediction: This post will inexorably cause the posting of an Anti-South-Bashing Thread

WE haven't had one of our usually "Why are People Here Always Bashing the South / There is Racism in Boston and Chicago, Too" threads in upwards of THREE FUCKING WEEKS!

In other words, we desperately need that content! I'm glad this thread will serve as a jumping off point for someone to post a "South Defending" thread in the very near future.

[LanternWaste]

19. And says this lifelong southerner...

And says this lifelong southerner: I sometimes think that prognostications of the future and predictions of peoples' reactions are actually little more than mere bait-- we often realize that flogging ourselves or constructing our own cross is a bit too obvious, so we sometimes act in such a manner, that better compels others to do it for us.

[era veteran]

22. That is because of us good progressives fighting the hard fight in the South

Hard when our Yankee brothers and sisters spout ignorant shit.

I will.
South Carolina, the State that started the War. The thing most people don't know is after Ft Sumpter the Charleston men that started it, while drunk, stayed at home for the duration of the war for costal defense. Did not get the gene prunning the rest of the South did.
You could call them some of America's first Chickenhawks.

[Blue_Tires]

25. do we even have confirmation that this is real and not a prank?

[bluedigger]

20. And now we have all heard of this new museum.

An inappropriate museum display, or a publicity stunt?

I think the image is pretty funny, but more appropriate to an art gallery than a history museum.

[msanthrope]

21. Seriously, Fuck Ron Paul......

[era veteran]

23. Much nicer than this prom dress.

accessorize, accessorize, accessorize


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[calimary]

37. Well, looks like she's wearing her heart on her sleeve, figuratively speaking.

Sad.

[AlbertCat]

24. So old hat! (and a FABULOUS hat too!)

That's RuPaul as "Rachel Tension" from "To Wong Fu...." a film (I hate BTW) from 1995.

1995 SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO.

As usual, the southern jerks determined to keep the South down and a laughing stock are so behind as to not be believed.

[yardwork]

26. I laughed out loud!

[allan01]

27. re: Neo-Confederates Freak Out About Ru Paul Museum Display View profile

Hmm. when are we as a nation going to stop this nonsense of fighting the war between the states , i call it the civil war . nothin more . in old earth Yugoslavia serbs and corats still fight over the famed inventor nikola tesla " i cant stand stupidity for stupidities sake and cant stand fear for fears sake". day the earth stood still.

[bart95]

28. 'you can call me he, you can call me she, you can call me regis and cathy lee'

ru paul quote

one of the funniest things i've ever heard

[Initech]

29. Anything that freaks them out I'm OK with.

[calimary]

35. Me too!

I'm happy to offend those bastards as much as possible.

[slampoet]

30. That is funny.

I don't like drag humor but i have to admit Ru Paul really did it right here.

[slampoet]

31. Must have mixed her up with Ron Paul.

[Tom Ripley]

32. I thought the white flag of defeat and surrender represented the hallowed confederacy

[countryjake]

33. K&R!

Amazing recycling, Ru!

[arely staircase]

39. what an awesome headline nt

[Dawson Leery]

41. The proper way to handle the Confederate Rag

is to place it into the fireplace or any fire safe enclosure so the rag may be destroyed.

[Taverner]

42. Awesome. I'd burn that rag (confederate treason flag) any chance I got